Walter R. Patterson
NAME: Walter R. Patterson
ASN: 34140111
PLACE OF BIRTH: ???, TN
DATE OF BIRTH: ?? ??? 1919
DATES OF SERVICE: 29 May 1941 - ?? ??? ????
UNIT ASSIGNED:
C Company, 504th Parachute Battalion
F Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment
F Company, 2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment
Headquarters Company, 5th Army Airborne Training Center
CAMPAIGNS: Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia
AWARDS: Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge with combat jump star, EAME Campaign Medal with arrowhead, WWII Victory Medal
SUMMARY OF SERVICE:
29 May 1941 - Enlisted at Fort Oglethorpe, GA - NARA Enlistment Record
| ARMY SERIAL NUMBER | 34140111 | 34140111 |
| NAME | PATTERSON#WALTER#R###### | PATTERSON#WALTER#R###### |
| RESIDENCE: STATE | 48 | TENNESSEE |
| RESIDENCE: COUNTY | 143 | RHEA |
| PLACE OF ENLISTMENT | 4350 | FT OGLETHORPE GEORGIA |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY | 29 | 29 |
| >DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH | 05 | 05 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR | 41 | 41 |
| GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION | PVT# | Private |
| GRADE: CODE | 8 | Private |
| BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION | BI# | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| BRANCH: CODE | 00 | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| FIELD USE AS DESIRED | # | # |
| TERM OF ENLISTMENT | 0 | Undefined Code |
| LONGEVITY | ### | ### |
| SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL | 0 | Civil Life |
| NATIVITY | 48 | TENNESSEE |
| YEAR OF BIRTH | 19 | 19 |
| RACE AND CITIZENSHIP | 1 | White, citizen |
| EDUCATION | 8 | 4 years of college |
| CIVILIAN OCCUPATION | 123 | Messengers, errand boys, and office boys and girls |
| MARITAL STATUS | 6 | Single, without dependents |
| COMPONENT OF THE ARMY | 7 | Selectees (Enlisted Men) |
| CARD NUMBER | # | # |
| BOX NUMBER | 0759 | 0759 |
| FILM REEL NUMBER | 1.276 | 1.276 |
10 Dec 1941 - Yellow Fever
25 Dec 1941 - Pvt. Walter Patterson 34140111 C Co, 504th PB, Attended unit Christmas Dinner
01 Feb 1942 - Pvt. Walter R. Patterson 34140111 C Co, 504th PB, Hometowm: Spring City, TN, listed in unit graduation album
08 Nov 1942 - Sgt. Walter R. Patterson 34140111 F Co, 2nd Bn, 509th PIR, Hometown: Spring City, TN, participated in Operation TORCH (VILLAIN) the airborne invasion of Oran, North Africa, Plane: 4 Seat: 7 Combat Weight: 263 lbs. The plane arrived over Spanish Morocco on the morning of 08 Nov 1942 then proceeded east, once over French Morocco the pilot, low on fuel decided to land at an airstrip. On the ground the aircraft was surrounded by French Foriegn Legion on horseback and they were taken prisioner and kept at a Fort nearby. When the French stopped fighting in North Africa, they were released and were directed to fly to Casablanca. From there, 509th Soldiers made their way by train and air back to their units.
10 Mar 1943 - Smallpox vaccination and Typhoid vaccination
05 Apr 1943 - Tetanus
18 Jun 1943 - Sgt. Walter R. Patterson 34140111, Headquarters Company, 5th Army Airborne Training Center is honorably discharged to accept a battlefield commission as 2nd Lt.
19 Jun 1943 - 2n Lt. Walter R. Patterson commissioned a 2nd Lt. promoted by Lt. Gen. Mark Clark
18 Jul 1948 - Walter Patterson, Spring City, TN, name on Reunion LIST B
