William Garfield Dabney (born November 24, 1924 in Altavista, Virginia) is a resident of Roanoke, Virginia and was a corporal in the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion during World War II, and was awarded the Legion of Honor (Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur) for his actions during the Invasion of Normandy.
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Early life
"Bill" Dabney was the youngest of nine children, and lived on the family farm near Altavista, Virginia. When he was nine years old, his mother, Eleanor, died, and he went to live with his grandmother in Roanoke, Virginia. He enlisted in the US Army in 1942 while still only 17 years old and before he graduated from high school, and his Army Serial number began with the number "1", which indicated he enlisted, rather than drafted. The other soldiers teased him about enlisting, and every time he complained about something, the other troops said he didn't need to be there- he had volunteered.
Legion of Honor
William G. Dabney was awarded the French Legion of Honor on June 6, 2009. "Dabney, the 320th's last known survivor, is in France this weekend to receive that nation's highest award: the Legion of Honor. The Roanoke resident will be in Normandy for ceremonies commemorating D-Day's 65th anniversary on Saturday that President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will attend."
The barrage balloons were on long cables that would be caught by the wings or propellers of German airplanes, and if the planes pulled the balloons into contact, explosives on the helium balloons would destroy the aircraft. On D-Day, three German fighters were downed by the barrage balloons as they tried to strafe the American soldiers on the beach.
Awards
In recognition of his services during World War II, William Dabney was also given the key to the City of Roanoke, Virginia.
Post War experiences
After the war, Bill Dabney returned to a still segregated Roanoke, where he graduated from high school and then earned an electrical engineering degree. But discrimination prevented him from following his trade, so he became a carpet layer and ran his own business for 40 years. "He had returned to a still segregated US in 1945, and while he earned an electrical engineering degree, sector jobs were largely barred to black candidates. Instead he became a carpet layer and tile setter and ran his own successful business for 40 years."
In 1951, he married his wife, Beulah, and they had three sons: Vincent, Michael and Marlon.
William G. Dabney sat for an interview and gave an oral history of his life and his experiences to the The National WWII Museum in 2013. His interview was digitally recorded, and a transcript is also available online.