World War II Honoree

George C. Rankin

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Pateros, Washington

Honored By

Rankin Family & LTC Charles Borg, USA-Ret.

JOINED THE ARMY MARCH 5, 1943, AT CAMP ROBERTSON, ARKANSAS. RECEIVED BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP BOWIE, TEXAS, AND ADVANCED TRAINING IN TANK DESTROYER OPERATIONS AT FT. HOOD. TRANSFERRED TO INFANTRY SERVING AT BASES IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI. IN 1944, ASSIGNED TO COMPANY H, 301ST INFANTRY REGIMENT, 94TH INFANTRY DIVISION AS A HEAVY MACHINE GUNNER. LANDED IN ENGLAND IN AUGUST 1944 AND UTAH BEACH, NORMANDY, ON SEPTEMBER 8. DIVISION MOVED INTO COMBAT, INFLICTING 2700 CASUALTIES ON THE ENEMY BY JANUARY 1945. AS PART OF PATTON'S THIRD ARMY, THE 94TH HAD HEAVY FIGHTING AND BREACHED THE GERMAN SIEGFRIED LINE BY MID-FEBRUARY. THE 94TH WAS NICKNAMED PATTON'S GOLDEN NUGGET. CROSSED SAAR RIVER TAKING HEAVY CASUALTIES AND FINALLY REACHED THE RHINE RIVER ON MARCH 21. IN EARLY APRIL, HELPED SECURE GERMANY'S INDUSTRIAL AREA (RUHR POCKET) AND THEN ASSUMED OCCUPATION DUTIES IN DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, AND IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA. RETURNED TO THE STATES AND WAS DISCHARGED AT JEFFERSON BARRACKS, MISSOURI, JANUARY 14, 1946. HIS AWARDS AND DECORATIONS INCLUDE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL WITH 3 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS (4 AWARDS), AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 4 BATTLE STARS FOR NORTHERN FRANCE, ARDENNES, CENTRAL EUROPE AND RHINELAND CAMPAIGNS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION, AND 2 OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS.