World War II Honoree

Elmer Marrion Washman

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

El Monte, California

Honored By

Barbara L. Washman and Family

Relationship

Daughter

ENTERED THE ARMY AT EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD ON THE 14TH OF SEPTEMBER 1943 AT FORT MACARTHUR, CALIFORNIA. HE ENTERED BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP GRUBER, OKLAHOMA 42ND DIVISION CANNON COMPANY. AFTER TRAINING, HE RECEIVED THE RANK OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. IN MAY OF 1944, HE WAS REASSIGNED TO EUROPE AS A REPLACEMENT IN THE FIRST ARMY FOR THE INVASION OF NORMANDY, OMAHA BEACH IN THE THIRD WAVE, ON THE 14TH OF JULY 1944, JUST EIGHT DAYS AFTER D-DAY. ON THE 9TH OF AUGUST 1944, HE JOINED UP WITH THE 80TH DIVISION, 318TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, F COMPANY, 2ND BATTALION, IN GENERAL PATTON’S THIRD ARMY AT THE CITY OF ARGENTAN, FRANCE. HE FOUGHT GOING SOUTH IN FRANCE FROM ST. LO TO BRITTANY. IN LATE AUGUST 1944, WHILE PATTON TURNED EAST TOWARDS PARIS, HE WENT SOUTH WITH ONE STAFF SERGEANT AND FOUR OTHER PRIVATES ON A SECRET MISSION. THEY CONTINUED TO SOUTHERN FRANCE TO OBSERVE THE GERMANS. WHEN THE U.S. NAVY SHIPS WERE IN VIEW OUT AT SEA NEAR SOUTHERN FRANCE, HE RADIOED TO THE U.S. NAVY TO COME ON IN, ALL CLEAR. HE AND HIS MEN THEN FOUND THEIR WAY FROM SOUTHERN FRANCE TO PARIS AND FOUND GENERAL PATTON WHO APPOINTED HIM TO BE HIS FORWARD OBSERVER. HE STAYED WITH GENERAL PATTON UNTIL D-DAY, THE 8TH OF NOVEMBER 1944, FOR THE INVASION OF GERMANY FROM FRANCE. HE WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED IN THE HILLS NORTH OF METZ, FRANCE DURING THE INVASION AND WAS LEFT FOR DEAD, BUT MIRACULOUSLY WALKED BACK TO SAFETY. TEN MONTHS LATER, AFTER SEVERAL RE-CONSTRUCTIVE SURGERIES, HE WAS DISCHARGED FROM HAMMOND GENERAL HOSPITAL IN MODESTO, CALIFORNIA ON THE 12TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1945.