World War II Honoree

Gordon Louis Harmuth

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Tucson, Arizona

Honored By

Jason and Lucy Harmuth

Relationship

Grandchildren

SERVED OUR COUNTRY’S MILITARY FROM 1941 TO 1945. INDUCTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY IN MARCH 1941. SERVED ON NIGHT PATROL AT VARIOUS MAINLAND COASTAL LANDING AREAS. IN JULY 1943, HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS TO RECAPTURE KISKA FROM THE JAPANESE. AFTER SECURING KISKA, HE RE-BOARDED A TRANSPORT FOR OAHU, HAWAII. WHILE STATIONED IN OAHU, HE WAS SENT TO RECAPTURE KWAJALEIN ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS. IN SEPTEMBER 1944, HE DEPARTED FOR YAP ISLAND IN MICRONESIA BUT THE DESTINATION CHANGED TO LEYTE, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FOR A PLANNED OCTOBER INVASION. ONCE THE ISLAND WAS SECURED HE SETTLED FOR A SHORT TIME AT A REST CAMP ON THE LEYTE GULF. HE WAS SENT TO OKINAWA IN APRIL 1945. OKINAWA WAS CONSIDERED SECURE IN JUNE AND THOUGHTS TURNED TO THE INVASION OF JAPAN. WHILE PREPARATIONS WERE BEING MADE, THE A-BOMB BROUGHT THE WAR TO AN END. IN AUGUST 1945 HE RETURNED STATESIDE TO PUGET SOUND. HE RECEIVED A HONORABLE DISCHARGE WITH DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS AS CORPORAL, 184TH INFANTRY REGIMENT IN OCTOBER 1945.