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February, 1942--Older brother, Carl, leaves for service
July, 1942--William E. inducted into the Army at Fort Thomas, KY
Joins Company "B" of the 1st Battalion, 80th Division, Third Army, for training
at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, near Tullahoma
November 30, 1942--William E., on his first furlough, marries Irene Brown in the home of Rev. M. D. Morton, pastor of Sand Spring Baptist, Lawrenceburg
April, 1943--Camp Forrest visited by President Roosevelt; in June, go on extensive
'maneuvers' which include 25-mile marches in a day's time
August 25, 1943--Division moves to Camp Phillips, Kansas
November 17, 1943--Division moves to Arizona for more training
April 5, 1944--Division arrives at Ft. Dix, New Jersey
July 4, 1944--Division sails for Europe aboard the S.S. Queen Mary, arrives in Scotland on July 7, for several weeks of training in Great Britain
August 2, 1944--Division lands at Utah Beach; within a week they are part of the Third Army's 'breakout' into France, engaging the German 7th Army. Capture the city
of Argentan on August 20
September 18, 1944--William E. wounded in his left foot during a German counterattack after the Division had crossed the Moselle River; in hospital in England until January, 1945 where he is visited briefly by his younger brother, Julian
January, 1945--William E. rejoins his company, which had been part of the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg; the Division pursues retreating Germans into Germany;
William E. has minor wound in February, but remains with his company
March 27-28, 1945--Division crosses the Rhine River with strong German resistance
April, 1945--Division pushes on through Germany; near Weimar, they encounter the terrible Buchenwald Forced Labor Camp
May 8, 1945--VE Day! 80th Division has pushed all the way into Austria, when Germany surrenders. Soon, Austria is part of the 'Russian sector' of occupation
October, 1945--Division sails from France on the 'Argentina,' arriving in New York;
William E. takes train for Ft. Knox, where he is 'mustered out' after three years
and four months of service to his country.