William H. Nation joined the U.S. Army in January 1941 from Arlington, Texas, and was originally assigned to the 36th Division.  In April 1942, he was chosen to attend Infantry Officer Candidate School. Upon graduation, he volunteered for and was accepted into training to become a paratrooper. He was a member of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment and become a qualified parachutist on 14 August 1942. Bill was in the original cadre of officers that formed 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. in the fall of 1942, and he served in the Personnel Section of Service Company. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 22 June 1943 and served as Regimental Adjudant (S-1) for the balance of his service in the 508th P.I.R. 

            Capitain Nation parachuted into Normandy at 2.14 am on 6 June 1944.  On 17 September 1044, he jumped into Holland as a part of Operation Market Garden.  December of 1944 found him in the thick of the Battle of the Bulge, holding a defensive position on Thier-du-Mont hill on the Salm Rivr at Vielsalm.  On Christmas Eve, they withdrew.  However, on 7 January 1945, they counterattacked Thier-du-Mont.  He was Killed in Action in the early morning hours of 31 January 45, while setting up a forward Command Post in Lanzerath-Losheim area.  (This information was provided by Eddy Lamberty, http://salmvalley1944-1945.over-blog.com/article-tribute-to-captain-nati...)