World War II Honoree

Ralph I. Williams

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Colfax, Indiana

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN THE ARMY RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS (ROTC) PROGRAM WHILE ATTENDING PURDUE UNIVERSITY IN WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA. UPON GRADUATION IN 1941, WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. ATTENDED THE BATTERY OFFICER'S COURSE AT FORT SILL AT LAWTON, OKLAHOMA AND WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO THE 60TH FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION, STATIONED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AT FORT BRAGG AT FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. STAGED WITH HIS UNIT AT FORT DIX AT WRIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON OCTOBER 27, 1942 AND ASSAULTED MEHDIA, MOROCCO IN NORTH AFRICA ON NOVEMBER 8, 1942. THEIR ASSAULT FORCE ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RESISTANCE IN THE ATTEMPT TO TAKE PORT-LYAUTEY AIRFIELD. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 60TH FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION, 9TH INFANTRY ‘OLD RELIABLES’ DIVISION DURING THE WAR, INCLUDING IN NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, ENGLAND, FRANCE, BELGIUM, AND GERMANY. PARTICIPATED IN THE ALGERIA-FRENCH MOROCCO, TUNISIA, SICILY, NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. MOVED TO TUNISIA IN FEBRUARY, 1943 AND ENGAGED IN COMBAT OPERATIONS THROUGH MAY 8, 1943. THE BATTALION LANDED ON SICILY ON JULY 15, 1943 AND TOOK PART IN THE DRIVE ON RANDAZZO, AND IN THE OFFENSIVE TOWARD MESSINA ON THE NORTHEAST COAST. ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON NOVEMBER 26, 1943 TO TRAIN FOR THE INVASION OF FRANCE. LANDED ACROSS UTAH BEACH ON JUNE 9, 1944 (D-DAY+3) DURING THE NORMANDY INVASION. TOOK PART IN THE ATTACK TO ESTABLISH A BRIDGEHEAD ACROSS THE DOUVE RIVER, THE SEALING OFF OF THE COTENTIN PENINSULA TO BLOCK GERMAN RETREAT, AND THE ATTACK AND CAPTURE OF THE FORTRESS CITY OF CHERBOURG. SUPPORTED BY FIRE THE ADVANCE TO SAINT-LO, FRANCE IN JULY, 1944; CLOSURE OF THE FALAISE GAP IN FRANCE IN AUGUST, 1944; ESTABLISHMENT OF A BRIDGEHEAD AT DINANT, BELGIUM IN SEPTEMBER, 1944; AND FIGHTING IN THE HURTGEN FOREST IN SEPTEMBER, 1944. DURING THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE THAT BEGAN ON DECEMBER 16, 1944, PROVIDED FIRE SUPPORT TO CONTAIN GERMAN ATTACKS AND DEFEND THE MONSCHAU, GERMANY AREA. FIRED IN SUPPORT OF ATTACKS ON THE 'WEST WALL' IN JANUARY, 1945; THE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE ROER AND URFT RIVER DAMS IN FEBRUARY, 1945; HURTGEN FOREST SECTOR OPERATIONS IN FEBRUARY, 1945; ATTACKS TO REACH THE RHINE RIVER IN FEBRUARY-MARCH, 1945; AND IN DEFENSE OF THE RAMAGEN BRIDGEHEAD IN GERMANY IN MARCH, 1945. TOOK PART IN COMBAT OPERATIONS TO BLOCK THE GERMAN ESCAPE FROM THE RUHR POCKET, AND CLEAR THE HARZ MOUNTAINS IN GERMANY IN APRIL, 1945. HIS UNIT WAS OPERATING ALONG THE MULDE RIVER AT DESSAU, NEAR MAGDEBURG IN NORTHEASTERN GERMANY, WHEN HOSTILITIES WERE DECLARED ENDED ON MAY 7, 1945, AND PRESIDENT TRUMAN ANNOUNCED THE ALLIED VICTORY IN EUROPE (V-E DAY) ON MAY 8, 1945. HIS BATTALION WAS LOCATED AT STRASSHOF, NEAR VIENNA, AUSTRIA ON OCCUPATION DUTY WHEN THE WAR ENDED AFTER JAPAN'S UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE ARROWHEAD (AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT LANDING) AND 1 SILVER AND 3 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (8 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS BATTALION IN COMBAT AT THALA TUNISIA. ALSO AWARDED THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH BRONZE PALM FOR ACTIONS BY HIS DIVISION. AUTHORIZED THE BELGIAN FOURRAGERE FOR HIS BATTALION BEING CITED TWICE IN THE ORDER OF THE DAY OF THE BELGIAN ARMY FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY IN COMBAT AT THE MEUSE RIVER AND AGAIN IN THE ARDENNES. CONTINUED IN U.S. ARMY SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF COLONEL. ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.