World War II Honoree

William D. Moody

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Henry, Tennessee

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 1ST LIEUTENANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY APRIL 7, 1942 AT FORT OGLETHORPE, GEORGIA. SERVED AS A PLATOON LEADER IN 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. ON THE DAY OF THE INVASION, HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION AND BURIED IN THE TEMPORARY OMAHA BEACH CEMETERY. AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO HIS FAMILY, WITH INTERMENT DECEMBER 19, 1947 IN THE KNOXVILLE NATIONAL CEMETERY, KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE. 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.