World War II Honoree

Billy Dillard 'Bill' Barnett

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Earlsboro, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA ON DECEMBER 9, 1942. CALLED TO ACTIVE SERVICE ON MAY 11, 1943. SELECTED FOR THE ARMY SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM (ASTP) AND ASSIGNED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER TO OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY IN COLUMBUS, OHIO WHERE HE STUDIED CIVIL ENGINEERING FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. WHEN IT WAS CALCULATED THAT MORE INFANTRYMEN WOULD BE REQUIRED IN ADVANCE OF THE PLANNED INVASION OF EUROPE, ASTP STUDENTS BEGAN TO BE TRANSFERRED TO COMBAT UNITS TO MEET PROJECTED MANPOWER DEMANDS. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 102ND INFANTRY DIVISION. STAGED WITH HIS REGIMENT AT CAMP KILMER AT STELTON, NEW JERSEY ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1944 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON SEPTEMBER 12, 1944 AND ARRIVED AT CHERBOURG, FRANCE ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1944. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 405TH ANTITANK COMPANY, 405TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 102ND INFANTRY ‘OZARK’ DIVISION. AS THE RAPID ALLIED ADVANCE IN EUROPE WAS OUTRUNNING SUPPLY LINES, THERE WAS AN URGENT NEED FOR DRIVERS WHO HAD EXPERIENCE WITH HEAVY TRUCKS. HE HAD SUCH EXPERIENCE, VOLUNTEERED, AND BECAME A DRIVER WITH THE ‘RED BALL EXPRESS.’ HE SOMETIMES DROVE NON-STOP FOR DAYS RESUPPLYING ADVANCING FORCES AT THE FRONT. PARTICIPATED IN THE RHINELAND, AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. HIS DIVISION INITIALLY WENT INTO TRAINING NEAR VALOGNES, FRANCE. HIS REGIMENT WAS ATTACHED TO THE 2ND ARMORED ‘HELL ON WHEELS’ DIVISION FOR COMBAT OPERATIONS IN BELGIUM AND HOLLAND FROM OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 3, 1944. THE REGIMENT WAS THEN ATTACHED TO THE 84TH INFANTRY ‘RAILSPLITTERS’ DIVISION FROM NOVEMBER 19-DECEMBER 2, 1944 FOR OPERATIONS IN GERMANY, AND FOUGHT AT BEEK IN THE NETHERLANDS. HIS REGIMENT CROSSED THE ROER RIVER AT RURDORF, GERMANY ON FEBRUARY 23, 1945 AND TOOK THE TOWN OF RALSHOVEN, GERMANY; OVERRAN VIERSEN, GERMANY; AND SECURED A BRIDGEHEAD OVER THE NIERS CANAL ON MARCH 1, 1945. THEN BATTLED THROUGH KREFELD, GERMANY TO REACH THE RHINE RIVER, WHERE IT WENT INTO DEFENSIVE POSITIONS. CROSSED THE RHINE AT WESEL, GERMANY, MOVED TO THE WESER RIVER AND CROSSED AT HAMELN, GERMANY ON APRIL 9, 1945. NEXT, HIS DIVISION CLEARED GERMAN OPPOSITION IN THE WESERGEBIRGE HILL CHAIN, ADVANCED TO THE ELBE RIVER AND WENT INTO DEFENSIVE POSITIONS THERE UNTIL HOSTILITIES ENDED ON MAY 7, 1945. WHILE AT THE ELBE, HIS UNIT ACCEPTED THE SURRENDER OF GERMAN FORCES FLEEING THE ADVANCING RUSSIAN RED ARMY. AFTER THE WAR IN EUROPE ENDED, SERVED WITH OCCUPATION FORCES IN GERMANY. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS REGIMENT AT THE ROER RIVER. HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON FEBRUARY 14, 1946 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.