World War II Honoree

Herbert Warren 'Herb' Ponto

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

DRAFTED INTO MILITARY SERVICE IN 1943. HIS BATTALION SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON FEBRUARY 11, 1944 AND ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON FEBRUARY 23, 1944. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 696TH ARMORED FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION. LANDED IN FRANCE ON AUGUST 7, 1944 AND PARTICIPATED IN THE NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. AS A 19-YEAR OLD CORPORAL, HE WAS IN CHARGE OF FIRE DIRECTION FOR HIS BATTERY. HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR CALCULATING THE DIRECTION AND ELEVATION DATA TO PLACE ON THE HOWITZERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR SHELLS HIT ENEMY TARGETS. HIS UNIT FOUGHT ITS WAY THROUGH FRANCE, BELGIUM AND GERMANY AND WAS ATTACHED TO GENERAL PATTON'S THIRD ARMY DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. SUBSEQUENTLY, HIS UNIT FOUGHT WITH THE 2ND ARMORED 'HELL ON WHEELS' DIVISION, AND THE 83RD INFANTRY 'THUNDERBOLT' DIVISION. ON ONE OCCASION, TWO GERMAN SOLDIERS APPEARED AT THE FRONT DOOR OF HIS BUILDING TO SURRENDER. AS IT TURNED OUT, NONE OF THE AMERICANS IN THE BUILDING WERE ARMED AT THE TIME. AFTER AN AWKWARD MOMENT, THE GERMANS WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY BY THE UNARMED AMERICANS. THE EPISODE SEEMED TO WORK OUT WELL FOR BOTH SIDES. HIS WAS THE FIRST ARMORED FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION TO CROSS THE ELBE RIVER ON APRIL 15, 1945, AND THEN LINKED UP WITH RUSSIAN RED ARMY FORCES NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY SHORTLY BEFORE GERMANY UNCONDITIONALLY SURRENDERED ON MAY 7, 1945. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 SILVER SERVICE STAR (5 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. AWARDED THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH PALM FOR ACTIONS BY HIS BATTALION AT THE MOSELLE RIVER. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.