World War II Honoree

Elbert DeWitt Powers, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

East St. Louis, Illinois

Honored By

Ms. Rose Powers Somraty

Relationship

Niece

STAFF SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY COMBINED ARMS CENTER, BATTERY A, 195TH ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS BATTALION, JULY 20, 1942 TO OCTOBER 13, 1945. SERVED WITH GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON'S TANK CORPS IN NORTH AFRICA AND FRANCE AS CANNONEER 844 WITH 2ND AND 3RD ARMORED DIVISIONS. BATTLES IN NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, ARDENNES, RHINELAND, CENTRAL EUROPE. DECORATIONS INCLUDE THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER RIBBON WITH 1 SILVER BATTLE STAR, 1 SERVICE STRIPE, 5 OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, DISTINGUISHED UNIT BADGE, BELGIAN CROIX DE GUERRE AND 'HELL ON WHEELS' SHOULDER PATCH. WOUNDED IN ACTION GERMANY 1945. THE DIVISION RACED ACROSS FRANCE IN JULY AND AUGUST, DROVE THROUGH BELGIUM AND ATTACKED ACROSS THE ALBERT CANAL SEPTEMBER 13, 1944. CROSSED THE GERMAN BORDER AT SCHIMERT, SEPTEMBER 18TH TO TAKE UP DEFENSIVE POSITIONS NEAR GEILENKIRCHEN. ON OCTOBER 3RD, THE DIVISION LAUNCHED AN ATTACK ON THE SIEGFRIED LINE FROM MARIENBERG, BROKE THROUGH AND CROSSED THE WURM RIVER AND SEIZED PUFFENDORF NOVEMBER 16TH AND BARMEN ON NOVEMBER 28TH. THE DIVISION WAS HOLDING POSITIONS ON THE ROER RIVER WHEN IT WAS ORDERED TO HELP CONTAIN THE GERMAN ARDENNES OFFENSIVE. THE DIVISION FOUGHT IN EASTERN BELGIUM, BLUNTING THE GERMAN 5TH PANZER ARMY'S PENETRATION OF AMERICAN LINES. THE DIVISION HELPED REDUCE THE BULGE IN JANUARY, FIGHTING IN THE ARDENNES FOREST IN DEEP SNOW AND CLEARED THE AREA FROM HOUFFALIZE TO THE OURTHE RIVER OF THE ENEMY. AFTER A REST IN FEBRUARY, THE DIVISION DROVE ON ACROSS THE RHINE ON MARCH 27TH AND WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN DIVISION TO REACH THE ELBE AT SCHOENEBECK ON APRIL 11, 1945. IT WAS HALTED ON THE ELBE, APRIL 20TH, ON ORDERS. IN JULY, THE DIVISION ENTERED BERLIN, THE FIRST AMERICAN UNIT TO ENTER THE GERMAN CAPITAL CITY.