World War II Honoree

William W. Prokopchak

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Butler, Pennsylvania

Honored By

A Grateful American

HE SERVED AS A NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER IN CHARGE OF AN ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN. HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 204TH ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY BATTALION AND TRAINED IN MASSACHUSETTS. IN 1944 HIS UNIT WAS TRANSFERRED TO ENGLAND IN PREPARATION FOR THE D-DAY INVASION OF EUROPE. EARNED THE RANK OF SERGEANT AND FOUGHT IN MANY OF THE MAJOR BATTLES OF NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES, CENTRAL EUROPE AND ENGLAND GROUND COMBAT. HIS ABILITY TO SPEAK A SLAVIC DIALECT SIMILAR TO RUSSIAN ENABLED HIM TO TRANSLATE WHEN HIS UNIT ENCOUNTERED ALLIED RUSSIAN TROOPS IN GERMANY. HIS ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERY WAS CREDITED WITH DOWNING A JU-88 AT 2:45 PM ON THE LAST DAY OF THE WAR IN EUROPE.