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Mt Zion Historical Society
Lest We forget-Vet Special
Remembering: Pfc Gene Gerald Guilyard
WW2 Silver Star Hero
by Joyce R. Lee, submitted by Ron Guilyard
Gene Guilyard was born April, 27, 1924, in Erton, Pennsylvania. A former resident of Sykesville, he moved to the
Bennetts Valley area in 1940. In July of 1940, he joined the CCC at Brookville and was honorably discharged from
the Corps in December of the same year, having fulfilled his term of service there.
On August 1, 1943, he was inducted into the armed forces. PFC Guilyard was an automatic rifleman attached to
Co. K, 117th Infantry, and fought in the African, Italian and European campaigns, going from Africa to the Italian
invasion, and up through southern France.
PFC Guilyard was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action near the Elbe River in Germany. On February 25,
1945, when his platoon was pinned down by unexpected machine gun fire, Pvt. Guilyard left his covered position and
advanced on the machine gun, firing his automatic rifle.
When the machine gun opened fire on him, forcing him to take cover, he crawled to another position where his fire
wounded one of the enemy and stopped the machine gun fire.
Pvt. Guilyard's great heroism enabled his platoon to continue the attack and take the objective. He was awarded
the Silver Star by Major General L.S. Hobbs, commanding the 30th Infantry Division.
On March 27, 1945, Pvt. Guilyard once again distinguished himself by remaining in an exposed position under heavy
enemy fire with other members of a platoon of the 117th Infantry Regiment in order to close a gap between friendly
units. For this heroic action, Pvt. Guilyard was awarded the Certificate of Merit in recognition of conspicuously
meritorious and outstanding performance of military duty.
Pvt. Guilyard married Elouise Enty on May 20, 1944, in Ridgway, Pa. They would eventually become the parents of
two sons, Gene and Ronald. He was discharged from the armed forces on September 10, 1945.
In later years, as president of the Local Labor Union, 836, Mr. Guilyard and other representatives of labor and
management cooperated to complete the huge Kinzua Dam project ahead of schedule and with no labor disputes or
fatalities.
An active civilian, Gene Guilyard was a member of the Bennetts Valley American Legion, the Penfield Volunteer
Fire Department, the DuBois VFW, the Bennetts Valley Rod and Gun Club, and the Sykesville Sportsmen's Club.
He was also a committee member of the American Bowling Congress.
After a long illness, this American hero, one of the few Bennett's Valley-DuBois Silver Star holders, passed away at the age
of 40 on September 23, 1964. A member of St.Joseph's Church in Force, Pa., he was laid to rest in the church
cemetery with military services at graveside.
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