Emil J. Rikala
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Emil J. Rikala of Mountain Iron, Minnesota was inducted into the Army on September 9, 1942.
He served as a Technical Sergeant and platoon leader with the 60th Chemical Depot Company, 1st Army. He was deployed aboard the SS Queen Mary for Scotland in May, 1943. He participated in the D-day landing at Utah Beach, St. Mare Eglise.
He recalls; "Watched 1,000 B-17s destroy St. Lo for American troop breakthrough. Went through Paris the day of the big liberation parade but our CO wouldn't let our unit stop. Went by Liege, Belgium and set up in Verviers when the Battle of the Bulge broke open.
"This town was called ‘Buzz Bomb Alley.' A lot of bombs were dropped and damage was heavy. The first day of clear weather, American planes shot down every German plane that appeared. After that we moved into German territory. Every time we moved, I was sent ahead to set up the area for the company. One night...I was told to get 60 men and move out. Our CO told us...the Germans had contacted 1st Army Command to request a unit to come back of the German lines and guard a poison gas dump.
"The Germans checked us out at their command post at daybreak. The Germans left 32 enlisted men and a major at the depot. We posted guards and sent two guards to go with 2 Germans to check the bunker twice a day. I was told later that our gas masks were worthless with this type of gas. The cylinders were dumped into the North Sea. Our company regrouped in the German town of Wrexen where we stayed until the Germans surrendered....We set up a transit mess at Charleyville.
"We fed about 14,000 GIs in a 24-hour day. When the trains came in, they would notify us what time and how many on the troop train...."
He participated in the campaigns at Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe.
Mr. Rikala received the following: Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Service Medal with 5 bronze battle stars, World War II Victory Medal, and 4 overseas service bars.
Mr. Rikala was honorably discharged on October 28, 1945.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 266.
