World War II Honoree

Willis Dale Crittenberger

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Baltimore, Maryland

Honored By

Pearl Thomas

Lieutenant General. Pioneer of Armor. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he assumed command of 2nd Armored Brigade of the 2nd Armored Division and then the XIX Corps. In 1944 he assumed command of the IV Corps for the Italian Campaign. The Corps were in combat for over 390 days, 326 days in continuous combat. They served as the western arm of the Allied thrust through northern Italy code named Operation Grapeshot to the Po River. Captured large number of German troops, which ended with the surrender of the remaining German forces in Italy on May 2, 1945. Received the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, American Defense Service Medal, WWII Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four service stars, Officer of the Legion of Honor (France), and Croix de Guerre (France).