World War II Honoree

George Franklin Hamilton

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Westmoreland County, Virginia

Honored By

Paula Lucy Delosh

SERVED AS A SHERMAN M4 TANK DRIVER IN THE U.S. ARMY FROM 1942 TO 1945 WITH THE 66TH REGIMENT OF THE 2ND ARMORED DIVISION, KNOWN AS 'HELL ON WHEELS'. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, NORMANDY, NORTHERN EUROPE AND THE ARDENNES CAMPAIGNS. HE WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART FOR SERIOUS WOUNDS RECEIVED DURING THE BATTLE FOR ELBEUF, FRANCE. ALTHOUGH HE COULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE STATES AFTER RECOVERING FROM HIS INJURIES, HE RETURNED TO HIS REGIMENT JUST AS THEY WERE DEPLOYED TO THE ARDENNES TO FIGHT IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. IN 1945, HIS TANK COMPANY D WAS SELECTED TO BE PART OF TASK FORCE WARREN, A SPECIAL UNIT THAT WAS SENT BEHIND ENEMY LINES TO CAPTURE A STRATEGIC PASS IN THE TEUTOBURG FOREST DURING THE ATTACK MARCH ACROSS GERMANY TO CAPTURE BERLIN.