World War II Honoree

Richard Allan Walton

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

North Bessemer, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Josephine 'Bea' Carter Walton

Relationship

Wife

OCTOBER 14, 1942; ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. BASIC TRAINING AT FORT MEADE, MARYLAND. JANUARY 1943-OCTOBER 1943; ASSIGNED TO THE ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT AT ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MARYLAND, WHERE HE TRAINED AS AN ARMORER TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN INFANTRY WEAPONS. AFTER COMPLETING THAT COURSE, WAS ASSIGNED AS AN INSTRUCTOR IN THE COURSE. OCTOBER 1943-JUNE 1944; SELECTED FOR THE ARMY SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM, SENT TO VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE IN BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA, FOR HIS JUNIOR YEAR IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. JUNE 1944-SEPTEMBER 1944; ASSIGNED TO THE 84TH 'RAILSPLITTER' INFANTRY DIVISION, MILITARY POLICE PLATOON, AT CAMP CLAIBORNE, LOUISIANA, AND WAS PROMOTED TO PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. SEPTEMBER 1944; ASSIGNED TO CAMP KILMER, NEW JERSEY, FOR SHIPMENT OUT TO THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. SEPTEMBER 20, 1944; EMBARKED NEW YORK, NEW YORK, AND ARRIVED AT GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, ON OCTOBER 3, 1944. THE 84TH INFANTRY DIVISION WAS SENT TO WINCHESTER, ENGLAND, FOR ABOUT A MONTH TO PREPARE FOR CROSSING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL TO OMAHA BEACH. OCTOBER 1944; ARRIVED AT OMAHA BEACH AND WENT ON LINE NEAR EIGELSHOVEN, HOLLAND. DECEMBER 1944; TRANSFERRED TO MARCHÉ, BELGIUM, TO HELP DRIVE THE GERMAN FORCES BACK DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. FEBRUARY 1945; RETURNED TO THE APPROXIMATE PREVIOUS POSITION NEAR THE RHINE RIVER, CROSSED THE RHINE AND PROCEEDED THROUGH CENTRAL GERMANY TO LINK UP WITH THE RUSSIANS AT THE ELBE RIVER. PROMOTED TO CORPORAL AT THIS TIME. MAY 1945; AFTER THE WAR ENDED, WAS ORDERED TO THE TOWN OF WEINHEIM, GERMANY, FOR OCCUPATION DUTY. JANUARY 1946; LEFT WEINHEIM FOR LE HAVRE, FRANCE, AND SHIPPED OUT FOR NEW YORK ON JANUARY 10, 1946. ARRIVED THERE ON JANUARY 20, 1946. JANUARY 25, 1946; HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY AT INDIANTOWN GAP MILITARY RESERVATION, PENNSYLVANIA. DURING HIS SERVICE, QUALIFIED AS EXPERT ON THE M1 RIFLE, CARBINE, PISTOL AND SMALL-BORE RIFLE. DECORATIONS: GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 SERVICE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION.