World War II Honoree

Joseph Putnam 'Put' O'Grady

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Honored By

Joseph O'Grady, Jr.

Relationship

Son

JOINED U.S. ARMY AND BEGAN BASIC TRAINING AT FORT SNELLING IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. CAME DOWN WITH MENINGITIS AND BECAUSE OF A 3 WEEK HOSPITALIZATION AND RECUPERATION, DID NOT FINISH BASIC TRAINING. INITIALLY STATIONED IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND AFTER ACCEPTANCE TO OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL, WENT TO WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE NEAR WASHINGTON D.C. WAS ASKED TO BE AN INSTRUCTOR, BUT THE PROGRAM WAS TERMINATED AND CANDIDATES WERE TRANSFERRED TO UNITS IN PREPARATION FOR THE EUROPE INVASION. LEFT NEW YORK ON THE QUEEN ELIZABETH ON OCTOBER 17, 1944 AND ARRIVED AT CLYDE RIVER, SCOTLAND ON OCTOBER 22ND. WAS TRANSFERRED BY TRAIN TO SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND AND BILLETED. LEFT FOR LE HAVRE, FRANCE ON NOVEMBER 25TH. RE-ASSEMBLY AT SAINT SAENS, FRANCE NEAR ROUENS. HEADQUARTERS WAS ESTABLISHED IN AN OLD CHATEAU WHERE GERMAN STAFF HAD LIVED 6 WEEKS PREVIOUSLY. ONCE ORDERS WERE RECEIVED, WENT BY TRAIN FOR 3 DAYS TO LONGEVILLE-LES-METZ, ARRIVING DECEMBER 5TH. SET UP HEADQUARTERS IN A GERMAN FACILITY. ON DECEMBER 13TH, HEADED TO CHATEAU-SALINS AND THE FRONT. SHELLED AT MUNDELSHEIM, GERMANY, TAKING HEAVY CASUALTIES. ON DECEMBER 23, WHILE IN THE SAAR VALLEY, THE 87TH INFANTRY RECEIVED ORDERS TO GO TO BELGIUM TO FIGHT IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. WAS TO RENDEZVOUS WITH ANOTHER UNIT IN PREPARATION FOR THE MOVEMENT WHEN HE AND HIS DRIVER RAN OVER A LAND MINE, WHICH KILLED THE DRIVER. LAID IN THE FIELD THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT NOT KNOWING IF HE WOULD LIVE AND WHETHER HE WOULD BE DISCOVERED BY THE AMERICANS OR THE GERMANS. THE U.S. ARMY EVACUATED HIM TO A FILED HOSPITAL AND THEN HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO A HOSPITAL IN MICHIGAN FOR SURGERY AND REHABILITATION.