World War II Honoree

Walter B. Geldon

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Northampton County, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: SERGEANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY AUGUST 24, 1942 AT ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. SERVED WITH THE 1ST PLATOON, CHARLIE-COMPANY, SECOND COMMANDO RANGER BATTALION, NICKNAMED ‘RUDDER’S RANGERS’, 75TH RANGER REGIMENT. PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY ‘D-DAY’ TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1944, THE INVASION OF GERMANY’S FORTRESS EUROPE, CODE NAME: OPERATION OVERLORD. THE RANGERS LANDED ON OMAHA BEACH WITH THE FIRST WAVE, GOING ASHORE AT 06:30 HOURS, THE ASSAULT ON THE GERMAN ARMY DEFENSES WITH THE 5TH RANGER BATTALION, THE 1ST AND 29TH INFANTRY DIVISIONS. HIS BATTALION’S OBJECTIVE WAS TO SCALE THE 100-FOOT CLIFFS AT POINTE-DU-HOC, SEIZE AND DESTROY A BATTERY OF GERMAN 155-MM FIELD GUNS THAT WERE AIMED AT UTAH BEACH. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON THE DAY OF THE INVASION WHILE DEBARKING FROM HIS LAND CRAFT ASSAULT ‘LCA’ BOAT AND BURIED IN THE TEMPORARY OMAHA BEACH CEMETERY. AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO HIS FAMILY, WITH INTERMENT IN THE SAINTS CYRIL AND METHODIUS CATHOLIC CEMETERY, BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA. A MONUMENT, ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF FRANCE STANDS ON A CLIFF OVERLOOKING OMAHA BEACH WAS DEDICATED TO COMMEMORATE AND HONOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE 2ND RANGER BATTALION FOR THEIR EXTREME BRAVERY AND SACRIFICES IN THE BATTLE OF POINTE-DU-HOC. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: HIS BATTALION WAS AWARDED A PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION AND THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH SILVER-GILT STAR FOR EXCEPTIONAL VALOR AND HEROISM IN ACTION AGAINST THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES ON OMAHA BEACH.