Wilbur was born April 18, 1922 in Persia, Harrison County, Iowa, to Russell and Mary (Farris) Gallup. He grew up in a farm family. Wilbur graduated from Neola High School in 1939. He was the class president and took his future wife Harriet to the prom.
On 10 February 1941, Punch, was inducted into federal service with the rest of the National Guard regiment and sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for training.
He gained his nickname “Punch” because of his punching prowess He won the 136-pound boxing championship in the 168th Infantry training camp. He and his unit boarded a ship and sailed to Northern Ireland early in 1942 where he volunteered to join the newly formed 1st Ranger Battalion. He completed training in the Scottish Highlands with the British Commandos and received a coveted Fairbairn Sykes knife and a Commando beret on graduation. They would later be called “Darby’s Rangers” named for their Commander William Orlando Darby. The new well trained Rangers left Scotland heading south for the invasion of North Africa.
During Operation Torch on 8 November 1942, Punch and the 1st Ranger Battalion landed east of Oran in Algeria and quickly captured the two coastal batteries at Arzew. He was with them for the tough fighting in Tunisia, where the Rangers proved what hard men they were through multiple night time raids and surprise attacks. His platoon took heavy casualties defending Dernia Pass while inflicting 70 KIA on the enemy. The Rangers later played an important role in the battle of El Guettar for which the 1st Ranger Battalion was awarded its first Distinguished Unit Citation.
Punch would become a member of the training cadre for the new 4th Ranger Battalion. He was assigned to F Co and fought at the landing in Gela, Sicily. He was involved in the 4th Rangers taking the high ground and patrolling the area on Mount Lungo. The Rangers moved thru Sicily and across to land at Salerno in Italy. This is where the 4th Ranger Battalion was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for action at Chiunzi Pass. Moving on into the winter months they were to hold the Winterline up in the mountains of Venafro. They encountered heavy resistance and at the base of the mountains near Venafro, Punch was hit on the right side of his face, torso and limbs by shrapnel from a mortar shell. He was only 400 yards from an aid station at the time and was transported by jeep. Punch commented that “he never passed out but was blinded in both eyes for many months.” He was evacuated first to Naples and then Africa, before arriving at O’Reilly General Army Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Although Surgeons were able to restore sight in his right eye, the injury was significant and he suffered permanent vision damage.
Punch Gallup served in four Campaigns, three invasions, and seven major battles. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, two Presidential Unit Citations, and the Order of Saint Maurice. Wilbur served his country in the US Army during World War II in Darby’s Rangers.
After his Army discharge in September of 1944, Punch married Harriett Arfmann on January 13, 1945. Punch worked for a dry cleaning business before moving to Council Bluffs in 1953 and worked for the State of Iowa Liquor Dept. as a clerk and store manager for over 26 years retiring in 1982. Punch and Hattie were married for about 70 years and had one son, David Philip Gallup. His son served in the Marine Corps. David went thru therapy for PTSD and wrote a book about his Vietnam service called “Faded Glory”. He dedicated the book to his dad. David returned to Vietnam to help build orphanages, hospitals and clinics as part of his PTSD therapy.
Punch retired at age 60 and he and Hattie attended many Ranger Reunions thru the years. His memberships include St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Neola American Legion Post 330, VFW Post 737, Disabled American Veterans, WWII Rangers Association and later Descendants of WWII Rangers.
Punch’s wife, Hattie and son, David both preceded him in death in 2015. Punch died at the age of 94 on 24 November 2016 in Council Bluffs and he was laid to rest in his home town of Neola, Iowa beside his beloved wife, Hattie.
