World War II Honoree

Ralph Zabel

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Smith Center, Kansas

Honored By

386th Infantry Regiment Company K

Relationship

Company K, 286th Infantry Regiment

Served as a Combat Infantryman in Company K, 386th Infantry Regiment, 97th Division. The company was reactivated at Camp Swift, Texas on February 19, 1943 and trained at numerous camps in California for the Amphibious Assault on the Japanese homeland. When the Battle of the Bulge broke out he was sent to European Theater of Operations. Fought two battles and did occupation duty. On June 16, 1945 returned to U.S. On August 28, 1945 departed for Asiatic-Pacific Theater and occupation duty in Japan. Inactivated March 31, 1946.