World War II Honoree

Arthur Riehl Wilson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Cherokee, California

Honored By

Pearl Thomas

Major General. He sailed with the first waves of American troops to the Southwest Pacific on January 22, 1942 as quartermaster general, South West Pacific Area Command. In June 1942, he embarked for Europe as Commanding General, Services of Supply, Western Task Force. He was responsible for the administration of the Corps of Engineers, Signal Corps, Ordnance Department, Quartermaster Corps, Chemical Corps, Medical Corps and the Transportation Corps during Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa. In 1943, he was appointed Commanding General, Atlantic and Mediterranean Base Sections, U.S. North African Theater of Operations and was responsible for the administration of supplies during the combat operations. In 1944, he was appointed Chief of Staff, Seventh Army and participated in the Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe operations. In 1945 he was conferred the Freedom of the City of Dijon. Received the Army Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, American Defense Service Medal with Clasp, American Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with five 3/16 inch service stars, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Commander of the Legion of Honor (France), French Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with Palm, Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy, and Officer of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Morocco).