George Albert Preece

George inlisted on July 1, 1941,1 but he was not called to action until March 13, 19442 and placed in the 182nd Infantry Devision.3

"On 26 March 1945, during Operation Victor II, the 182nd landed at Talisay Beach, four miles (6.5 km) west of Cebu City, taking Cebu City, [Philippines] the next day. Moving into the jungled hills of the interior, the 182nd fought the Battle of Go Chan Hill 28–29 March 1945 and then battled to clear the other hills in the area. They were heavily counterattacked by fanatical Japanese defenders on Bolo Ridge."4

"During the final stages of the battle, the mountainous parts of Cebu were also bombed and cleared. A series of battles were subsequently fought during this time, the most famous of which is the Battle of Gochan Hill, fought over three days from March 29. Battling against a heavily entrenched force, the fighting proved costly for the 182d Infantry Regiment, with one company losing over 50 men killed when the Japanese blew up an ammunition dump, before the U.S. forces finally took the hill, having destroyed at least 85 pillboxes.

"Supported by naval gunfire, the Americal Division attempted to break through the Japanese line through a frontal assault, but their attempts resulted in slow progress, so plans were made to outflank them. In early April two battalions from the Americal Division's third regiment, the 164th, were dispatched to Cebu as reinforcements. These were moved in great secrecy around the Japanese lines and on 13 April, the Americans put in a two-pronged divisional level attack, which although initially checked, eventually forced the Japanese commander, Manjome, to withdraw further north into the mountains."5

George Albert Preece was killed in action on April 12, 1945 in Cebu City, Philippines. He was buried in the Lewiston, Utah Cemetery.

1. "Utah, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WP-DVY3 : Mon Apr 28 23:50:09 UTC 2025), Entry for George Albert Preece and Neta K Preece, 01 Jul 1941.

2. "United States, World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K85Z-CHK : Wed Sep 17 22:43:42 UTC 2025), Entry for George A Preece, 13 Jun 1944.

3. "Utah, Veterans with Federal Service Buried in Utah, Territorial to 1966", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FL5Y-X3T : Sun Mar 10 15:18:15 UTC 2024), Entry for George A Preece, 12 Apr 1945.

4. Wikipedia contributors, "182nd Infantry Regiment (United States)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=182nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)&oldid=1311114296 (accessed October 17, 2025).

5. Wikipedia contributors, "Battle for Cebu City," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_for_Cebu_City&oldid=1301456238 (accessed October 17, 2025).