World War II Honoree

Dolores Gamboa

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Laredo, Texas

Honored By

Maria Antonietta Gamboa & Douglas Alford, USN

HE WAS SWORN INTO THE ARMY ON APRIL 12, 1943 AT FORT SAM HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. HE WENT ON ACTIVE DUTY, APRIL 19, 1943. AFTER ATTENDING BASIC TRAINING HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 816TH ARMY AIR FORCES BASIC TRAINING UNIT. RECEIVED ADDITIONAL TRAINING AS A CLERK TYPIST. SHIPPED TO CAMP KILMER, NEW JERSEY BY TROOP TRAIN AND THEN ON TO NEW YORK CITY WHERE HE WAS PLACED ON THE HMS QUEEN MARY, A CONVERTED CRUISE LINER, BOUND FOR LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND. THE TRIP TOOK 7 DAYS. HE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL INFANTRY AND SMALL ARMS TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR THE INVASION OF NORMANDY. LANDED AT LE HAVRE, FRANCE AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE QUARTERMASTER CORPS. HE SUPPORTED THE COMBAT BY WORKING WITH THE RED BALL EXPRESS IN GENERAL PATTON'S BLITZ ACROSS EUROPE. SAW COMBAT IN NORTHERN FRANCE THROUGH THE RHINELAND AND ARDENNES FOREST DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. DURING THIS PERIOD HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 175TH HEADQUARTERS, 434TH TACTICAL COMMAND GROUP. HIS UNIT ENTERED BERLIN PRIOR TO ITS SURRENDER. HE WAS ABLE TO BE ACTIVE IN THE RELEASE OF ALLIED PRISONERS FROM THE PRISONER OF WAR CAMPS. HE WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO THE 212TH HEADQUARTERS, 8TH AIR FORCE ON AUGUST 23, 1944. HE SERVED IN THIS POSITION UNTIL THE SURRENDER OF GERMANY IN 1945. AFTER THE SURRENDER HE WAS FORWARDED TO LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND AND PLACED ON A TROOP TRANSPORT BACK TO THE NEW YORK CITY AND THEN ON TO THE SELECTIVE RESERVE ARMY AIR FORCES, SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA UNTIL HIS HONORABLE RELEASE IN OCTOBER 31, 1945. AT HIS RELEASE HE WAS PLACED ON A TROOP TRAIN TO FORT SAM HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. DURING HIS TOUR HE RECEIVED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER RIBBON, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.