[PGR_PA_r8] Honor Mission

[ASST STATE CAPTAIN EAST]

. The family of Harold W Billow has requested the Patriot Guard Riders to
escort World War II Army Veteran Harold W. Billow from Mt. Joy to
Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.


His medals include Good conduct medal, American Campaign Medal,
European African Medal,   Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Stars and
World War I Victory Medal
He worked at the former box factory until he was drafted into the United
States Army.
In 1943 during the Second World War,  he trained as a “flash and sound”
technician at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and was later
attached to Battery B of the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion.
In August 1944, he shipped overseas and landed on Omaha Beach.

The story of his heroism during the last-ditch German offensive at the
Battle of the Bulge on December 16, 1944 is legendary. The following day
there was eight inches of snow on the ground and the temperature was 20
degrees. Harold was among 120 American soldiers who were captured by the SS
Waffen under the command of Colonel Joachim Peiper. Instead of transferring
the soldiers to a POW camp, they were lined up and the Waffen SS opened
fire; over 80 died but Harold fell down, and laid still. As the German
Command shot the survivors, he heard another soldier yell "Let’s get the
Hell out of here.” Harold got up and ran and headed for a nearby house.
Recognizing that this was not a safe haven, he headed towards the hedge
rows, and ran from hedge row to hedge row while under enemy fire until he
ran into the US 30th Armored Division arriving in the area. Harold Billow
was the last known survivor of the Malmedy Massacre.

Harold W. Billow is a true American patriot who served his nation with
pride and it is our turn to honor him for his service.

For more info on this 99 year old hero, please see the obituary on the
Sheetz Funeral Home website.

The request for the escort will have a full police escort. Approx: 28 mile
escort to IGNC.

Stage: Thursday May 26, 2022
7:30 AM
Former Mt. Joy Pool
201 Fairview St. Mt. Joy, Pa
https://goo.gl/maps/LriZQAcCesmABzbAA

Service at IGNC:  9:30 AM
Stage at 9:00 AM
If going directly to the IGNC, please stage behind the
Pennsylvania Monument and wait for instructions to proceed to the
committal area.

RCIC: Donal Barry
wasmphone at aol.com
717-319-4784

-- 



-- 

Joyce Pawlowski
Asst. State Captain - East
PA Patriot Guard Riders
www.papatriotguard.org
www.patriotguard.org
email: pgrpa.asc.east at gmail.com
phone: (570) 640-7567
*continuing Gerry's mission*

****************************************************************************************
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the
individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not
disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender
immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake and
delete this e-mail from your system. If you are not the intended recipient
you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any
action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly
prohibited.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.shadowriders.org/pipermail/pgr_pa_r8/attachments/20220523/764919bd/attachment.htm>