World War II Honoree

James W. 'Jim' Neel

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Hometown Unknown, California

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

Relationship

Relationship Not Determined

TRAINED INITIALLY IN THE AMERICAN THEATER FOR ENTRY-LEVEL ‘BASIC TRAINING’ AND THEN FOR ADVANCED MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY (MOS) QUALIFICATION. HIS REGIMENT WAS STATIONED AT CAMP MCCAIN AT GRENADA, MISSISSIPPI. STAGED AT CAMP SHANKS AT ORANGEBURG, NEW YORK ON JULY 26, 1944, AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON AUGUST 6, 1944, AND ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON AUGUST 11, 1944. HIS UNIT LANDED AT UTAH BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1944. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO), WITH THE 302ND INFANTRY REGIMENT, 94TH INFANTRY 'NEUF CATS' DIVISION. PARTICIPATED IN THE NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. THE DIVISION ENGAGED IN CONTAINMENT ACTIVITIES OF GERMAN GARRISONS AT LORIENT AND SAINT NAZAIRE, FRANCE UNTIL JANUARY 1, 1945. THEN MOVED BY RAIL BOXCARS AND VEHICLES TO THE SAAR-MOSELLE TRIANGLE ON JANUARY 7, 1945. THERE, HIS UNIT FACED THE STRONGLY-FORTIFIED SWITCH POSITIONS OF THE 'WEST WALL.' HIS REGIMENT ENTERED GERMANY ON JANUARY 8, 1945, AND WAS ATTACHED TO THE 28TH INFANTRY 'KEYSTONE' DIVISION FROM JANUARY 6-10, 1945. THE 94TH DIVISION ATTACKED ON JANUARY 14, 1945, AND BECAME ENGAGED IN HEAVY COMBAT. THE 302ND INFANTRY CLEARED PILLBOX FORTIFICATIONS AND HELD THE TOWN OF TETTINGEN, GERMANY AGAINST A STRONG GERMAN COUNTERATTACK ON JANUARY 21, 1945. OPERATIONS WERE BEING CONDUCTED IN EXTREMELY COLD AND SNOWY WINTER WEATHER. HIS REGIMENT ATTACKED ON FEBRUARY 19, 1945, BREACHED THE 'WEST WALL' SWITCH-LINE DEFENSES AND CLEARED THE SAAR-MOSELLE TRIANGLE BY FEBRUARY 21, 1945. HIS REGIMENT CROSSED THE SAAR RIVER OPPOSITE SERRIG AGAINST STRONG GERMAN FORCES TO ESTABLISH THE SERRIG-TABEN BRIDGEHEAD. A STRONG GERMAN COUNTERATTACK ON MARCH 5, 1945, PENETRATED THE 302ND INFANTRY LINES BUT FORWARD LINES WERE RESTORED BY MARCH 8, 1945. HE WAS WOUNDED IN ACTION AND TAKEN AS A PRISONER OF WAR (POW) OF THE GERMANS. THE DIVISION CROSSED THE RUWER RIVER AND REACHED THE RHINE RIVER ON MARCH 21, 1945. THERE, HIS UNIT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTAINING THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE RUHR POCKET, AND REDUCED THE POCKET BY MID-APRIL, 1945. HIS DIVISION ASSUMED MILITARY GOVERNMENT DUTIES, FIRST IN THE KREFELD, GERMANY AREA AND LATER AROUND DUSSELDORF, GERMANY. HIS UNIT WAS STILL IN THAT STATUS WHEN HOSTILITIES WERE DECLARED ENDED ON MAY 7, 1945. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 4 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (4 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS UNIT IN COMBAT. HIS REGIMENT RETURNED TO THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON JANUARY 29, 1946, AND WAS INACTIVATED AT CAMP KILMER AT STELTON, NEW JERSEY ON JANUARY 30, 1946. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.