World War II Honoree

Eddie Basler, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Blanchard, Oklahoma

Honored By

Ruby Norman Basler

Relationship

Wife

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE AT OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA ON AUGUST 23, 1944. COMPLETED INFANTRY BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP ROBERTS AT SAN MIGUEL, CALIFORNIA AND WAS QUALIFIED AS A BASIC INFANTRY RIFLEMAN. ORDERED OVERSEAS AS AN INDIVIDUAL REPLACEMENT. STAGED AT CAMP MYLES STANDISH AT BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE BOSTON PORT OF EMBARKATION IN DECEMBER, 1944, ARRIVED AT INVERNESS, SCOTLAND, AND PROCEEDED ON TO LE HAVRE, FRANCE. JOINED HIS UNIT ON THE FRONT LINES IN BELGIUM SHORTLY AFTER THE NEW YEAR IN 1945. SERVED AS A RIFLEMAN IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH COMPANY C, 424TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 106TH INFANTRY ‘GOLDEN LION’ DIVISION. PARTICIPATED IN THE RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. HIS REGIMENT TOOK OVER DEFENSE OF THE WANNE-WANNERANVAL REGION IN BELGIUM ON JANUARY 9, 1945, AND TOOK PART IN OPERATIONS TO CLEAR ENNAL, BELGIUM ON JANUARY 15, 1945. HIS REGIMENT WAS ATTACHED TO THE 7TH ARMORED DIVISION FROM JANUARY 23-28, 1945 AND FOUGHT AT MEYERRODE AND AROUND ST. VITH IN BELGIUM. AFTER ADVANCING TO OLDS ON MARCH 7, 1945, HIS UNIT WAS ENGAGED IN SECURITY OPERATIONS ALONG THE RHINE RIVER UNTIL BEING WITHDRAWN FROM THE LINE ON MARCH 15, 1945. THE REGIMENT MOVED INTO GERMANY ON APRIL 25, 1945 AND TOOK PART IN PRISONER OF WAR PROCESSING AND MILITARY OCCUPATION DUTIES UNTIL HOSTILITIES WERE DECLARED ENDED ON MAY 7, 1945. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES AND SERVED AS A CLERK AND THEN AS MESSAGE CENTER CHIEF WITH HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT, 1ST SIGNAL SERVICE GROUP AT CAMP POLK AT LEESVILLE, LOUISIANA. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF SERGEANT AT THE SEPARATION CENTER AT FORT SAM HOUSTON AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ON JULY 1, 1946. ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.