World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Harry Eugene Gates
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Addison, New York
Honored By
Valerie J. Peters
Relationship
Daughter
HE ENLISTED IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK IN MARCH OF 1944 WHEN HE WAS 17 AND WAS SENT TO HAMILTON COLLEGE NEAR UTICA, NEW YORK, THE DAY AFTER HIS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION FOR MILITARY AND ACADEMIC TRAINING. ON HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, HE WAS SENT TO FORT DIX AND THEN TO FORT KNOX FOR TRAINING AND SUBSEQUENTLY ASSIGNED TO THE 11TH ARMORED DIVISION IN THE U.S. ARMY. IN EARLY 1945 HE WAS SENT TO FORT MEAD, MARYLAND, THEN A.P. HILL, VIRGINIA FOR ADDITIONAL TANK TRAINING. IN MARCH OF 1945, HE WAS SENT BACK TO FORT DIX, THEN TO NEW YORK CITY WHERE HE BOARDED A LIBERTY SHIP BOUND FOR GERMANY. THE SHIPS TRAVELED IN A CONVOY BECAUSE THE ATLANTIC WAS ALIVE WITH GERMAN SUBMARINES (U-BOATS) AND MADE A DETOUR TO THE EAST COAST OF ENGLAND TO AVOID A U-BOAT. THEY STAYED THERE FOR ONE DAY AND THEN SNUCK ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL TO LEHAVRE, FRANCE. THE ENTIRE CROSSING TOOK 15 DAYS. AT LEHAVRE THEY WERE LOADED INTO BOXCARS AND TRANSPORTED EAST ACROSS FRANCE AND GERMANY (IN BOTH BOXCARS AND TRUCKS) TRYING TO CATCH THE REPLACEMENT DEPOT WHICH KEPT MOVING EAST AS THE GERMANS RETREATED. THEY WERE TOLD THEY WOULD BE REPLACING TROOPS IN THE FRONT LINES OF ATTACK. THEY REACHED THE REPLACEMENT DEPOT IN NUREMBERG, GERMANY IN LATE APRIL, 1945 AND WERE PROCESSED AND LOADED INTO A TRUCK. AS THE TRUCK WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE FOR THE FRONT, IT WAS HALTED AND THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE GERMANS HAD JUST SURRENDERED. THEY THEN TRAVELED ON TO AN ABBEY IN KREMSMUNSTER, AUSTRIA WHERE THEY SPENT A MONTH BEFORE ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE MADE TO SHIP THEM BACK TO THE U.S. AFTER HIS RETURN TO THE STATES, HE WAS STATIONED AT FORT DEVENS, BOSTON WHERE HE PREPARED TO SHIP TO JAPAN, BUT BEFORE THAT HAPPENED, JAPAN ALSO SURRENDERED. HE STAYED IN FORT DEVENS FOR A YEAR WORKING AT THE DISCHARGE CENTER THERE UNTIL IT WAS SHUT DOWN. WHILE THERE, HE RE-ENLISTED FOR AN ADDITIONAL YEAR AND WAS SENT BACK TO FORT DIX FOR THE DURATION OF HIS SERVICE.