Capitaine William H.Nation     

Officers at the origin of the formation of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. In autumn, 42, he served in the section of the staff and the service of the company. He was promoted to the rank of captain June 22nd, 1943 and served as S-1 ( Regimental Adjudant) within the 508th PIR.

The Captain Nation was a part of the stick of the Colonel Roy E Lindquist commanding of the 508th PIR for Normandy. He jumped on June 6th, 1944 at 2:14 am of the morning into the swamps of the river Merderet east of Amfreville. He stayed with the 508th during all the campaign of Normandy. On September 17th, 1944, the Captain Nation jumped with the 508th in Holland during the operation Market Garden. He also participated in the battle of the Ardennes.

In December, 1944, the 82rd was sent to the Ardennes to stop the German offensive. The 508th PIR took position along Salm between Vielsalm and Salm Château. He participated in the first phase of the battle to Goronne during the retreat tactics of December 24th, 1944. January 3rd, 1945, the Allies counter-attacked. The regiment stayed reserve there until January 7th. By that time, the regiment took back the hill of Thier-du-Mont, the hill which they occupied before Christmas. The Captain Nation took charge of the evacuation of the civilians in villages under control of the 508th.

On January 10th, the 508th was at the middle in rest in the region of Chevron. 21, was sent backto the forehead the German border. On January 31st, 1945, the Captain Nation was killed during an enemy attack early in the morning. It was occupied with preparing a HQ in the region of Lanzerath-Losheim. He was 26 year old. His body rests in the Henri-Chapelle's American cemetery in Belgium.