World War II Honoree

Dwight E. Reed

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Cleveland, Ohio

Honored By

Elizabeth, Margaret & Glenn

Relationship

Spouse, Daughter & Son

SERGEANT; INDUCTED INTO ACTIVE DUTY ON AUGUST 14, 1944 IN CLEVELAND, OHIO. SENT TO FORT MCCLELLAN FOR BASIC TRAINING. ON JANUARY 8, 1945, HE BOARDED THE QUEEN ELIZABETH WITH 15,000 REPLACEMENTS, DOCKING ON JANUARY 13TH AT GREENOCK, SCOTLAND. SOON AFTER, HE BOARDED THE ILE DE FRANCE, A TROOPSHIP AND DISEMBARKED AT LE HAVRE, FRANCE. HE RODE BY FRENCH RAILWAY TO THE GERMAN FRONTLINE TO JOIN COMPANY B, 702ND TANK DESTROYER BATTALION, 2ND ARMORED DIVISION AS A TANKMAN. PARTICIPATED IN COMBAT THROUGH THE RHINELAND AND CENTRAL EUROPE. ON FEBRUARY 28TH, HIS BATTALION CROSSED THE ROER RIVER AT JULICH, AND CONTINUED TO BATTLE THROUGH THE TOWNS OF SCHIEFBAHN, KREFELD AND UERDINGEN. ON MARCH 29TH, HE CROSSED THE RHINE AT WESEL AND MARCHED ACROSS WESTERN GERMANY TO HIS LAST BATTLE OF THE WAR, CAPTURING MAGDEBURG AT THE ELBE RIVER. WHILE SERVING IN THE OCCUPATION OF BERLIN, HE AND MEMBERS OF HIS COMPANY WERE HONOR GUARDS AT THE POTSDAM CONFERENCE. IN SEPTEMBER 1945, HIS BATTALION WAS SENT BACK TO THE U.S. FOR DEACTIVATION. HE REMAINED AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS, 1ST ARMORED DIVISION. HE LEFT EUROPE ON JUNE 17, 1946, AND ARRIVED IN THE U.S. ON JUNE 25TH. HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON JULY 5TH AT FORT GEORGE MEADE, MARYLAND. HE WAS AWARDED THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL (GERMANY), GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL AND SHARPSHOOTER M-1 RIFLE BADGE.