World War II Honoree

Warren L. Custer

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Custer Family & Arthur J. Woy

Relationship

Family & Friend

1943 GRADUATE OF VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE. AIRBORNE AND SURVIVAL TRAINING AT WESTOVER, MASSACHUSETTS AND LAURINBURG-MAXTON, NORTH CAROLINA. TO LEDO IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER VIA NORTH AFRICA AND INDIA. THE 879TH AIRBORNE ENGINEER BATTALION. LED ATTACK BY GLIDERS TO MYITKYINA, BURMA FROM SHIMBWIYANG AT MYITKYINA, ATTACHED TO MERRILL'S 5307TH COMPOSITE UNIT. CADRE 475TH INFANTRY AND 124TH CAVALRY IN MARS TASK FORCE. WITH THE 124TH CAVALRY AS PLATOON COMMANDER AND COLUMN SCOUT WITH GURKHA AND KACHIN SCOUTS ON TREK TO LASHIO. JOINED THE 16TH GUERRILLA GROUP OF CHINESE COMBAT COMMAND IN KWANGSI AND CANTON PROVINCES AND ALONG THE SOUTH CHINA COAST, FROM THE LUICHOW PENINSULA TO HAIPHONG, THROUGHOUT NORTHERN INDOCHINA INCLUDING HANOI AND NORTH LAOS AND SOUTH KWANGSI PROVINCE. MOVED ALONG THE COAST IN OCEAN JUNKS. LAND TRAVEL 36 MILES EVERY NIGHT FROM DUSK TO DAWN. CAPTURED AND ESCAPED 5 TIMES IN INDO-CHINA. SPECIALIZED IN PARACHUTING, NIGHT RECONNAISSANCE, DEMOLITION, SCOUTING AND SURVEILLANCE. FOUND AND GUIDED REMNANTS OF FRENCH LEGION FROM HANOI TO CHINA. LEFT THE CHINA COAST FOR THE INTERIOR SEPTEMBER 1945 AFTER LEARNING THE WAR WAS OVER. TOOK HUNDREDS OF BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS AND SLIDES OF THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER. HOSPITALIZED FOR 9 MONTHS AFTER THE WAR AND DISCHARGED JUNE 1946.