Captain Fischer was born on June 10, 1912 and was from the Detroit, Michigan area. He graduated University of Michigan Medical School in 1942 and was assigned to the US Army Medial Corps.
Captain Fischer served with the 609th Medial Clearing Company of the First Army. In mid-September 1944 the First Arm , XIX Corps had established a bridgehead across the Meuse River along the Belgian-Dutch border. In the middle of September 1944, The 2nd Armored Division was assigned the mission to clear the enemy forces still west of the river. Combat Command A, 2nd Armored Division (Task Force Stokes), which included the 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep) (Norwegian), was given the mission to clear the area around and to establish a bridgehead across the Vaart Canal; this battle is know as the Canal Drive. Captain Fischer was attached to the 99th Medial Detachment during this effort. Captain Fischer was killed in an Artillery barrage on September 16, 1944 during this mission.
In a letter to Fischer’s wife, the Adjutant of the 99th Battalion (Sep) wrote:
“The following day sympathetic Belgium citizens having heard of the tragic death of Captain Fischer, placed bouquets of flowers over the ground where he met his death. To my knowledge Captain Fischer was the first and only American to lose his life in Neerharen. The civilian population was deeply grieved and made immediate plans to hold a memorial service for Captain Fischer. I believe it is out of a feeling of deep gratitude to the American Nation for the liberation of Belgium that this memorial at Neerharen is being erected in honor of an American officer who laid down his life for this great cause.”
FROM FIND A GRAVE:
Capt. Gordon F. Fischer was KIA in Neerharen, Belgium which is now a borough of Lanaken. Capt. Fischer was a member of the 609th Medical Clearing Company. On 14 September 1944, he attached and joined the Medical Detachment of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) as an Assistant Surgeon. On 16 September 1944, the Medical Aid Station of the 99th Infantry Bn came under enemy artillery fire. Capt. Fischer was struck and killed by artillery shrapnel.