Wilbert Gearing

ASN:33671540

Wilbert Joseph Gearing registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. Born June 8, 1915, he was from Uniontown, Pennsylvania. This twenty-five-year-old was 5-11, 160 pounds with a light complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair. There were no obvious marks listed under physical characteristics.

Enlisted in the Army on April 20, 1943, PVT Gearing received his training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Completing basic training he shipped out to the European Theatre of Operations arriving in England May 11, 1944.

PVT Gearing was assigned and joined A-Battery, 319th Field Artillery Group, 82nd Airborne Division in Market Harborough, England and during the Normandy campaign promoted to Corporal.

World War II Draft Card (front)

World War II Draft Card (reverse)

Company Morning Reports (CMR) were produced every morning by the individual Army units to record personnel matters. The following events (see below) were reported for CPL Gearing:

July 19, 1944, he was granted a 5 day furlough to Birmingham, England beginning at 0600 hours. He returned to duty at 2000 hours on July 24, 1944.

COMPANY MORNING REPORTS

November 3, 1944, from assigned duty and transferred to HQ Battery, effective October 25, 1944.

Although not posted until April 10, 1945, from furlough for 7 days to the US Riviera Recreational Area, commencing March 28, 1945, returning to duty on April 4, 1945.

Sal Covais (L-R) Roland Gruebling, Wilbert Gearing - Cologne, Germany - April 1945

Sal Covais (L-R) Roland Gruebling, Wilbert Gearing (seated) near Cologne Cathedral - April 1945

CPL Gearing was re-assigned and joined A-Battery, MOS 761 (Scout) on June 26, 1945. “Note that CPL Wilbert J. Gearing, 33671540, Annex B submitted as included to m/R, 7 June 45, shows soldier has relatives in Germany. Soldier has none within prohibited degree.”

The mess hall at Camp Chicago, Marchais, France - Sal Covais (L-R), Wilbert Gearing, Tom Ludwick and Roland Gruebling enjoying a cup of coffee. Photos courtesy of Joseph Covais, author of BATTERY

On June 29, 1945, he was removed from the duty roster and listed as sick at the General Hospital, now MOS 740. (Radio Operator)

The US Army used the Adjusted Service Rating Score (ASR) at the end of the war to determine when soldiers were eligible for discharge. On June 26, 1945, CPL Gearing’s ASR score was 57. By August 1945, CPL Gearing was now stationed in Berlin, Germany for occupational duty with other 319th soldiers having an ASR score of less than 85. They were housed in what had formerly been a Nazi SS barracks.

By early December 1945, CPL Gearing returned to the USA and separated from the service on January 4, 1946, at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.

CPL Gearing fought in the following battles and campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns. He was awarded 5 Bronze Battle Stars, Bronze Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, the Belgian Fourragere, Presidential Unit Citation Badge, Victory Ribbon and the European-African-Middle Eastern Theatre Ribbon.

Wilbert Joseph Gearing, 51, died January 3, 1966.

God bless this hero.