World War II Honoree

Harry Cole Freeman

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Shawnee, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

HE ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE ON FEBRUARY 23, 1942, AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT. THE DIVISION WAS ACTIVATED AT FORT RILEY AT JUNCTION CITY, KANSAS ON JULY 15, 1942. HE REPORTED TO THE DIVISION AT CAMP FUNSTON, ON THE FORT RILEY MILITARY INSTALLATION. THE 9TH ARMORED DIVISION SERVED INITIALLY IN THE AMERICAN THEATER. THE 92ND CAVALRY RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON, WAS INITIALLY DESIGNATED AS THE 89TH ARMORED RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION, A SUBORDINATE UNIT THAT WAS ASSIGNED TO THE DIVISION. THE DIVISION MOVED TO GOFFS, CALIFORNIA, IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, ON JUNE 10, 1943, AND CAMP IBIS, AT THE DESERT TRAINING AREA IN CALIFORNIA, NEAR BOULDER CITY, NEVADA, ON AUGUST 1, 1943, DURING THE DESERT TRAINING CENTER NO. 3 CALIFORNIA MANEUVERS. THE 89TH BATTALION WAS REDESIGNATED THE 89TH CAVALRY RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON (MECHANIZED) ON OCTOBER 19, 1943, AT THE DESERT TRAINING CENTER AT CAMP YOUNG AT INDIO, CALIFORNIA AND ASSIGNED TO THE 9TH ARMORED DIVISION. THE DIVISION MOVED TO CAMP POLK AT LEESVILLE, LOUISIANA ON OCTOBER 25, 1943, FOR THE THIRD ARMY NO. 5 LOUISIANA MANEUVERS. STAGED AT CAMP KILMER AT STELTON, NEW JERSEY ON AUGUST 14, 1944, AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON AUGUST 18, 1944, AND ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1944. HE SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO), WITH THE 9TH ARMORED DIVISION. HE COMMANDED TROOP ‘E,’ 89TH CAVALRY RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON (MECHANIZED), 9TH ARMORED DIVISION DURING THE WAR. THE DIVISION LANDED IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON OCTOBER 3, 1944, CROSSED INTO LUXEMBOURG ON OCTOBER 20, 1944, INTO BELGIUM ON DECEMBER 18, 1944, RETURNED TO FRANCE ON DECEMBER 20, 1944, AND BELGIUM ON DECEMBER 21, 1944. RETURNED TO FRANCE ON DECEMBER 23, 1944 AND BELGIUM ON FEBRUARY 22, 1945. ENTERED GERMANY ON MARCH 2, 1945. PARTICIPATED IN THE RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS DURING THE WAR AND WITH ARMY OCCUPATION FORCES AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES. THE DIVISION INITIALLY PATROLLED A QUIET SECTOR ALONG THE LUXEMBOURG-GERMAN FRONTIER. THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE STRUCK THE DIVISION ON DECEMBER 16, 1944, AND BREACHED THE DIVISION’S LINES ON DECEMBER 18, 1944. FIGHTING WAS IN WILDLY SCATTERED AREAS, AND THE DIVISION WAS ORDERED INTO RESERVE STATUS AT SEDAN, FRANCE ON DECEMBER 30, 1944. AFTER REHABILITATION IN JANUARY, 1945, AND TRAINING IN FEBRUARY, THE DIVISION ATTACKED ON FEBRUARY 28, 1945, ACROSS THE ROER RIVER, REACHED THE ROTH RIVER, ESTABLISHED A BRIDGEHEAD AT FRIESHEIM, GERMANY, AND REACHED THE ERFT RIVER ON MARCH 4, 1945. ELEMENTS OF THE DIVISION OVERCAME LIGHT RESISTANCE AND SEIZED THE LUDENDORFF RAILROAD BRIDGE AT REMAGEN, GERMANY ON MARCH 7, 1945. ELEMENTS CROSSED AND ESTABLISHED A BRIDGEHEAD ACROSS THE RHINE RIVER. THE DIVISION ATTACKED ON MARCH 22, 1945, TO CLEAR THE REGION BETWEEN THE RHINE AND WIED RIVERS AND ESTABLISH BRIDGEHEADS. THE DIVISION RENEWED THE OFFENSIVE, REACHED THE LAHN RIVER AND BY MARCH 31, 1945, ESTABLISHED A BRIDGEHEAD ACROSS THE DIEMEL RIVER AND MAINTAINED IT AGAINST GERMAN COUNTERATTACKS. HIS DIVISION ATTACKED ON APRIL 10, 1945, TO SPEARHEAD A DRIVE TO THE SAALE RIVER. AFTER HEAVY CONTACT IN THE BORNA, GERMANY AREA, ELEMENTS OF THE DIVISION REACHED THE MULDE RIVER, SEIZED BRIDGES IN THE COLDITZ-LASTAU REGION, AND TOOK COLDITZ, GERMANY ON APRIL 16, 1945. THE DIVISION WAS AT RUDOLEC IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA WHEN HOSTILITIES WERE DECLARED ENDED ON MAY 7, 1945. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (3 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. HE RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES IN THE ETO AND SERVED UNTIL HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN JULY, 1946, AND WAS ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. HE CONTINUED IN ARMY RESERVE SERVICE AFTER HIS DISCHARGE WITH THE RANK OF MAJOR.