Clarksburg Ohio WWII veteran Fred Rittenhouse is awarded the Purple Heart

May 4, 1944: Philip Sewards departs Clarksburg for Naval Training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois. Ralph Ater, aboard the USS Ranger docks in Casablanca and offloads 76 P-38 Lightning fighter planes.

May 4, 1945: Almer Sowers' parents learn that Sowers is now located somewhere in the Philippines. Clarence Minnix's parents receive word that he is located somewhere in the Philippines. Fred Rittenhouse is presented with the Purple Heart for wounds received when his 777th Tank Battalion Sherman tank was attacked on April 16. He is now officially back on active duty.

Clarksburg Ohio WWII personnel on March 27, 1944 serving in the 466th Bomb Group, 389th AAA, 58th Bomb Wing, 2nd Infantry, 777th Tank Battalion

Today in Ohio World War II history: Two Clarksburg Ohio residents Cross the Rhine River in pursuit of German Forces.

March 27, 1944: Corrine Bochard returns to Fort Monmouth, NJ following a furlough in Clarksburg Ohio with her parents. John Brooks arrives India, leaving from Africa with the 58th Bomb Wing, as the group inches closer to Japan. Lt. Lewis Garrison flies his first bombing mission as a Navigator aboard a B-24 Liberator with the 466th Bomb Group, 787th Bomb Squadron. Garrison's B-24 loses one engine over the channel and is forced to return to base. Richard Shanton departs the U.S. bound for the Pacific Theater as part of Battery D, 389th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion. Vernon Bethel's ship arrives Scotand.

March 27, 1945: Fred Rittenhouse crosses the Rhine River near Sinzig, Germany (pontoon bridge built at Sinzig, Germany pictured in this blog) at and rolls into Honningen. The 777th Tank Battalion quickly takes Nassau and Weinahr by 2000 hours.
Jack Ater, part of D Company, 387th Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division receives orders and departs Camp Lucky Strike for the German border. Ralph Hawkins, aboard the USS Stack Destroyer joins Task Group 53 and steams to the Ryukyus Islands from Ulithi. Robert Haynes aboard the USS New York supports the assault on Okinawa firing pre-invasion and diversionary bombardments on the island. Willis Cleary crosses the Rhine River near Sinzig, Germany at 1930 hours, and arrives Grenzhausen, Germany the same day ( K Company, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division).

March 27, 1946: Dwight Casto, part of the 7th Army, is discharged from the U.S. Army at Ft. Dix, New Jersey

Clarksburg Ohio veterans active in World War II on February 25.

Today in Clarksburg Ohio World War II history:

February 25, 1944: John Brooks arrives Africa attached to the 87th Air Service Group, servicing the ground needs of the B-29’s 58th Bomb Wing, as an MP. Tom Eycke arrives the Pacific Theater to serve in Intelligence as part of the 234th Quartermaster Salvage Collection Company.

February 25, 1945: Don Adams flies his sixth bombing mission attached to the 485th Bomb Group attacking the Benzol Refinery in Linz, Austria. Pictured, a crew member of Ring Dang Doo - a B-24 Liberator bomber attached to the 485th Bomb Group and flown by Don Adams during World War II. Francis Ater departs the U.S. bound for the Pacific Theater. Fred Rittenhouse, part of the 777th Tank Battalion, crosses into Germany for the first time, driving through a decimated Aachen, Germany in his Sherman tank.

February 25, 1946: Charles Mallow is discharged from the U.S. Army.

Clarksburg Ohio's Colonel George Bookwalter takes command in Pennsylvania, Adams flies his 4th bombing mission of World War II

Today in Clarksburg Ohio World War II History:

February 19, 1942: Willis Prince enlists in the U.S. Army.

February 19, 1943: Daryl Williams departs Clarksburg for Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana to immediately report for duty in the U.S. Army Air Forces. Harry Junk, part of the 2493rd Quartermaster Truck Company docks in North Africa. Kenneth Dean is serving in North Africa. Mert Garrison is stationed at Camp Roberts, CA. Oscar Garrison's parents receive a cable gram noting that he is serving "somewhere" overseas - in Iceland. Willis Prince is assigned and registered to Air Cadet Squadron 113 at the Army Air Forces Classification Center in San Antonio, Texas.

February 19, 1944: While based in Oahu, Hawaii, Charles Shull writes a letter to Pryor Timmons explaining his free time while in the service. Daryl Williams (pictured left in front of a highly modified 499th Bomb Squadron B-25 Mitchell bomber) also writes home to let Pryor Timmons know he has logged over 100 hours of flight time during training and is preparing to transfer to bomber training soon.

February 19, 1945: Don Adams flies his fourth bombing mission on harbor installation targets in Pola, Italy. Fred Rittenhouse, aboard his assigned Sherman tank, motors from Soissons, France and crosses into Belgium, staying the night in Namur. Colonel George Bookwalter is officially placed in command of the 1380th Service Command Unit Headquarters - Pennsylvania District, located at 2nd and Chestnut streets. Jack Ater and the remainder of the 97th Infantry Division sets sail for Europe from New York.