World War II Honoree

George R. 'Jack' Gideon

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Avant, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE IN 1942. SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, INCLUDING AT CAMP HOWZE AT GAINESVILLE, TEXAS; IN THE LOUISIANA MANEUVER AREA; AND AT CAMP CLAIBORNE AT ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA. HIS REGIMENT STAGED AT CAMP KILMER AT STELTON, NEW JERSEY ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1944, AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON SEPTEMBER 20, 1944, AND ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON OCTOBER 1, 1944. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO), WITH THE 334TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 84TH INFANTRY 'RAILSPLITTERS' DIVISION. HIS REGIMENT LANDED AT OMAHA BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON NOVEMBER 1, 1944, AND MOVED TO GULPEN, HOLLAND. SAW ACTION IN GERMANY, HOLLAND AND BELGIUM. HIS DIVISION PARTICIPATED IN THE RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. THE DIVISION ATTACKED TO REDUCE THE GEILENKIRCHEN SALIENT NORTH OF AACHEN, GERMANY ON NOVEMBER 18, 1944. HIS REGIMENT WON THE HARD-FOUGHT BATTLE OF MAHOGANY HILL ON NOVEMBER 19-22, 1944. THE DIVISION BEGAN A DRIVE ON THE ROER RIVER ON NOVEMBER 29, 1944, AND HIS REGIMENT TOOK THE TOWN OF LEIFFARTH, GERMANY AND CLEARED THE HIGH GROUND NORTHEAST OF BEECK, AND LINDERN, IN GERMANY ON DECEMBER 2, 1944. A GERMAN COUNTERATTACK PENETRATED THE LINES AT LEIFFARTH ON DECEMBER 16, 1944, BUT THE FRONT WAS RESTORED AND THE DIVISION ADVANCED TO TAKE WURM AND MUELLENDORF, IN GERMANY ON DECEMBER 18, 1944. HIS DIVISION WAS MOVED TO MARCHE, BELGIUM ON DECEMBER 21, 1944, IN RESPONSE TO THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE, WHICH BEGAN ON DECEMBER 16, 1944. A PERIMETER DEFENSE WAS ESTABLISHED AND THE ‘RAILSPLITTERS’ DEFENDED THE EVER-CHANGING LINES AGAINST HEAVY OPPOSITION, IN A MIX OF SLEET AND SNOW, UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH. HIS REGIMENT TOOK PART IN DIVISION OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS BEGINNING JANUARY 3, 1945 TO HELP REDUCE THE ‘BULGE.’ THE DIVISION THEN CROSSED THE ROER RIVER AT LINNICH, GERMANY ON FEBRUARY 23, 1945, REPULSED A GERMAN COUNTERATTACK, AND ADVANCED TOWARD THE RHINE RIVER. THE 334TH INFANTRY NEXT CLEARED THE GERMAN TOWNS OF HETZERATH AND GRANTERATH, ADVANCED TO THE RHINE RIVER ON MARCH 5, 1945, AND WENT INTO DEFENSIVE POSITIONS FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH. HIS DIVISION CROSSED THE RHINE ON APRIL 1, 1945, AND HIS REGIMENT SEIZED A BRIDGE OVER THE LEINE RIVER NEAR GUEMMER, GERMANY ON APRIL 8, 1945. DIVISION UNITS THEN ATTACKED TO SEIZE HANNOVER, GERMANY ON APRIL 10, 1945, AND REACHED THE ELBE RIVER ON APRIL 14, 1945. HIS UNIT MADE CONTACT WITH ADVANCING SOVIET ARMY FORCES ON MAY 2, 1945 ALONG THE ELBE. HE WAS SERVING ON OCCUPATION DUTY WHEN HOSTILITIES WERE DECLARED ENDED ON MAY 7, 1945, AND THE ALLIED VICTORY IN EUROPE (V-E DAY) WAS PROCLAIMED THE FOLLOWING DAY. HIS REGIMENT WAS LOCATED AT WIESLOCH, GERMANY ON AUGUST 14, 1945, WHEN THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED ALLIED UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TERMS AND VICTORY OVER JAPAN (V-J DAY) WAS PROCLAIMED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945. WORLD WAR II WAS FINALLY OVER. HE CONTINUED TO SERVE WITH OCCUPATION FORCES IN GERMANY UNTIL RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (3 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS UNIT IN COMBAT AT THE ROER-RHINE RIVERS. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1946, WITH THE RANK OF TECHNICAL SERGEANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.