Ekman, William Emmett "Bill"

Date of birth:: February 11th, 1913 (Saint Louis/Missouri, United States)
Date of death:: May 31st, 1979 (Walter Reed Army Hospital, Washington/D.C., United States)
Buried on:: United States Military Academy Post Cemetery
Service number:: 0-21190
Nationality:: American (1776 - present, Republic)

Biography

William Emmett Ekman graduated from West Point in 1938. On June 14th, 1938 he married Iris M. Welch.

Besides his World War Two related decorations he also received the Army Distinguished Service Medal (June 18th, 1968).

Promotions:
June 14th, 1938: 2nd Lieutenant;
September 9th, 1940: 1st Lieutenant;
?: Lieutenant Colonel;
July 22nd, 1944: Colonel;
May 1st, 1965: Brigadier General;

Career:
? - 1932: Baltimore Polytechnical High School;
1932 - 1934: United States Military Academy Prep School, Camp Smith, Hawaii;
July 1934 - 1938: Military Academy West Point;
?: Company Officer 29th Infantry Regiment;
?: Adjutant 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment;
? - June 1941: Company Commander, 29th Infantry Regiment;
? - August 1941: Parachute School, Fort Benning;
August 1941: Commanding Officer, Company B, 503rd Parachute Infantry Battalion;
?: Adjutant, 504th Parachute Infantry Battalion;
May 1942: Adjutant General, Headquarters Provisional Parachute Group;
?: Adjutant General, Headquarters, The Airborne Command;
August 1942: Executive Officer, 1st Parachute Infantry Brigade, Fort Benning;
October 1942: Executive Officer, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment;
March 21st, 1944 - September 13th, 1947: Commanding Officer, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division;
1947: Planner/Airborne Advisor, Army Plans Branch, G3 Division, Department of the Army;
January 1949: Airborne Advisor, Joint Strategic Plans Group, Joint Chiefs of Staff;
June 1951 - June 1952: GI, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg;
1952: Army War College, Carlisle Barracks;
June 1953: GI, VII Corps, Moeringen, Germany;
December 15th, 1954 - July 1956: Commanding Officer, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, Bad Toelz, Germany;
July 1956: Director, Army's Airborne-Air Mobility Department, Fort Benning, Georgia;
June 1959: Military Personnel Advisor, Republic of Korea Army, United States Military Assitance Group, Korea;
June 1960: Chief, Military Personnel Management Division, Continental Army Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia;
?: Deputy, Assistant Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Continental Army Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia;
September 1961: Acting Chief of Staff, Personnel, United States Strike Command, MacDill AFB, Tampa, Florida;
?: Deputy, Assistant Chief of Staff, Plans Directorate, United States Strike Command, MacDill AFB, Tampa, Florida;
July 1963: Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, United States Pacific Command, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii;
?: Commander-designate, 173rd Airborne Brigade;
September 1965 - April 1967: Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Training Center, Fort Dix, New Jersey;
April 1967: Off-Base Housing Coordinator, Department of Defense;
April 30th, 1968: Retirement;
?: President, St. Armands Association;
?: Disaster Relief Chairman, Sarasota County Red Cross.

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Silver Star Medal (SSM)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Lieutenant Colonel
Unit:: Commanding Officer, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division "All American", U.S. Army
Awarded on:: July 14th, 1944

Citation:
"For gallantry in action while serving as Commanding Officer, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action against the enemy at Normandy, France, on 6 June 1944."

General Orders No. 34, Headquarters, 82d Airborne Division (July 14, 1944).

Silver Star Medal (SSM)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Colonel
Unit:: Commanding Officer, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division "All American", U.S. Army
Awarded on:: October 29th, 1944

Citation:
"For gallantry in action while serving as Commanding Officer, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action against the enemy in Holland, on 19 September 1944."

General Orders No. 57, Headquarters, 82d Airborne Division (October 29, 1944).
Second Silver Star received as a bronze oak leaf cluster to be worn on the ribbon of the first Silver Star.

Bronzen Leeuw (BL)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Colonel
Unit:: Commanding Officer, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division "All American", U.S. Army
Awarded on:: February 22nd, 1946

Recommendation:
"For having distinguished himself during the fighting by the 82nd Airborne Division in the vicinity of Nijmegen in September and October 1944 by performing difficult and tactful deeds. Having set a great example in all aspects in the most difficult situations."

Royal Decree No.11, dated February 22nd, 1946.

Distinguished Service Medal - Army (DSM)

Period:: Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Rank:: Brigadier General
Unit:: Deputy Commanding General, Army Training Center (Fort Dix), Army Ground Forces (AGF), U.S. Army
Awarded on:: June 18th, 1968

Citation:
"For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility as Deputy Commanding General Army Training Center, Infantry, Fort Dix, New Jersey, during the period from May 1965 to April 1968."

General Orders No. 26, Department of the Army (June 18, 1968).