World War II Honoree

John William Ferries

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Wilton, Wisconsin

Honored By

Dave Ferries

Relationship

Son

After high school graduation in 1941, he joined the U.S. Army, volunteering for Col. Darby’s Rangers. He participated in three major amphibious landings and several raids in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy in the Ranger’s First and Third Battalions and received field promotions to Staff Sergeant. John was proud that the Rangers were under the command of General George S. Patton, Jr. during the invasions of North Africa and Sicily. On January 31, 1943, during hand-to-hand combat as part of Operation Shingle of the Anzio Invasion at Salerno, Italy, John was severely wounded and taken prisoner by the German Army. He was saved from battlefield execution by the assistance of a fellow Ranger, Paul A. Grover, who helped him to stand and walk during the capture. He was crudely operated upon in a German field hospital and was later paraded through Rome as a Prisoner of War, where the Italian citizens threw refuse on him and the Ranger POWs. He endured frigid winter weather in West Prussia (Poland) working in various POW camps until liberated from the notorious Stalag II-B by the Soviet Red Army in May 1945. He received several military awards and medals, including the Purple Heart. John rarely talked of his military experience other than to say he toured Europe courtesy of Uncle Sam. He later enjoyed attending Ranger Battalion reunions.