World War II Honoree

Ritchie O. Graham

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Prescott, Arkansas

Honored By

Donald Crane & Douglas M. Alford, USN

HE WAS SWORN INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY ON JULY 2, 1942 AND ATTENDED BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP ROBINSON, LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. HE RECEIVED INFANTRY TRAINING AND LIGHT MACHINE TRAINING IN COLORADO. AT THE END OF HIS TRAINING HE WAS SENT TO CAMP KILMER, NEW JERSEY FOR FURTHER TRANSFER OUT OF NEW YORK CITY ON A TROOP TRANSPORT TO LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO COMPANY L, 354TH INFANTRY WHICH WAS PART OF THE 89TH INFANTRY DIVISION. THIS DIVISION WAS FORMED IN ENGLAND TO SPEARHEAD THE ATTACK ON THE GERMAN FORCES. HE FOUGHT THROUGH FRANCE, BELGIUM, GERMANY AND HIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AMERICAN FORCES TO LIBERATE THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS HELD BY THE GERMAN FORCES. THE UNIT FOUGHT THROUGH THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE WHICH WAS THE TURNING POINT IN THE BATTLE TO CONTROL BERLIN. HE ACHIEVED THE RANK OF SERGEANT DURING THIS PERIOD. AT THE SURRENDER OF GERMANY, HE STAYED ON TO REINTEGRATE THE OCCUPANTS OF THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS. HE WAS THEN TRANSFERRED BACK TO ENGLAND FOR FURTHER TRANSFER TO THE UNITED STATES ON A TROOP SHIP. HE LANDED IN NEW YORK CITY AND THEN SHIPPED BY TROOP TRAIN TO JEFFERSON BARRACKS NEAR ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI WHERE HE RECEIVED HIS HONORABLE DISCHARGE. DURING HIS TOUR HE SAW COMBAT FROM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL TO AUSTRIA. FOR HIS SERVICE HE RECEIVED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, AMERICAN THEATER RIBBON, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATRE RIBBON WITH 1 OVERSEAS SERVICE STAR, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.