World War II Honoree

Clair Wilbur Headrick

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Flandreau, South Dakota

Honored By

Ray W. Justus

Relationship

Cousin

TECHNICIAN FIFTH GRADE (TECH CORPORAL). RESPONSIBILITY: FORWARD OBSERVER FOR INFANTRY. INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY ON NOVEMBER 14, 1942. RECEIVED BASIC TRAINING AT FORT SILL, COMANCHE COUNTY, OKLAHOMA. ASSIGNED TO THE 687TH FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION. SENT TO IRON MOUNTAIN, SHASTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA FOR OVERSEAS TRAINING. LEFT THE UNITED STATES ON FEBRUARY 12, 1944. ARRIVED IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND ON FEBRUARY 22, 1944. PARTICIPATED IN PRACTICE MANEUVERS IN ENGLAND FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. ARRIVED IN FRANCE AND ENTERED INTO ACTION NEAR SAINT-LÔ, NORMANDY, FRANCE ON JULY 18, 1944. ASSIGNED TO A TRUCK DRAWN 105 MM HOWITZER BATTERY. HE WAS HIT IN THE HIP BY SHRAPNEL BUT NEVER RECEIVED A PURPLE HEART MEDAL. THE BATTERY UNIT WAS CAPTURED ON JULY 23, 1944. ONLY 47 MEN OUT OF SEVERAL HUNDRED IN HIS GROUP WALKED OUT ALIVE. HE WAS TAKEN A FEW MILES INLAND AND HELD IN A BARN OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT DAY, HE WAS MARCHED TO A SMALL GERMAN CAMP WHERE HE STAYED FOR A WEEK. JOINED A TRUCK CONVOY WITH OTHER AMERICAN PRISONERS AND TRAVELED DEEPER INTO FRANCE WHERE HE WAS PLACED IN BOX CARS ON A TRAIN BOUND FOR PARIS. FROM PARIS, HE WAS TRANSFERRED FROM PLACE TO PLACE EVENTUALLY ENDING UP AT STALAG III-C, A GERMAN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP ABOUT 12 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF BERLIN. THE CAMP WAS LIBERATED BY RUSSIANS ON JANUARY 31, 1945. SOON AFTER, HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO GO TO ODESSA, RUSSIA ON THE BLACK SEA VIA WARSAW AND KIEV. HE WALKED MOST OF THE WAY EXCEPT FOR OCCASIONAL RIDES ON SOVIET ARMY TRUCKS. HE FINALLY ARRIVED IN ODESSA IN MARCH, 1945. HE THEN BOARDED AN ENGLISH SHIP THAT TOOK HIM THROUGH THE BOSPHORUS STRAIT INTO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA AND THEN TO NAPLES, ITALY. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER HE BOARDED AN AMERICAN TROOP SHIP AND SAILED FOR NEW YORK. HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON OCTOBER 9, 1945.