World War II Honoree

Lunsford Errett Oliver

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Nemaha, Nebraska

Honored By

Pearl Thomas

Major General. Served as commander of Combat Command ‘B’ and landed in North Africa for Operation Torch. He then returned to the states and was appointed commander of the 5th Armored Division and led throughout the rest of the war. The Division served on the Western Front starting with landing on Utah Beach on July 26, 1944 until Victory in Europe Day on May 8, 1945 and after. The 5th Armored was the first division to reach the Seine River, the first division to reach Luxembourg, the first division to fight in Germany, and when halted by orders from the U.S. Ninth Army, the division sat 45 miles from Berlin, closer than any other American division. Received Army Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with eight service stars and Arrowhead device, Army Occupation Medal, Office of the Legion of Honour (France), French Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 with Palm, Grand Office of the Order Orange-Nassau (Netherlands), Grand Officer of Order of the Oak Crown (Luxembourg), and WWII Victory Medal.