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. HIS REGIMENT TOOK POSITIONS AT LORIENT AND SAINT NAZAIRE, FRANCE AND ENGAGED IN CONTAINMENT OPERATIONS AGAINST THE GERMAN GARRISONS THERE. THEN MOVED BY RAILWAY BOXCAR AND TRUCKS INTO POSITIONS IN THE SAAR-MOSELLE TRIANGLE ON JANUARY 7, 1945, FACING THE STRONGLY FORTIFIED SWITCH POSITIONS OF THE 'WEST WALL'. THE 302ND 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 ENGAGED IN HEAVY COMBAT. HIS REGIMENT CLEARED PILLBOX FORTIFICATIONS AND HELD THE TOWN OF TETTINGEN AGAINST A STRONG COUNTERATTACK ON JANUARY 21, 1945. OPERATIONS WERE CONDUCTED IN EXTREMELY COLD AND SNOWY WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE 302ND REGIMENT RENEWED ITS ASSAULT ON PILLBOXES EAST OF THE TOWN OF CAMPHOLZ ON FEBRUARY 15, 1945, BUT WAS PUSHED BACK. THE DIVISION ATTACKED ON FEBRUARY 19, 1945, TO BREACH THE 'WEST WALL' SWITCH-LINE DEFENSES, AND CLEARED THE SAAR-MOSELLE TRIANGLE ON FEBRUARY 21, 1945. THE DIVISION ASSAULTED ACROSS THE SAAR RIVER THE NEXT DAY, WITH THE 302ND REGIMENT ESTABLISHING THE SERRIG-TABEN BRIDGEHEAD. A GERMAN COUNTERATTACK ON MARCH 5, 1945, PENETRATED HIS REGIMENT'S LINES, WHICH WERE RESTORED BY MARCH 8, 1945. THE DIVISION CROSSED THE RUWER RIVER, ATTACKED AND CROSSED THE RHINE RIVER, AND FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY FROM MARCH 22-24, 1945. THE DIVISION WAS WITHDRAWN FOR REHABILITATION, AND MOVED TO KREFELD, GERMANY ON APRIL 3, 1945, AND BY APRIL 18, 1945, ASSUMED MILITARY GOVERNMENT DUTIES IN THE KREFELD AREA AND LATER AROUND DUSSELDORF, GERMANY. THE DIVISION WAS IN THAT SAME DUTY STATUS WHEN GERMANY UNCONDITIONALLY SURRENDERED TO THE ALLIES AND HOSTILITIES WERE DECLARED ENDED ON MAY 7, 1945. PRESIDENT TRUMAN ANNOUNCED THE ALLIED VICTORY IN EUROPE (VE-DAY) ON MAY 8, 1945. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED IN COMBAT, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL FOR BEING TAKEN AS A PRISONER BY THE GERMANS, 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. 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.