[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 190 (Monday, December 12, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING MR. WILLIAM DALE GIBBS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. W. TODD AKIN

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 12, 2011

  Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember Mr. William 
Gibbs a veteran of World War II who passed into glory on 19 October 
2011.
  The youngest son of John and Maimi Gibbs, William Dale Gibbs was born 
on 21 June 1926 in Salem, Missouri, in the heart of the Ozarks. Like 
many in those years, Mr. Gibbs' parent found work hard to come by and 
eventually moved the family to St. Louis to find employment.
  At the age 18, with World War II still raging, Mr. Gibbs enlisted in 
the United States Army and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, 
325th Glider Regiment. The 82nd was the Army's first Airborne Division. 
Mr. Gibbs and his unit played a lead role in blunting the German 
advance during the Battle of the Bulge. He and his unit saw heavy 
fighting, suffering heavy casualties, throughout World War II.
  Mr. Gibbs saw and experienced many things during his service in 
Europe, but none seemed to impact him as much as the following . . .
  ``. . . Upon completion of their objectives, the division moved again 
towards the Rhine River and Cologne. From there, the order of duty was 
to push forward into the Rhineland, and then moved again towards 
Berlin, winding up in a town called Ludwigslust. Here they captured a 
concentration camp (Camp Wobbelin) which held several thousand 
prisoners, many were already dead and the remaining were in very poor 
condition. The survivors were so elated, they were out of control. 
Their weak mental conditions coupled with the language barrier made it 
very difficult to administer to their needs. Out of respect for the 
prisoners, General [James ``Jumpin' Jim''] Gavin ordered a proper 
burial of the dead prisoners in the center of town. A formal memorial 
and burial service was conducted by the 325th division Chaplin, Major 
[George B.] Wood. The German townspeople were forced to dig the graves 
and attend the service. There were approximately 10,000 Germans in 
attendance.
  After the encounter at Concentration Camp Wobbelin, the unit moved 
ahead towards the Elbe River. They had great pleasure in liberating 
some POW camps along the way. The soldiers were reunited with some of 
the 82nd Airborne Division who had been POWs captured in Italy over a 
year before.''
  According to his son, David, Mr. Gibbs retold this story many times 
over his life. It was during his earliest memory of this story that 
David first saw his father cry.
  Like so many of his generation, at the end of the war, Mr. Gibbs 
returned home, married and went to work. After completing his education 
and finding employment with International Shoe Company, he married 
Shirley Mae Warfel and together they raised a family of three boys and 
a girl--though they experienced the loss of their first born to 
leukemia at age five.
  The passing of William Dale Gibbs reminds me that all too soon we 
will lose the World War II generation to history. While we may be 
losing them, we should not lose their stories and the lessons they 
teach; one of which is there are, in fact, things for which we should 
fight, and if necessary, die to preserve and protect.
  On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you Mr. Gibbs for your service 
and sacrifice in Europe; and for returning home and raising sons and a 
daughter who were so very proud to call you ``Dad''.

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