World War II Honoree

William D. Myers

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Emmet County, Iowa

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: PRIVATE 1ST CLASS. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY JUNE 23, 1942 AT CAMP DODGE HERROLD, IOWA. SERVED IN EUROPE WITH THE 2ND COMMANDO RANGER BATTALION, NICKNAMED ‘RUDDER’S RANGERS’, 75TH RANGER REGIMENT. PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY, D-DAY TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1944, THE INVASION OF GERMANY’S FORTRESS EUROPE, CODE NAME: OPERATION OVERLORD IN WHICH HE WAS KILLED. THE RANGERS LANDED ON OMAHA BEACH WITH THE FIRST WAVE, GOING ASHORE AT 06:30 HOURS WITH THE 5TH RANGER BATTALION, THE 1ST AND 29TH INFANTRY DIVISIONS. HIS BATTALION’S OBJECTIVE WAS TO SCALE THE 100-FOOT CLIFFS AT POINTE-DU-HOC, SEIZE AND DESTROY A BATTERY OF GERMAN 155MM ARTILLERY CANNONS THAT WERE AIMED AT UTAH BEACH. HE WAS BURIED IN THE TEMPORARY OMAHA BEACH CEMETERY AND AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HIS REMAINS WERE TRANSFERRED, WITH INTERMENT IN THE NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY LOCATED AT COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE. A MONUMENT, ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF FRANCE STANDS ON A CLIFF OVERLOOKING OMAHA BEACH WAS DEDICATED TO COMMEMORATE AND HONOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE 2ND RANGER BATTALION FOR THEIR EXTREME BRAVERY AND SACRIFICES IN THE BATTLE OF POINTE-DU-HOC. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: THE SOLDIER WAS AWARDED THE PURPLED HEART FOR HIS SUPREME SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY. HIS BATTALION WAS AWARDED A PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION AND THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH SILVER-GILT STAR FOR EXCEPTIONAL VALOR AND HEROISM IN ACTION AGAINST THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES ON OMAHA BEACH.