World War II Honoree

Robert E. Hammerquist

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Rapid City, South Dakota

Honored By

Bridget Hammerquist

Relationship

Wife

Recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for Extraordinary heroism. He was commissioned June 1944 and assigned to the 17th Airborne Division as an airborne infantry platoon leader. The 17th deployed to England in Aug '44 to become strategic reserve for the European Theater of Operations. When the Germans launched a massive counter-offensive against American lines in the Ardennes region of Belgium, the 17th deployed and entered into combat operations on Dec 25th in what history would name, The Battle of The Bulge. During fierce fighting at Flamierge, 4 miles west of Bastogne, Hammerquist's platoon suffered 60% casualties and he himself was wounded. Late Jan '45 German forces withdrew east into Germany ending the 6 week long Battle that cost 90,000 American casualties. On Mar 24,'45 Operation Varsity was launched and the 17th Abn parachuted into Germany to cover Allied forces crossing the Rhine. On Mar 29 Hammerquist's unit was halted to outskirts of Dulmen, 40 miles north of Essen, by heavily fortified German blocking positions. Ordering his men to lay down covering fire he moved forward under heavy machine gun fire to destroy the enemy position with grenades. He then urged his men to follow and led the charge to secure the key Issel River bridge into Dulmen. The next day Hammerquist was critically wounded by sniper fire. He spent 7 months hospitalized in England and U.S. For his actions at Dulmen on Mar 29,'45 he received the Distinguished Service Cross, second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor. His decorations include the DSC, Bronze Star w/V, Purple Heart w/Oak Leaf Cluster, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal w/Arrowhead and 3 Battle Stars, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge w/Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation, and WWII Victory Medal.