World War II Honoree

William B. Weir

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Edmond, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

STAGED WITH HIS UNIT AT CAMP PATRICK HENRY AT ORIANA, VIRGINIA ON MAY 25, 1943 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE HAMPTON ROADS PORT OF EMBARKATION ON JUNE 8, 1943, LANDED IN NORTH AFRICA ON JUNE 22, 1943 AND WENT INTO TRAINING AT ARZEW, ALGERIA. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 179TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 45TH INFANTRY 'THUNDERBIRD' DIVISION. PARTICIPATED IN THE SICILY, NAPLES-FOGGIA, ANZIO, ROME-ARNO, SOUTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. HIS REGIMENT ASSAULTED SCOGLITTI, SICILY ON JULY 9, 1943 AND FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF MOTTA HILL; ASSAULTED SALERNO, ITALY ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1943 AND ENGAGED IN HEAVY FIGHTING AT PONTE SELE AND THE TOBACCO FACTORY; FROM NOVEMBER 3, 1943-JANUARY 9, 1944, FOUGHT TO TAKE VENAFRO AND KEY MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS INCLUDING HILL 769, AQUAFONDATA, AND SANT’ELIA FIUMERAPIDO DURING OPERATIONS NEAR CASSINO, ALONG THE GUSTAV LINE; FOUGHT AT ANZIO BEGINNING JANUARY 22, 1944 AND WAS ENGAGED IN DEFENDING THE BEACHHEAD FOR THE FOLLOWING 4 MONTHS, INCLUDING WITHSTANDING A MAJOR GERMAN COUNTERATTACK ON FEBRUARY 18, 1944; ASSAULTED SOUTHERN FRANCE AT SAINT MAXIMIN ON AUGUST 15, 1944 AND FOUGHT TO TAKE THE TOWN OF BARJOLS, AND SAW HEAVY COMBAT AT MEXIMIEUX AND VILLERSEXEL; ENGAGED IN ATTACKS TO TAKE FORTS IN THE MAGINOT LINE IN NOVEMBER, 1944 AND TOOK PART IN HEAVY COMBAT TO SECURE MERTZWILLER, FRANCE IN DECEMBER, 1944 DURING OPERATIONS IN THE RHINELAND; ENGAGED IN FIGHTING TO CONTAIN THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE BEGINNING DECEMBER 16, 1944, BATTLED IN THE BITCHE POCKET AND CAPTURED WINGEN, FRANCE BEFORE BEING FORCED BACKTO DEFENSIVE POSITIONS AND LOSING GROUND; ATTACKED ACROSS GERMANY TO TAKE ASCHAFFENBURG, NUREMBERG, AND MUNICH BEFORE HOSTILITIES ENDED. THEN SERVED WITH OCCUPATION FORCES AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE ARROWHEAD (AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT LANDINGS) AND 1 SILVER AND 3 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (8 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. ALSO AWARDED THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH PALM FOR ACTIONS BY HIS DIVISION AT ACQUAFONDATA, ITALY DURING THE NAPLES-FOGGIA CAMPAIGN. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF MASTER SERGEANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.