World War II Honoree
Killed In Action
William E.T. 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 SEPTEMBER 6, 1944 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON SEPTEMBER 20, 1944 AND ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON OCTOBER 1, 1944. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 333RD INFANTRY REGIMENT, 84TH INFANTRY 'RAILSPLITTERS' DIVISION DURING THE WAR, INCLUDING IN ENGLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, BELGIUM, AND HOLLAND, IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO). PARTICIPATED IN THE RHINELAND, AND ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE) CAMPAIGNS. HIS REGIMENT LANDED ACROSS OMAHA BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON NOVEMBER 1, 1944, AND MOVED TO GULPEN, HOLLAND. THE REGIMENT ASSAULTED MUELLENDORF, LUXEMBOURG ON NOVEMBER 22, 1944 WITHOUT SUCCESS BUT AT A COST. THE DIVISION BEGAN A DRIVE ON THE ROER RIVER ON NOVEMBER 29, 1944 AND TOOK THE TOWNS OF WURM AND MUELLENDORF ON DECEMBER 19, 1944. HIS UNIT WAS MOVED TO MARCHE, BELGIUM ON DECEMBER 21, 1944 IN RESPONSE TO THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE, AND DEFENDED THE EVER-CHANGING LINES AGAINST HEAVY OPPOSITION UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH. HIS REGIMENT TOOK PART IN OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS BEGINNING JANUARY 3, 1945 TO HELP REDUCE THE ‘BULGE.’ THE DIVISION THEN CROSSED THE ROER RIVER AT LINNICH, GERMANY ON FEBRUARY 23, 1945, REPULSED A GERMAN COUNTERATTACK, AND ADVANCED TOWARD THE RHINE RIVER. PRIVATE ATCHLEY WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON MARCH 1, 1945 DURING COMBAT OPERATIONS ON THE APPROACH TO THE NIERS CANAL AT OEDT, GERMANY AGAINST STRONG OPPOSITION 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 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (2 CAMPAIGNS), AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.