World War II Honoree

Howard Billian

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Middletown, Connecticut

Honored By

Janice Falvey

Relationship

Niece

SERVED WITH BATTERY 'C', 339TH FIELD ARTILLERY INFANTRY, 88TH DIVISION. SERVICE RECORD: ENTERED JULY 11,1942, NORTH DEVANS, MASSACHUSETTS. CAMP GRUBER, OKLAHOMA TO JUNE 1943. MANEUVERS, LOUSIANA-1943 NORTH SAM HOUSTON, TX TO NOV. 1943 CAMP PATRICK HENRY-TO DEC 2, 1943 NORTH AFRICA-TO MARCH 1944 ITALY-COMBAT MARCH 5, 1944 TO OCT. 1945 BARI, ITALY-JAN-NOV 1945 DISCHARGED CAMP EDWARDS, CAPE COD, MA DEC 10, 1945. AN ARTICLE IN OUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER, MIDDLETOWN PRESS ON MY UNCLE: 'HOWARD BILLIAN`S GUNNERS HIT SPOT WITH THE FIFTH ARMY, ITALY - NINE DIRECT HITS OUT OF TEN SHOTS ON A GERMAN MACHINEGUNE NEST IS THE RECORD OF THE GUN CREW IN WHICH PRIVATE FIRST CLASS HOWARD BILLIAN OF 3 ROOSEVELT DRIVE, MIDDLETOWN, CONN., IS A MEMBER.BILLIAN SET POWDER CHARGES IN THE SHELLS OF A BIG 155 MILLIMETER HOWITZER AND IS NUMBER 6 CANNONNEER IN THE CREW WHICH IS A MEMBER OF THE 88TH INFANTRY DIVISION ARTILLERY. BILLIAN EXPLAINED THAT INFANTRY OBSERVERS HAD ASKED FOR FIRE ON A 'PESKY' MACHINEGUN POST WHICH WAS LOCATED BEHIND THE THICK WALLS OF A DESERTED ITALIAN FARMHOUSE. THE LIGHTER ARTILLERY COULDN`T SMOKE THE JERRIES OUT FROM BEHIND THE STONE BARRICADE, SO THE SERGEANT WAS OBLIGED TO USE A HEAVIER GUN. AFTER THE FIRST HUGE 95-POUND SHELL WAS FIRED FOR REGISTRATION, THE GUN CREW FIRED NINE MORE HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELLS IN RAPID SUCCESSION. THE INFANTRY OBSERVER REPORTED BACK IN AN AWED VOICE THAT THE GUN CREW HAD SCORED NINE DIRECT HITS, AND STATED THERE WASN`T ENOUGH LEFT OF THAT IMPROVISED PILLBOX TO MAKE GOOD GRAVEL. HIS GUN IS CLOSE TO GERMAN LINES. THE 23-YEAR OLD CONNECTICUT SOLDIER ENTERED THE ARMY IN JULY, 1942. IN CIVILIAN LIFE HE WORKED IN A FACTORY.'