World War II Honoree

John William Fields

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Patricia A. Fields

Relationship

Daughter

SERVED IN THE 86TH BLACK HAWK DIVISION, FEBRUARY 1943 TO JANUARY 1946. THE 86TH DIVISION IS ACTIVATED ONLY DURING WAR TIME. HE WAS IN THE 341ST INFANTRY, COMPANY G AND THE QUARTERMASTER CORPS. SERVED IN FRANCE, GERMANY, BELGIUM AND THE PHILIPPINES. AWARDED THE RHINELAND BATTLE STAR, AMERICAN SERVICE MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN SERVICE MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC SERVICE MEDAL, WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL. SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE RESERVES IN OKLAHOMA AT TINKER FIELD AS A MASTER SERGEANT AFTER THE WAR. TRAINING AT CAMP HOWZE TEXAS; LOUISIANA MANEUVERS; CAMP LIVINGSTON LOUISIANA; GUNNERY SCHOOL AT PORT LAVACA TEXAS; CAMP COOK AND SAN LOUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA; AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING AT SAN LOUIS OBISPO WAS PREPARATION FOR THE INVASION OF TOKYO, JAPAN. WHEN THE ARMY INTENSIFIED THEIR STRENGTH AT THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE THE DIVISION WAS SENT BY TRAIN FROM CALIFORNIA TO BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AND ON TO CAMP LUCKY STRIKE AT LE HAVRE, FRANCE. WHILE IN BELGIUM, A GERMAN AIRPLANE STRAFED THEM EVERY NIGHT AND WAS CALLED 'BED CHECK CHARLIE'. HIS JOB WHILE IN GERMANY WAS DELIVERING GAS TO THE FRONT LINES SO HE WAS BACK AND FORTH IN MANY PLACES, WHEREVER THERE WERE AIRFIELDS. AT THE END OF THAT ASSIGNMENT HE WAS GIVEN A 30-DAY CONVALESCENT FURLOUGH AT WHICH TIME HE SAW HIS 3-MONTH OLD DAUGHTER FOR THE FIRST TIME. AFTER THIS FURLOUGH HE WAS SENT TO A CALIFORNIA PORT OF DEBARKATION STILL SCHEDULED TO INVADE TOKYO. AFTER A SHORT TIME AT SEA, JAPAN SURRENDERED AND THE DESTINATION WAS CHANGED TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. HIS POINTS WERE SUFFICIENT FOR DISCHARGE BUT IT WAS 6 MONTHS BEFORE HE WAS RETURNED TO CAMP LOGAN, COLORADO WHERE HE WAS MUSTERED OUT.