World War II Honoree
Killed In Action
Alfred A. Atchley
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Pawnee County, Oklahoma
Honored By
Robert S. Cox
HIS REGIMENT STAGED AT CAMP KILMER AT STELTON, NEW JERSEY ON MARCH 15, 1944 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON MARCH 24, 1944 AND ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON APRIL 9, 1944. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 358TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 90TH INFANTRY ‘TOUGH ‘OMBRES’ DIVISION DURING THE WAR, INCLUDING IN ENGLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, LUXEMBOURG, AND BELGIUM, IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO). PARTICIPATED IN THE NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, AND ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE) CAMPAIGNS. HIS REGIMENT LANDED ACROSS UTAH BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON JUNE 10, 1944 AS PART OF THE D-DAY INVASION FORCE, AND FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF PONT L’ ABBE IN BRITTANY FROM JUNE 10-12, 1944. HIS UNIT ATTACKED DOWN THE WEST COAST OF THE COTENTIN PENINSULA AND FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF LA HAYE-DU-PUITS-MONT CASTRE FOREST IN NORMANDY FROM JULY 6-10, 1944. THEN ENTERED THE BATTLE FOR THE FALAISE GAP, TOOK LE BOURG-ST. LEONARD, AND FORET DE GOUFFERN IN NORMANDY, AND ASSISTED IN CLOSING THE FALAISE GAP-ARGENTAN GAP ON AUGUST 19, 1944. NEXT, BATTLED THE GERMAN FORTIFICATIONS NEAR METZ, FRANCE, INCLUDING IN THE BATTLE OF THE SLAG PILE, AND IN HOUSE-TO-HOUSE FIGHTING IN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 1944. THE REGIMENT ASSAULTED ACROSS THE MOSELLE RIVER AND FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE FOR KOENIGSMACKER, FRANCE FROM NOVEMBER 9-11, 1944. HIS DIVISION ATTACKED ON JANUARY 9, 1945, DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, TO CUT THE BASTOGNE-WILTZ ROAD IN BELGIUM, CAPTURE THE TOWN OF BRAS, BELGIUM, AND FIGHT THE BATTLE OF OBERWAMPACH, LUXEMBOURG FROM JANUARY 16-18, 1945. AFTER CROSSING THE OUR RIVER, PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ATCHLEY WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON FEBRUARY 1, 1945 DURING COMBAT OPERATIONS AT HECKUSHEID, GERMANY DURING THE RHINELAND CAMPAIGN. POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE ARROWHEAD (AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT LANDING) AND 4 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (4 CAMPAIGNS), AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION FOR EXCEPTIONALLY MERITORIOUS PERFORMANCE BY HIS REGIMENT DURING SUSTAINED MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST ENEMY FORCES IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER IN 1944. ALSO AWARDED THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH BRONZE PALM FOR ACTIONS BY HIS DIVISION AT THE MOSELLE-SARRE RIVERS.