World War II Honoree

Lynn H. Guilloud

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Mineral Wells, Texas

Honored By

Betty Jo and Jess Hay

Entered military service at Camp Wolters on May 17, 1942 following graduation from Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College. He was 21 years old at the time. He was transferred to Company E, 33rd Armored Engineer Battalion of the 7th Armored Division at Camp Polk, Louisiana. Promoted to 1st Lieutenant, November 1942. The Division moved to the Mojave Desert in California in March 1943, where he was made Acting Company Commander. The company was removed from the division and made a separate company under Corps Command. It was renamed the 991st Engineer Treadway Bridge Company and transferred to Fort Benning, Georgia in July 1943. He was made Company Commander and promoted to Captain. The company left Fort Benning on December 5, 1943 for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. On December 23, 1943 the company boarded the Queen Mary in New York and sailed for the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. From Scotland he and other men in the company traveled by train to a camp near Warminster, England. He was boarded onto a LCT on June 2, 1944 for a landing on the Uncle Red zone of Utah Beach, D-Day June 6th. His company was attached to the 4th Infantry Division of 1st U.S. Army for the landing, but reverted to Corps control on the beach. He was then transferred to General Patton's 3rd Army at the breakout at St. Lo in August 1944 and remained in the 3rd Army throughout the remainder of the war in Europe. He was in Landshut, Germany on V-E Day and witnessed the arrival from the Eastern Front of high ranking German officers wanting to surrender to the Americans rather than the Russians. Following the German surrender, was billeted in Furth and then later in Wurzburg, Germany. Eighty-five points was required to return home; he had 95 but his expected departure for home was interrupted by orders to plan for transfer to the Pacific. His military occupational specialty was needed for the assault on Japan. He was transferred to the 300th Engineers so the 991st could return to the U.S. Following the drop of the Atomic bombs on Japan. His status changed and he left Marsailles, France on the Goucher Victory Ship in late October 1945 for home. He docked in Hampton Roads, Virginia and was transferred to the Army reserves in Camp Fannin near Tyler, Texas and was released from active service arriving home near Pottsboro, Texas on November 10, 1945. His terminal leave expired February 1946. Decorations received include the Bronze Arrowhead for the D-Day landing, Five Campaign Stars on the European Theater of Operations Ribbon, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster; French Croix de Guerre and the Distinguished Unit Citation for the Moselle River Operation.