World War II Honoree

Gordon T. Wilson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Detroit, Michigan

Honored By

Gary A. Dunn

1ST LIEUTENANT, SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS WITH THE 5TH UNITED STATES ARMY. HE WAS A PIPER J-3 CUB/L-4 GRASSHOPPER PILOT ASSIGNED TO THE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION 'BIG RED ONE', 7TH FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION DURING 1944 AND 1945. IN MAY 1944 HE WENT FROM BLANDFORD FORUM, DORSET, ENGLAND TO A COASTAL STAGING AREA IN PREPARATION FOR THE D-DAY INVASION. ON JUNE 6TH, HIS BATTALION LANDED ON OMAHA BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE AT ABOUT NOON. HIS PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED AIRCRAFT WAS PULLED OFF AN LCT BY JEEP. THE EXPECTATION WAS THAT THE 7TH FIELD ARTILLERY’S TWO L-4S WOULD BE PULLED ASHORE BY JEEP, REASSEMBLED (WHILE UNDER FIRE FROM GERMAN RIFLES, MACHINE GUNS, MORTARS AND ARTILLERY) AND THEN FLY AIR OBSERVATION POST MISSIONS FOR THE ARTILLERY BATTALION AS IT CAME ASHORE. HIS AIRCRAFT DID MAKE IT ASHORE, BUT BEFORE IT COULD BE TOWED TO A SUITABLE TAKEOFF AREA IT WAS HIT BY A GERMAN ARTILLERY SHELL AND DESTROYED. DURING MUCH OF THE REST OF THE DAY HE ASSISTED WITH REMOVING THE BODIES OF FALLEN COMRADES FROM THE BEACH. AFTER THE BREAKOUT FROM THE BEACHHEAD HE ACCOMPANIED THE 7TH FIELD ARTILLERY ACROSS NORTHERN FRANCE, BELGIUM, GERMANY AND FINALLY CZECHOSLOVAKIA. HE CONDUCTED NUMEROUS AIR OBSERVATION POST MISSIONS (REDIRECTING ARTILLERY FIRE FOR ACCURACY) AND HELPING GROUND FORCES KEEP THEIR BEARINGS DURING ADVANCES. IN ONE CASE, ON OCTOBER 5 1944, HE WAS IN THE AIR ALMOST CONTINUALLY ALL DAY OBSERVING GERMAN INFANTRY AND TANKS IN THE BROICHWEIDEN-REICHS WOODS-WEIDEN AREA OF BAVARIA, GERMANY. ONE OF HIS FINAL MISSIONS WAS TO FLY THE 7TH FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION COMMANDER TO A MEETING WITH A RUSSIAN COUNTERPART RIGHT AFTER THE GERMANS SURRENDERED. HE WAS AWARDED A BRONZE STAR (2 OCTOBER 1944) AND THE AIR MEDAL WITH 5 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS.