<p>“The officers and men of this Division share in your deep sorrow at George's untimely in the hour of our victory.”</p>
<p>Major General Maxwell D. Taylor<br /> Commanding General, 101st Airborne Division<br /> 25 June 1944</p>
<p>At the age of twenty-three, George Mayer Eberle died in Normandy at first light on D-day, 6 June 1944. Truly his actions in those few hours after he landed helped his fellow airborne soldiers reach that “hour of our victory.”</p>
<p>Those who knew “E-berl” could have forecast years before that when the moment of truth came, he would be the soldier his heritage prepared him to be. Born an army brat at Junction City, Kansas, on 25 September 1920, he was to receive a Presidential appointment to West Point some nineteen years later while his father was stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. His beloved sister, Fran, was born in the Philippines, and his father-later Major General-was the model of the infantry soldier which George was to become. After one year at Western High in Washington, he attended Immaculata High School in Fort Leavenworth, where he commanded the cadet Reserve Officers Training Corps battalion his last year. After a year at Millard’s he joined the Long Gray Line on 1 July 1939 as war clouds were gathering.</p>
<p>George's life reflected his love of the Anny, his deep sense of honor, his total dedication to the principles of West Point. The Howitzer noted that he “has engraved his friendliness and honest conviction in the hearts of his classmates forever.”</p>
<p>Those cadet days were good for George: an Eastern and National Intercollegiate champion gymnast and captain of the gymnastics team, he was also a cadet captain, the regimental adjutant. The war called forward his class early, and George became that lieutenant of infantry in January 1943.</p>
<p>By June he had his jump wings and moved into the 101st Airborne Division for maneuvers in North Carolina and Kentucky and training in England. He led his 3d platoon, Company D, 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment into Normandy as a first lieutenant on D-day.</p>
<p>Landing south of Audouville-La-Hubert and proceeding north toward his battalion’s objective, George found his unit brought under severe enemy machine gun and sniper fire at first light, about 0430 hours. The road was inundated on both sides, dictating a frontal attack. Though seriously wounded by enemy fire at the drop area, George characteristically disregarded his own safety, personally operating a light machine gun, crossed the open road under heavy fire less than 100 yards from the enemy gun position, gaining some protection from a small hedge row. Placing accurate fire on the enemy’s machine gun, George and his men knocked out the gun, killed and wounded several enemy, and forced the remaining ones to withdraw, opening the road for his battalion to move on to its objective. During this engagement George was killed. The citation from his Distinguished Service Cross justifiably cites the “extraordinary heroism, aggressiveness and devotion to duty,” which had characterized his entire life.</p>
<p>George’s late sister, Frances, admired Chaplain (Major General) Luther D. Miller’s tribute at General of the Army Eisenhower’s grave, feeling it so befitted her brother: “His battles are all fought and his victories are all won. He lies down to rest while awaiting the bugler’s call.”</p>
<p><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">G.L.E., his father</em></p>
<p><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">W.L.W. ’47, his cousin</em></p>