William S. Galbraith was born on November 19, 1918 in the city of Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington to William James Galbraith and Leila Mae Galbraith, nee Shaw. William Shaw Galbraith had one older half-brother, Victor Galbraith. The family lived in Tacoma, where William’s father was a sawmill superintendent. In 1940, William lived with his parents and worked as an apprentice smelter for the Tacoma Smelter company. William’s father died in 1941.

On July 11, 1939, William S. Galbraith joined the Washington National Guard in Tacoma. He served in the Medical Department of the 148th Field Artillery and the 248th Coast Artillery. He was called up for active service on September 16, 1940.

William Shaw Galbraith registered for the draft on February 2, 1943. He was 24 years old, 5’7” tall, and weighed 145 pounds. He had brown hair, brown eyes, and a ruddy complexion. He joined the United States Army on December 8, 1943 in Seattle, Washington. He was single, with dependents, and had completed one year of college.

William Shaw Galbraith married Esther Bertha Hanson on February 14, 1944 in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon. He was stationed at Camp White in Oregon at the time of the marriage.

Private William Galbraith served as a company aid man in the 382nd Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division. As an aid man, his job was to give emergency medical treatment either on or off the battlefield. The 96th Infantry Division trained in Hawaiian Islands from July to September 1944. The division’s first combat mission was an amphibious assault landing on the island of Leyte in the Philippine Islands on October 20, 1944. Although the unit saw only light resistance at the beachhead, they experienced heavy fighting as they moved inland to secure the Tanauan-Dagami-Tabontabon sector in November.

Private William Galbraith was killed in action on November 3, 1944 on Leyte. His remains were returned to the United States in 1949 and reinterred in the New Tacoma Cemetery, University Place, Pierce County, Washington. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

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(see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to

write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We

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SBTSProject/Washington/Pierce County

Sources:

WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954, https://www.fold3.com/record/704510800/galbraith-william-s-us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954

WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualty List, 1946, https://www.fold3.com/image/310763578?rec=299428919

Medford Mail Tribune (Medford, Oregon), 27 Feb 1944, Sun ·Page 5, https://www.newspapers.com/image/104526516?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3&_gl=1*73t89z*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MDY0LjI0LjAuMA..

Medford Mail Tribune (Medford, Oregon),28 Feb 1944, Mon ·Page 3, https://www.newspapers.com/image/104526539?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3&_gl=1*sduq17*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MDkzLjYwLjAuMA..

Findagrave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128582440/william-shaw-galbraith

The Tacoma Times, 28 Oct 1941, Tue ·Page 12, https://www.newspapers.com/image/881908911?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3&_gl=1*ba27af*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MTUzLjYwLjAuMA..

WWII Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, https://www.fold3.com/record/85400978/william-s-galbraith-us-wwii-army-enlistment-records-1938-1946

1930 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/112422313:6224?_gl=1*1x2o40*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MjA2LjcuMC4w

1940 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/63659085:2442?_gl=1*1x2o40*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MjA2LjcuMC4w

Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1642427:2375?_gl=1*1x2o40*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MjA2LjcuMC4w

Naturalization Records, 1840-1957, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4977311:1193?_gl=1*1bcikn2*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MjA2LjcuMC4w

Oregon, U.S., State Marriages, 1906-1971, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/120619239:61677?_gl=1*1bcikn2*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MjA2LjcuMC4w

Washington, U.S., Birth Records, 1907-1920, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/649335:6493?_gl=1*1bcikn2*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MjA2LjcuMC4w

Washington, U.S., Military Records, 1855-1950, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/73202:62272?tid=&pid=&queryId=241880a2-35e3-4e40-b616-e4ec2887fcef&_phsrc=uCD4129&_phstart=successSource&_gl=1*1bcikn2*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MjA2LjcuMC4w

World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/36883580:2238?_gl=1*1lbv12c*_ga*MTc4MzU0Njg5OS4xNjQ5ODg0OTQw*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTcwOTY3NDAyOC45ODguMS4xNzA5Njc0MjA2LjcuMC4w

William S Galbraith