World War II Honoree

Gerald M. Nix

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Ripley, Payne County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE IN 1944. TRAINED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AT CAMP GORDON AT AUGUSTA, GEORGIA; AND CAMP SHELBY AT HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI. HIS DIVISION STAGED AT CAMP SHANKS AT ORANGEBURG, NEW YORK ON DECEMBER 31, 1944 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON JANUARY 10, 1945 AND ARRIVED AT LE HAVRE, FRANCE ON JANUARY 21, 1945. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 65TH INFANTRY 'BATTLE-AXE' DIVISION DURING THE WAR, INCLUDING IN FRANCE, GERMANY, AND AUSTRIA IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO). PARTICIPATED IN THE RHINELAND, AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. HIS UNIT DEFENDED THE SAARLAUTERN BRIDGEHEAD IN GERMANY, THEN FOUGHT OUT OF THE BRIDGEHEAD, THROUGH THE WEST WALL AND CAPTURED NEUNKIRCHEN, GERMANY ON MARCH 21, 1945. HIS UNIT CROSSED THE RHINE RIVER AND ATTACKED ACROSS THE FULDA RIVER ON APRIL 2, 1945. FOUGHT AT NEUMARKT, GERMANY IN A SHARP BATTLE ON APRIL 23, 1945, CROSSED THE DANUBE RIVER AND TOOK REGENSBURG, GERMANY, THEN TOOK PASSAU, GERMANY, AND MADE ITS WAY TO LINZ, AUSTRIA. ELEMENTS OF HIS DIVISION MADE CONTACT WITH SOVIET ARMY FORCES IN THE VICINITY OF STRENGBERG, AUSTRIA ON MAY 8, 1945 AS HOSTILITIES ENDED. THEN SERVED WITH OCCUPATION FORCES IN AUSTRIA AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (2 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1945 WITH THE RANK OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.