World War II Honoree

Howard G. Hasenbein

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Albany, New York

Honored By

Richard, Howard, and James

Relationship

Sons

ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE IN THE U.S. ARMY IN ALBANY, NEW YORK ON 4 FEBRUARY 1942 AT THE AGE OF 26. AFTER COMPLETING BOTH BASIC AND ADVANCED INFANTRY TRAINING, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 75TH INFANTRY DIVISION AT FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI. THERE, HE RECEIVED FURTHER TRAINING FOR THE BATTLES TO COME. HE REMAINED WITH THAT UNIT FOR HIS ENTIRE ENLISTMENT. AS THE TROOP TRANSPORT (THE QUEEN MARY) SAILED OUT OF THE PORT OF NEW YORK, HE HAD 18 MONTHS OF VIGOROUS TRAINING. HE ARRIVED IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ON NOVEMBER 3, 1944, PAUSING IN SOUTHERN WALES FOR A MONTH BEFORE CROSSING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL FOR LE HAVRE AND ROUEN. ON CHRISTMAS EVE, 1944 IN THE COLD OF THE ARDENNES AND FOR THE NEXT 94 DAYS, HE WAS LOCKED IN NON-STOP COMBAT. FOR HIS VALUABLE SERVICE TO THE NATION LASTING ALMOST 4 YEARS AND ON TWO CONTINENTS, AND ENDING HIS SERVICE AS A TECHNICAL SERGEANT, HE SEPARATED ON 21 DECEMBER 1945 AT FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY. RECEIVED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, MERITORIOUS UNIT CITATION, BRONZE STAR MEDAL WITH 1 OAK LEAF CLUSTER, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH GERMANY CLASP, NEW YORK STATE CONSPICUOUS SERVICE CROSS, NEW YORK STATE CONSPICUOUS SERVICE STAR, SHARPSHOOTER BADGE WITH RIFLE M-1 TAB, TWO OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS, ONE HASH MARK AND HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN. BEFORE RETURNING TO ALBANY AS A DECORATED ARMY SERGEANT AND LEADER, HE CROSSED THE ATLANTIC OCEAN IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AS WELL AS MANY STREAMS AND RIVERS UNDER FIRE, FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, HELPED TO LIBERATE OPPRESSED PEOPLE AND HELPED WITH THE RECONSTRUCTION OF EUROPE.