What do these terms mean?

My dad's discharge paper has these abbreviations I don't understand. Line 32 under Battles and Campaigns it says:
Normandy GO 33 WD 45
Rhineland Ardennes GO 40 WD 45
Northern France GO 46 WD 45
Central Europe GO 48 WD 45
What does GO and WD stand for? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Here is a thread from a while back that addresses the same issues:

http://www.ww2f.com/information-requests/27483-help-discharge-info-please.html

 

I just checked my Dad's papers (he was in the 99th Infantry)

All his say under '32. Battles and Campaigns' is 'Ardennes Rhineland Central Europe'

No WD, no GO and no numbers of any kind - just the three campaigns.

So, sorry, no help here.

-whatever

-Lou

 

and, from that thread:

So, if I read this right, since there are no specific General Order's specifically mentioned on his discharge papers, then my Dad did all that fighting without actually being ORDERED to.















..... boy, is HE going to be PISSED!

-whatever

-Lou

 

That would be one way of looking at it. Another way might be he ran up the hill because everyone else was doing it. Still another way to look at is: Even though the Army didn't tell him to wipe his ass it was manifestly accepted as a "good idea" to do so.

 

Thanks for the info Lou. Dad told the story of how his medals were stolen off his blouse in Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. He went to the hospital for something and someone stole his medals off his blouse while it was hanging at the end of his bed. He never came home with his medals.

 

Hi DR, I don't know what they mean. It may just be a typo.

 

THANKS!
I have his Bronze Star and Purple Heart, but the paper says he received others. I will check it out.

 

Ya'll are funny. Now you know I'm Southern!

 

WDGO's (and after the war DAGO's) are typically massive, and define just about everything which requires definition, from awards to Theatres of Operations, to medical orders to designation of units. There's often an additonal detail to them which is the paragraph number in roman numerals... eg: WDGO 24 II.

Unfortunately there's no open digital source for these, they're typically buried in archives, but can often be referenced by a google books search. This sometimes gives a snippet view, but often gives publishers details and/or an archive source, which you'd then have to chase up independently.

However there's no set format to their usage, "WDGO #40 '45", "WD, GO 40 1945", "GO 40 WD 45", etc, etc, are all used.

 

My dad's discharge papers say he received European African Middle Eastern Service Medal, American Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Purple Heart 23 Mar 45, World War II Victory Medal, but I only have the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. I mailed a request today to NPRC for the others, and a list of the places where he served, battles, etc. I appreciate all the info you all gave me. Brenda

 

Thanks Lou. I can't wait to get my dad's medals and see the real thing.