- ENTERED SERVICE FROM NILES, MI.
- REPORTED FOR BASIC TRAINING AT
- CAMP CLAIBORNE, LA. ON 11/30/42.
- SERVED WITH THE 103D DIVISION,
- 409TH REGIMENT, D-COMPANY
- 'HEAVY WEAPONS'. PARTICIPATED IN LOUISIANA 3RD ARMY MANEUEVERS
- FROM SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH
- NOVEMBER 15TH OF 1943. MOTOR
- MARCHED FROM MERRYVILLE, LA TO
- CAMP HOWZE IN GAINESVILLE, TX IN NOVEMBER 1943. PROMOTED TO T/SGT
- AND GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
- 2ND PLATOON, WATER-COOLED
- MACHINE GUNNERS. LEFT CAMP HOWZE,
- BY TRAIN, ON SEPTEMBER 14TH AND
- ARRIVED AT CAMP SHANKS, NY ON
- SEPT. 28TH. BOARDED USS MONTICELLO
- AND DEPLOYED FOR THE SOUTH OF
- FRANCE ON OCT. 6TH. WEATHERED
- HURRICANE AND ROUGH SEAS BUT
- FINALLY ARRIVED AT MARSEILLES,
- FRANCE ON OCTOBER 20TH, 1944. SPENT
- TWO WEEKS AT STAGING AREA NEAR
- CALAS. DEPARTED FOR THE FRONT ON
- NOV. 5TH. ARRIVED ON NOVEMBER 10TH
AND RELIEVED THE 3d INFANTRY DIVISION
- IN THE VICINITY OF
- EPINAL/CHARMOIS/DOCELLES.
- COMMITTED TO BATTLE ON NOV. 11TH
- AND FOUGHT THROUGH THE VOSGES
- MOUNTAINS AS PART OF LT.
- GENERAL ALEXANDER PATCH'S 7TH
- ARMY. IRWIN WAS AWARDED THE
- BRONZE STAR FOR HIS ACTIONS DURING
- A GERMAN COUNTER ATTACK ON MARCH
- 21ST. A FALSE RUMOR WAS CIRCULATING AMOUNG HIS MEN THAT THE GERMANS
- WERE USING GAS. AS HIS MEN BEGAN TO PANIC, T/SGT IRWIN DISREGARDED ENEMY
- FIRE AND JUMPED FROM THE SAFETY OF
- THE TRENCH, RAN ALONG THE EDGE,
- CALMING HIS ENTIRE PLATOON. HE MAINTAINED CONTROL OF HIS COMMAND
- AND REORGANIZED HIS MEN WHICH
- ENABLED THEM TO REPULSE THE ATTACK. IRWIN SUCCESSFULLY LED THE 2ND
- PLATOON FROM MARSEILLES, FRANCE
- TO WAR'S END IN INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA.
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