World War II Honoree

William E. Peterson, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Schenectady, New York

Honored By

Michael Lynett

Enlisted in the United States Army on August 9, 1943, entering into service on October 21, 1943. He was sent overseas in February, 1945. A rifleman and holder of the Combat Infantryman Badge, he was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant with the armed forces in Germany, where he was responsible for a squad of 12 men in the campaign of Central Germany as a member of L Company, Third Battalion, 343rd Infantry Regiment, 86th Infantry Division 'Blackhawks'. He was the recipient of the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the WWII Victory Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement in ground combat in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations.