My Paternal Great Uncle

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William James Day was born April 1st, 1915 in Terra Haunte, Indiana. 

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William also know as Bud or Bill and born to William John Day of Ontario Canada and Susie May Dunderdale of Wallaceburg, Ontario Canada.

Bill was the last child of six children. 

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I really don't know that much about William but I did met him once at my cousin's wedding in 1992, 6 years before he passed.  

 

Bill served in WWII and a highly declarated solider. The following was pulled from a newspaper clipping I found on him.

 

'For Coolness and Initiative' 

Another Bronze Star winner is Sgt. William J. Day, son of Mrs. J. W. Conn, of 109 Center, decorated for his initiative and coolness under fire without regard for his own personal safety.

Excerpts from the citation accompanying the award reads:

  "Sgt. Day was a member of the Second platoon, Battery A, 195th antiaircraft automatic weapons battalion, which was providing antiaircraft defense for the 78th armored field artillery battalion at LaPenetiere, France, on July 29th, 1944. Elements of the enemy tanks and infantry attacked the support unit. At this time Sgt. Day on his own initiative moved his vehicle from its antiaircraft position in a field directly adjacent to the road junction at LaPaetiere, France, to a hedgerow bordering the road junction, bringing fire to bear on the crossroad through which the enemy forces were trying to penetrate the supported unit's position. Sgt. Day, without regard for his own personal safety, remained in the open under ememy shell and machinegun fire, directing the fire of his weapon. Sgt. Day deployed the remaining members of his gun crew along the hedgerow to fight as infantry. The coolness under fire and the initiative displayed by Sgt. Day in moving his gun to a more effective position and obtaining the maximum amount of fire power from his men aided considerably in the completely routing the enemy with several losses in both personnel and material."    

 

The 29-year-old soldier has been in the Army since November 1942. He trained at Camp Haan, Calif., and went overseas to England in December , 1943. He participated in the D-Day invation of Normandy.