RICE LAKE, Wis. (WRN) — Buried in Rice Lake’s Nora Cemetery is a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.
Two Rice Lake High School sophomores learned about Technician Fifth Grade Eric G. Gibson while on a field trip to the Pioneer Village Museum and wanted to share his story in time for Veterans Day.
Eva Schradle said, out of 473 Medal of Honor recipients in World War II, “Gibson was the only cook in World War II. That piece is super interesting considering how big, like how many, recipients received that Medal of Honor.”
Gibson never lived in Rice Lake, but his parents moved to the area during the war. He was killed in action in Italy in early 1944 and his father asked his remains be reinterred in Nora Cemetery.
Izzy Haughian was inspired by Gibson’s actions.
“He kind of took charge of his group, even though he didn’t really have any previous commanding experience, but he really stepped up to his role to help his fellow troops,” Haughian said. “So we just wanted to shine light on that honor that he was bestowed and the sacrifices he made.”
You can read the students’ full story here.