| Name |
Ragland, Dester R. |
| Birth |
30 Apr 1907 |
Mississippi  [1] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Reference Number |
RAGL.D001 |
| _FGRAVE |
142483691 |
| Military Service |
World War II, Private First Class, Company C, 716th Railway Operations Battalion, United States Army [2] |
- Entered active service as a draftee on November 30, 1943 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Selected for the Transportation Corps because of his civilian occupation as Railway Switchman, completed basic training, and qualified in the military occupatioonal specialty of Railway Conductor (058). Departed the Continental U.S. on August 11, 1944 bound for the European Theater of Operations. Assigned to and fought with Company C, 716th Railway Operations Battalion in the Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe Campaigns. Earned the Meritorious Unit Award, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 bronze battle stars, and the WWII Victory Medal. Honorable discharged as a Private First Class on November 27, 1945 at the Separation Center, Camp Grant, Illinois.
This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission.
Source: https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=2125336
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Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007
On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans.
Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event.
This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. … |
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Military Service Ribbons, Ragland, Dester
Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
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World War II Honoree, Ragland, Dexter
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716th Railway Operating Battalion, United States Army
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American Campaign Medal, United States Military
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American Campaign Medal, United States
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European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, United States
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American Railway Operation Battalions in European Theater of Operations During World War II
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Good Conduct Medal, United States Army
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European Theater of World War II
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Meritorious Unit Commendation, United States Army
See "Histories" for more information |
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European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, United States
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Private First Class, United States Army and United States Army Air Fores
(Sep 1942-Aug 1948)
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Fort Sheridan, Illinois
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World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
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Good Conduct Medal, United States Armed Forces
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United States of America Flag, 48 Stars (1912-1959)
In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959,… |
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Meritorious Unit Commendation, United States Armed Forces
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Military Railway Service, United States Army
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Military Railway Units
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Railroaders in Olive Drab: The Military Railway Service in World War II
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United States Army
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United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
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World War II
(1939-1945) |
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World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
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| Burial |
Greenwood Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas |
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| Person ID |
I26796 |
Carl Wayne Gray Research |
| Last Modified |
15 May 2023 |
English
1907 - 
