William Hart HOUSTON

 

houston_william_hart

Source : bstrong8511 (Fold3)
 
NUMBER OF SERVICEO-355901
AGE33 yo
DATE OF BIRTH3 January 1911 Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, CALIFORNIA
ENLISTMENT STATECALIFORNIA
FAMILY

Spouse : Gertrude S

Parents : William H & Constance Lausten HOUSTON

One sister

RANKMajor
FONCTIONCombat medic
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENTDoctorCA
DATE of ENLISTEMENT 
COMPANY307th Medical Company
BATTALIONBattalion
DIVISION 82nd Airborne Division
DATE OF DEATH6 June 1944

houston_william_hart

Source : F Lavernhe

STATUSKIA
PLACE OF DEATH 
CEMETERY TEMPORARY

 CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  -- N°--

blosville

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

PlotRowGrave
------
CEMETERYNORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY of Colleville

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
D206
DECORATION

Legion of Merit

Purple Heart

World War II Victory Medal 

Combat Infantryman Badge

Brevet Parachutiste


 

 

 Legion of Merit

Photo FDLM

victory medal

combat infantryman badge

combat infantryman badge

 

us army div 82 307amb 307aeb
STORY
houston_william_hart


Garden Sanctuary Cemetery
Seminole, Pinellas County, FLORIDA
Source :  Jen

 
William Hart Houston, Jr. was born on January 3, 1911 in Palo Alto, California to William H and Constance Lausten Houston. He had one younger sister.
William Houston attended UC Berkeley in California with the class of 1933, and he later lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan working as an Intern at University Hospital.
The draft registration card for William was signed on October 16, 1940, listing him with brown eyes and hair and a light brown complexion.
He is listed as having a widow named Gertrude, but no other information can be found about her or their marriage.
Dr. Houston became a combat medic with the Army 307th Medical Company, 82nd Airborne Division. His service number was 0-355901. As a medic he saw action in Tunisia, Sicily and Naples. On April 23, 1943 he became Major Houston as commander of the entire Company.
On June 6, 1944 he was in a glider with other men when it was strafed by enemy machine gun fire after being cut lose. He was killed at about 2130 hours.
Major Houston was buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France Plot D, Row 20, grave 6. For his long and brave service he was awarded a Purple Heart and the Legion of Merit.

“The Legion of Merit is awarded to those in key positions or responsibility and power, for their service and achievements.

Aside from the Medal of Honor, the Legion of Merit is the only United States military medal that is worn around the neck.”

 Legion of Merit

div 82

82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION - ALL AMERICAN

 

Activated/Activé

 Normandy/Normandie

25 Mar 1942  Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  422
   Casualties/Victimes  9 073

Entered Combat/Entré au combat

 
9 Jul 1943 at Sicily  

Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux

Maj. Gen. Omar Bradley (Mar 42 - Jun 42)
Maj. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway (Jun 42 - Aug 44)
Maj. Gen. James M. Gavin (Aug 44 - Mar 48)

Campaigns/Campagnes

Sicily (9 Jul - 17 Aug 43)
Naples-Foggia (9 Sep 43 - 21 Jan 44)
Rome-Arno (22 Jan 44 - 9 Sep 44)

Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44)

Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45)
Ardennes-Alsace (16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45)
Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)

   

CARTE DE CAMPAGNE DU THÉÂTRE MÉDITERRANÉEN

CAMPAIGN MAP OF THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER

mediterranean theater campaigns

PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP

carte campagne europe

DIVISION CHRONICLE


The 82d Airborne Division landed at Casablanca, 10 May 1943, and trained. Elements first saw combat in Sicily, when the 505th RCT and part of the 504th dropped behind enemy lines, 9-10 July 1943, at Gela. The remainder of the 504th RCT dropped, 11-12 July 1943, also near Gela, after running friendly naval and ground force fire. Scattered elements formed and fought as ground troops. The elements were flown back to Tunisia for reequipment and returned to Sicily to take off for drop landings on the Salerno beachhead. The 504th Parachute Infantry dropped, 13 September 1943, and the 505th the following night; the 325th landed by boat. These elements bolstered Salerno defenses and fought their way into Naples, 1 October 1943. After a period of occupation duty (and combat for some elements in the Volturno Valley and Anzio beachhead), the Division moved to Ireland, November 1943, and later to England, February 1944, for additional training. Moving in by glider and parachute, troops of the 82d dropped behind enemy lines in Normandy on D-day, 6 June 1944, before ground troops hit the beaches. Cutting off enemy reinforcements, the Division fought its way from Carentan to St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte, fighting 33 days without relief. Relieved on 8 July, it returned to England for refitting. On 17 September, it was dropped at Nijmegen, 50 miles behind enemy lines, and captured the Nijmegen bridge, 20 September, permitting relief of British paratroops by the British 2d Army. After heavy fighting in Holland, the Division was relieved 11 November and rested in France. It was returned to combat, 18 December 1944, to stem the von Rundstedt offensive, blunting the northern salient of the Bulge. It punched through the Siegfried Line in early February 1945, and crossed the Roer, 17 February. Training with new equipment in March, the Division returned to combat, 4 April, patrolling along the Rhine, securing the Koln area, later moving across the Elbe, 30 April, into the Mecklenburg Plain, where, 2 May 1945, the German 21st Army surrendered.

CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION


La 82ème division aéroportée a atterri à Casablanca le 10 mai 1943 et s'est entraînée. Les éléments ont d'abord été combattus en Sicile, lorsque le 505ème RCT et une partie du 504ème ont été largués derrière les lignes ennemies, du 9 au 10 juillet 1943, à Gela. Le reste de la 504ème RCT est tombé, du 11 au 12 juillet 1943, également près de Gela, après des tirs amicaux contre des forces navales et terrestres. Des éléments épars se sont formés et se sont battus en tant que troupes au sol. Les éléments ont été rapatriés en Tunisie pour le rééquipement et sont retournés en Sicile pour décoller pour atterrir sur la tête de pont de Salerne. Le 504th Infantry Parachute Infantry est tombé le 13 septembre 1943 et le 505ème le lendemain soir; la 325ème atterrit en bateau. Ces éléments ont renforcé les défenses de Salerno et se sont introduits à Naples, le 1er octobre 1943. Après une période d'occupation (et de combat pour certains éléments dans la vallée de Volturno et la tête de pont d'Anzio), la division s'est installée en Irlande en novembre 1943 , Février 1944, pour une formation supplémentaire. Se déplaçant en planeur et en parachute, les troupes du 82d tombèrent derrière les lignes ennemies en Normandie le 6 juin 1944, avant que les troupes terrestres ne frappent les plages. En coupant les renforts ennemis, la Division se fraya un chemin de Carentan à Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, combattant 33 jours sans soulagement. Soulagé le 8 juillet, il est retourné en Angleterre pour y être réaménagé. Le 17 septembre, il a été largué à Nimègue, à 50 milles derrière les lignes ennemies, et a capturé le pont de Nimègue, le 20 septembre, permettant ainsi à la 2 e armée britannique de soulager les parachutistes britanniques. Après de violents combats en Hollande, la division est soulagée le 11 novembre et se repose en France. Il fut remis au combat le 18 décembre 1944 pour endiguer l’offensive de von Rundstedt, assourdissant le saillant septentrional des Ardennes. Il a percuté la ligne Siegfried au début de février 1945 et a traversé la Roer le 17 février. S'entraînant avec de nouveaux équipements en mars, la Division est revenue au combat le 4 avril, patrouillant le long du Rhin, sécurisant la région de Koln, traversant ensuite l'Elbe le 30 avril dans la plaine de Mecklenburg où, le 2 mai 1945 s'est rendu.

 

SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTOArmydivs.squarespace.com

SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTObstrong8511 (Fold3) - Findagrave.com - Abmc.gov - Ww2-airborne.us
PROGRAMMERHenri, Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud
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