World War II Honoree

William B. Clark

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Bath, New York

Honored By

Ms. Suzanne G. Clark

Relationship

Wife

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY IN 1942. FOLLOWING INITIAL TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES, HE WAS SHIPPED TO ENGLAND AND SERVED IN FRANCE FOR THE REMAINDER OF WWII. HE WAS DISCHARGED IN 1945 AT THE PERMANENT RANK OF SERGEANT, E-5. RE-ENLISTED IN 1949, RETIRING IN JULY 1966 AT THE RANK OF CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER, W-2 AT FORT HUACHUCA, ARIZONA. HIS DUTIES IN THE ARMY WERE MANY AND VARIED DURING THOSE MANY YEARS, CENTERING AROUND ELECTRONICS, COMMUNICATIONS AND DATA PROCESSING. HE WAS POSTED IN FRANCE, WEST GERMANY AND THE UNITED STATES. DURING WWII AND WHILE POSTED IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA AND HAD EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN ALL PHASES OF LONG LINE COMMUNICATIONS AND AS A MEMBER OF THE ALASKA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. HE SERVED AS A CONSULTANT TO THE ALASKA RAILROAD AND FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION IN SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF ARCTIC WEATHER COMMUNICATIONS. LATER WHEN ASSIGNED TO FRANCE, HE SUPERVISED THE INSTALLATION OF THE FONTAINEBLEU POST TELEPHONE PLANT. HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF TRANSATLANTIC SUBMARINE COMMUNICATIONS CABLE INCLUDING ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT, SIGNAL SHAPING AND DEEP SEA FAULT LOCATION. WHILE ASSIGNED AT FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA. HE DEVELOPED A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION FOR NUCLEAR POWER INSTRUMENT REPAIRMEN AND WAS EXTENSIVELY INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST NUCLEAR REACTOR AT THAT POST. IN THE LATER YEARS OF HIS SERVICE IN THE ARMY AND PARTICULARLY AT FORT HUACHUCA, HIS DUTIES FOCUSED ON DATA PROCESSING AND COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEMS. AT THE TIME OF HIS RETIREMENT, HE WAS THE CHIEF OF THE COMPUTER OPERATIONS BRANCH RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION OF THE FORT'S ENTIRE COMPUTER SERVICE CENTER. RECEIVED THE ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL WITH MULTIPLE BRONZE LOOPS, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, ARMY OCCUPATION MEDAL (GERMANY) AND SHARPSHOOTER (CARBINE).