World War II Honoree

Arnulfo D. Azios

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Laredo, Texas

Honored By

Douglas M. Alford, USN

HE WAS SWORN INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY IN MAY, 1943 AT FORT SAM HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. HE ATTENDED BASIC TRAINING AT FORT MAXEY, TEXAS. DUE TO HIS BEING BILINGUAL AND AS THE RESULTS OF HIS IQ TEST HE QUALIFIED FOR LANGUAGE SCHOOL. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOR FOUR MONTHS TO LEARN GERMAN. AFTER LANGUAGE TRAINING HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 9TH ARMORED DIVISION AND SHIPPED OUT OF NEW YORK CITY ON THE HMS QUEEN MARY IN THE SUMMER OF 1944. HE WAS PART OF THE LANDING AT NORMANDY, FOUGHT HIS WAY THROUGH FRANCE, GERMANY AND WAS PART OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. HE WAS INJURED IN THE HEAD FROM SHRAPNEL. HE CALLED OUT TO THEM IN GERMAN AND WAS CAPTURED AND BECAME A PRISONER OF WAR. HE ESCAPED WITH OTHER SOLDIERS; HIS KNOWLEDGE OF GERMAN ASSISTED THEM. THE ENGLISH SOLDIERS MET THEM AND THEY WERE LIBERATED ON APRIL 13, 1945. HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CAPTURE TEN GERMAN SOLDIERS AFTER HIS LIBERATION. HE WAS PROMOTED TO CORPORAL. HE WAS ON HIS WAY BACK TO THE STATES WHEN GERMANY SURRENDERED. LANDED IN NEW YORK CITY AND WAS PUT ON A TROOP TRAIN BACK TO FORT BLISS, TEXAS. ON NOVEMBER 28, 1945 HE WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY. DURING HIS TOUR HE RECEIVED THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER MEDAL WITH WITH THREE BATTLE STARS, PURPLE HEART, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AND COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE.