Arthur F. Gorham
Encyclopedia
Arthur Fulbrook Gorham (January 11, 1915, Brooklyn, New York – July 12, 1943, Sicily, Italy) was a U.S. Army officer and Paratrooper
. Gorham was the first commander of the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
of the 82nd Airborne Division. He led them from their inception to Operation Husky, the allied invasion of Sicily
.
While awaiting transportation from Governors Island
in New York
to his first assignment after graduating from West Point, Gorham renewed a previous acquaintance with Corrine “Colonel” Bennett (later Clarke) (October 21, 1917 – October 20, 2001). They had met for the first time a few years earlier at an Army football game. The two were married on June 21, 1939 in Wichita, Kansas
. The couple had one child, Bruce Bennett Gorham Clarke
(born January 26, 1943 at Ft. Benning, GA). Clarke followed in his father's footsteps graduating from West Point, serving in an airborne unit, fighting in Vietnam at Khe Sanh
and commanding at every level from a platoon to a brigade.
first at the Ellis School and he later graduated from Central High School
in 1932. During high school, he played in the band for four years, was secretary of the junior and senior classes, earned two varsity letters in football and two more in track and served on the high school year book, the Blazer, for four years. He was also a member of the National Honor Society.
After his high school graduation, having not secured a sought-after appointment to West Point, he attended Miami University
in Oxford, Ohio for a year where he played football winning his "numeral." During this time he pledged the Ohio Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity
. Gorham left Miami when he received the principal Congressional appointment to West Point from Rep. William L. Fiesinger
. After taking the West Point substantiating examination in February 1934 he spent time at Stanton Preparatory Academy
in Cornwall, New York
.
On July 2, 1934 Gorham joined the Class of 1938 at West Point. While at West Point, Gorham was known for pipe smoking, surviving academics and maintaining a famously clean M1 rifle. To his classmates, he was known for his easy-going way and love of jazz. He played football for two years winning two monograms as an end on the Army "B" team and earned a marksmanship medal -- one shot short of winning an "expert" badge he refused to wear the award mailing it home to his parents instead. During his four years he was an acting corporal, acting sergeant, sergeant, acting company supply officer, and, in his fourth year, wore three chevrons as the lieutenant for Company B. Gorham graduated in the middle of his class and received a commission as an Infantry officer. Gorham's graduation was front page news in his native Bellevue. At the time, he was just the second graduate of Central High School to graduate from a service academy. Admiral John Greenslade
was previously the school's sole graduate.
, Georgia. In November 1941 he graduated from the newly created Airborne School receiving a "Certificate of Proficiency" signed by then Major Robert Sink
and, more importantly, a set of silver jump wings. A month later, he completed the School's demolition and sabotage course. It was at this point in his short career that he began to stand out. As one of the early airborne qualified officers, he gained more rank and responsibility as the United States began to form parachute regiments and later airborne divisions.
In 1941 he volunteered to organize the first group of paratroopers on skis. So in February 1942 then-Captain Gorham took his B Company, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment to Alta, Utah, where the United States was testing the concept of dropping paratroopers into the Alps behind the Germans and having them ski down to attack and harass their lines of communication. During this period Gorham is credited with having made the first parachute jump from over 10,000 feet. As was his leadership style, before Gorham would let anyone else jump he first made a solo jump to test whether it was safe. On that first jump, he was soon followed by LT Robert Ellis, SGT Roy Taylor and SGT W.P. Walsh. The troopers trained hard, but falling on skis was different than falling when landing in a parachute jump. There were many legs and ankles injured. Despite much favorable press, including a feature article in the March 1942 edition of Esquire magazine, the project was eventually abandoned and the troopers were spread out to the newly forming parachute units.
In a 1989 article in Assembly, the magazine of the U.S. Military Academy's Association of Graduates, his son Bruce B.G. Clarke described Gorham's leadership style:
The article goes on to report this observation by General Winton:
In the summer of 1942 the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment was activated in the tarpaper shack Frying Pan area of Fort Benning, overlooking Lawson Army Airfield
. Gorham, then a major, was assigned as commander of the 1st Battalion. There was no time lost in getting a hard training schedule started.
In Combat Jump: The Young Men Who Led the Assault into Fortress Europe, July 1943 (page 53), Ed Ruggero writes:
Gorham was promoted to lieutenant colonel on December 26, 1942 just shy of his 28th birthday. At the time of his promotion, he was one of the youngest lieutenant colonels in the U.S. Army.
In the combat that followed, Gorham positioned himself and the few dozen stragglers he found on the high ground near Comico airfield. On July 11, when approximately ten German tanks and a battalion of infantry began to assault their position, and all of his men were lying as low as possible, Gorham was on his feet, dodging incoming fire and moving around the position, bucking up his outnumbered men. When one of the bazooka teams was killed, Gorham sprang for the weapon, loaded it himself, and went after one of the tanks. He hit the tank’s vulnerable side which set the tank on fire. Gorham then moved from point to point firing at the eye-slit of tanks, shouting encouragement to the men and directing their fire until the counterattack was beaten off. For his actions on July 11, 1943 Gorham was awarded the nation's second highest award for bravery, the Distinguished Service Cross.
The next day, July 12, Gorham and his little group of paratroopers came face to face with another German tank near Niscemi, Sicily. William B. Breuer in Drop Zone Sicily describes the action: Gorham “grabbed a rocket launcher and edged his way within range of a menacing Tiger Tank which had continued to roll forward. Gorham, out in the open and in full view of enemy tankers, kneeled to take aim at the tank. Gunners in the Tiger spotted the parachute leader and fired an 88mm shell at Gorham at point blank range. Gorham, hardnosed to the end, fell over dead." The citation for the Distinguished Service Cross he was awarded for his actions reports: “Lieutenant Colonel Gorham personally manned a rocket launcher and destroyed one tank. While attempting to destroy another with hand grenades and a rifle, Lieutenant Colonel Gorham was killed.” This second description is consistent with the reports relayed to Gorham's family by Chicago Tribune
reporter John Hall Thompson in December 1943.
LTC Gorham's death was first reported by then-LTC Bill Ryder
in a March of Time radio broadcast on August 19, 1943. "One of the outstanding examples of heroism was Lt. Col. Arthur Gorham whose unit was attacked by tanks. When one of his bazooka teams was wiped out by an approaching tank, he manned the weapon himself and got the tank single-handed before being killed himself by another tank on their flank."
There is some confusion about the actual date of Gorham's death. Army records list his date of death as July 11, 1941. His second Distinguished Service Cross citation lists the date as July 14, 1943. This is the date listed on Gorham's headstone. In Phil Nordyke's Four Stars of Valor, page 425, he explains: "Colonel's Gorham's death is listed in Army records as July 11, 1941. Both Captain Edwin Sayre, in his monograph written in 1947, and Dean McCandless, who was with Gorham when he was killed, state that Gorham was in fact killed during action that took place on July 12, 1943. McCandless states that he found Gorham's CP (command post) on the morning of July 11 and was put on outpost duty by Gorham that evening. He states that the next morning Gorham recalled him and they moved to Hill 41, where Gorham was killed."
For his actions on Sicily, Gorham was awarded two Distinguished Service Crosses. He was one of only five members of the 82nd Airborne during World War II to be twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
. The other four were General James M. Gavin
, General Matthew B. Ridgway, Major General Reuben Henry Tucker III
and Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin H. Vandervoort
. Gorham was also posthumously awarded the Purple Heart
, the Combat Infantryman Badge
and a combat star to his jump wings.
In August 1948, Gorham's remains were returned to the United States. He was interred in Bellevue, Ohio in a family plot.
General Matthew Ridgway
, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, probably put this in the best perspective when he wrote to Gorham’s widow, "The action which resulted in his death was typical of his inspiring leadership, for it was he that personally instilled the spirit of the attack at a time that those around him were thinking only of defense, and in person led the attack, which succeeded. His indomitable spirit acknowledged no odds.”
The tributes to Gorham include:
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
. Gorham was the first commander of the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment is one of four infantry regiments of the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army.Activated in 1942, the regiment participated in the campaigns of Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, Holland and the Battle of the Bulge during World War II...
of the 82nd Airborne Division. He led them from their inception to Operation Husky, the allied invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
Early Life and Family
Gorham was born in Brooklyn, New York to James Allison Gorham, Sr. (September 13, 1890 - February 9, 1972) and Louise Fox Gorham (April 1885 - July 4, 1966). His older brother was James Allison Gorham, Jr. (November 26, 1911 – May 15, 2005). Gorham's parents were second generation Americans and were both of Scottish descent. The Gorhams moved from Brooklyn to Bellevue, Ohio in July 1917. James, Sr. owned a successful dry goods business.While awaiting transportation from Governors Island
Governors Island
Governors Island is a island in Upper New York Bay, approximately one-half mile from the southern tip of Manhattan Island and separated from Brooklyn by Buttermilk Channel. It is legally part of the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to his first assignment after graduating from West Point, Gorham renewed a previous acquaintance with Corrine “Colonel” Bennett (later Clarke) (October 21, 1917 – October 20, 2001). They had met for the first time a few years earlier at an Army football game. The two were married on June 21, 1939 in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. The couple had one child, Bruce Bennett Gorham Clarke
Bruce Bennett Gorham Clarke
Bruce Bennett Gorham Clarke is a former U.S. Army officer. Clarke is currently president of Bruce Clarke Consultants, Inc., a defense consulting firm. He is widely published on military and national security affairs including Expendable Warriors and a regular column for the...
(born January 26, 1943 at Ft. Benning, GA). Clarke followed in his father's footsteps graduating from West Point, serving in an airborne unit, fighting in Vietnam at Khe Sanh
Battle of Khe Sanh
The Battle of Khe Sanh was conducted in northwestern Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam , between 21 January and 9 July 1968 during the Vietnam War...
and commanding at every level from a platoon to a brigade.
Education
Gorham was educated in Bellevue, OhioBellevue, Ohio
Bellevue is a city in Erie, Huron, Sandusky and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 8,193 at the 2000 census. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Bellevue as a Tree City USA....
first at the Ellis School and he later graduated from Central High School
Bellevue High School (Bellevue, Ohio)
Bellevue High School is a public high school in historic Bellevue, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Bellevue Schools district. Their nickname is the Redmen. Bellevue is a member of the Northern Ohio League...
in 1932. During high school, he played in the band for four years, was secretary of the junior and senior classes, earned two varsity letters in football and two more in track and served on the high school year book, the Blazer, for four years. He was also a member of the National Honor Society.
After his high school graduation, having not secured a sought-after appointment to West Point, he attended Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
in Oxford, Ohio for a year where he played football winning his "numeral." During this time he pledged the Ohio Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
. Gorham left Miami when he received the principal Congressional appointment to West Point from Rep. William L. Fiesinger
William L. Fiesinger
William Louis Fiesinger was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born in Willard, Ohio, Fiesinger was educated in the public schools of Norwalk, Ohio....
. After taking the West Point substantiating examination in February 1934 he spent time at Stanton Preparatory Academy
Stanton Preparatory Academy
Stanton Preparatory Academy was founded in 1925 to prepare young men for entrance to the United States Military Academy at West Point and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. The school was located in Cornwall, New York five miles from West Point. The school was founded and led by...
in Cornwall, New York
Cornwall, New York
Cornwall is a town in Orange County, New York, USA. It is located about 50 miles north of New York City on the western shore of the Hudson River. The estimated population in 2007 was 12,827....
.
On July 2, 1934 Gorham joined the Class of 1938 at West Point. While at West Point, Gorham was known for pipe smoking, surviving academics and maintaining a famously clean M1 rifle. To his classmates, he was known for his easy-going way and love of jazz. He played football for two years winning two monograms as an end on the Army "B" team and earned a marksmanship medal -- one shot short of winning an "expert" badge he refused to wear the award mailing it home to his parents instead. During his four years he was an acting corporal, acting sergeant, sergeant, acting company supply officer, and, in his fourth year, wore three chevrons as the lieutenant for Company B. Gorham graduated in the middle of his class and received a commission as an Infantry officer. Gorham's graduation was front page news in his native Bellevue. At the time, he was just the second graduate of Central High School to graduate from a service academy. Admiral John Greenslade
John Greenslade
John Wills Greenslade was a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy. Admiral Greenslade enjoyed a significant military career during World War II. From 1941-1944 Greenslade was Commandant, Twelfth Naval District, with additional duty as Commandant, Pacific Southern Naval Coastal Frontier...
was previously the school's sole graduate.
Early Career and Leadership Style
After less than two years with the 30th Infantry in San Francisco, Gorham moved to Fort BenningFort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia. In November 1941 he graduated from the newly created Airborne School receiving a "Certificate of Proficiency" signed by then Major Robert Sink
Robert Sink
Lieutenant General Robert Frederick Sink was a United States Army officer during World War II, the Korean War, and early parts of the Vietnam War, though he was most famous for his command of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division...
and, more importantly, a set of silver jump wings. A month later, he completed the School's demolition and sabotage course. It was at this point in his short career that he began to stand out. As one of the early airborne qualified officers, he gained more rank and responsibility as the United States began to form parachute regiments and later airborne divisions.
In 1941 he volunteered to organize the first group of paratroopers on skis. So in February 1942 then-Captain Gorham took his B Company, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment to Alta, Utah, where the United States was testing the concept of dropping paratroopers into the Alps behind the Germans and having them ski down to attack and harass their lines of communication. During this period Gorham is credited with having made the first parachute jump from over 10,000 feet. As was his leadership style, before Gorham would let anyone else jump he first made a solo jump to test whether it was safe. On that first jump, he was soon followed by LT Robert Ellis, SGT Roy Taylor and SGT W.P. Walsh. The troopers trained hard, but falling on skis was different than falling when landing in a parachute jump. There were many legs and ankles injured. Despite much favorable press, including a feature article in the March 1942 edition of Esquire magazine, the project was eventually abandoned and the troopers were spread out to the newly forming parachute units.
In a 1989 article in Assembly, the magazine of the U.S. Military Academy's Association of Graduates, his son Bruce B.G. Clarke described Gorham's leadership style:
In researching the paraskiers I found Art Gorham described as “soft spoken.” Elsewhere he is described as "Hard-nose" Gorham because of his strictness and insistence on discipline within his battalion. Brigadier General Walt Winton has written: “he exemplified the good commander, demonstrating leadership, concern, initiative, and intelligence. One example of his leadership was his joining then Colonel GavinJames M. GavinJames Maurice "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin was a prominent Lieutenant General in the United States Army during World War II...
and a few others in experimental free fall jumps. The normal static line jump was quite exciting enough for most. Art had an abiding concern for his subordinates. When the regiment made PCS [permanent change of station] moves to Camp Mackall and then to Fort Bragg, Colonel and Mrs. Gorham threw open their quarters on post to shelter others.
The article goes on to report this observation by General Winton:
Our radio call signs in that era were assigned rather whimsically, probably by the regimental communications officer, and Art's call sign was Hard-nose. Some of Art's subordinates do not believe that the emphasis on the call sign does justice to a great leader and a fine gentlemen.
Lawson Army Airfield
Lawson Army Airfield is a military airport located at Fort Benning in Chattahoochee County, Georgia, south of the city of Columbus, Georgia. It is Fort Benning's primary Force Projection Platform.- Facilities :Lawson Army Airfield has one runway:...
. Gorham, then a major, was assigned as commander of the 1st Battalion. There was no time lost in getting a hard training schedule started.
In Combat Jump: The Young Men Who Led the Assault into Fortress Europe, July 1943 (page 53), Ed Ruggero writes:
“Like Gavin, Gorham also spoke quietly. In spite of his youth, he had an almost fatherly demeanor. He shared the hardships and he treated the men with respect from the privates up…he had a genuine concern for their welfare. This didn’t mean the men of the First Battalion were coddled, in fact, it often meant the opposite. Gorham and the other airborne commanders believed the best thing for the men – the thing that came as close as anything could to guaranteeing they would make it home—was hard training.”
Gorham was promoted to lieutenant colonel on December 26, 1942 just shy of his 28th birthday. At the time of his promotion, he was one of the youngest lieutenant colonels in the U.S. Army.
Operation Husky: The Invasion of Sicily
On the night of July 9, 1943, the Paratroopers of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment loaded aircraft and departed the coast of North Africa for the island of Sicily. The 1st Battalion, under the command of the 28-year-old Gorham spearheaded the first regimental-sized airborne assault. Winds were high as they jumped in the early morning hours of July 10 and the Paratroopers were scattered across and well beyond their drop zones. Assembling in little groups of Paratroopers, the men began to wreak havoc among the German and Italian defenders of Sicily.In the combat that followed, Gorham positioned himself and the few dozen stragglers he found on the high ground near Comico airfield. On July 11, when approximately ten German tanks and a battalion of infantry began to assault their position, and all of his men were lying as low as possible, Gorham was on his feet, dodging incoming fire and moving around the position, bucking up his outnumbered men. When one of the bazooka teams was killed, Gorham sprang for the weapon, loaded it himself, and went after one of the tanks. He hit the tank’s vulnerable side which set the tank on fire. Gorham then moved from point to point firing at the eye-slit of tanks, shouting encouragement to the men and directing their fire until the counterattack was beaten off. For his actions on July 11, 1943 Gorham was awarded the nation's second highest award for bravery, the Distinguished Service Cross.
The next day, July 12, Gorham and his little group of paratroopers came face to face with another German tank near Niscemi, Sicily. William B. Breuer in Drop Zone Sicily describes the action: Gorham “grabbed a rocket launcher and edged his way within range of a menacing Tiger Tank which had continued to roll forward. Gorham, out in the open and in full view of enemy tankers, kneeled to take aim at the tank. Gunners in the Tiger spotted the parachute leader and fired an 88mm shell at Gorham at point blank range. Gorham, hardnosed to the end, fell over dead." The citation for the Distinguished Service Cross he was awarded for his actions reports: “Lieutenant Colonel Gorham personally manned a rocket launcher and destroyed one tank. While attempting to destroy another with hand grenades and a rifle, Lieutenant Colonel Gorham was killed.” This second description is consistent with the reports relayed to Gorham's family by Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
reporter John Hall Thompson in December 1943.
LTC Gorham's death was first reported by then-LTC Bill Ryder
William T. Ryder
William Thomas “Bill” Ryder was the first American paratrooper. Ryder helped pioneer Army airborne training, equipment and tactics alongside men like Jim Gavin, William Yarborough, Bill Lee, Art Gorham and Bud Miley. He was an aide to General of the Army Douglas MacArthur from 1944 until 1951...
in a March of Time radio broadcast on August 19, 1943. "One of the outstanding examples of heroism was Lt. Col. Arthur Gorham whose unit was attacked by tanks. When one of his bazooka teams was wiped out by an approaching tank, he manned the weapon himself and got the tank single-handed before being killed himself by another tank on their flank."
There is some confusion about the actual date of Gorham's death. Army records list his date of death as July 11, 1941. His second Distinguished Service Cross citation lists the date as July 14, 1943. This is the date listed on Gorham's headstone. In Phil Nordyke's Four Stars of Valor, page 425, he explains: "Colonel's Gorham's death is listed in Army records as July 11, 1941. Both Captain Edwin Sayre, in his monograph written in 1947, and Dean McCandless, who was with Gorham when he was killed, state that Gorham was in fact killed during action that took place on July 12, 1943. McCandless states that he found Gorham's CP (command post) on the morning of July 11 and was put on outpost duty by Gorham that evening. He states that the next morning Gorham recalled him and they moved to Hill 41, where Gorham was killed."
For his actions on Sicily, Gorham was awarded two Distinguished Service Crosses. He was one of only five members of the 82nd Airborne during World War II to be twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
. The other four were General James M. Gavin
James M. Gavin
James Maurice "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin was a prominent Lieutenant General in the United States Army during World War II...
, General Matthew B. Ridgway, Major General Reuben Henry Tucker III
Reuben Henry Tucker III
Major General Reuben Henry Tucker III was a U.S...
and Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin H. Vandervoort
Benjamin H. Vandervoort
Benjamin Hayes "Vandy" Vandervoort was a Colonel in the United States Army, who fought in World War II. He was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross...
. Gorham was also posthumously awarded the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
, the Combat Infantryman Badge
Combat Infantryman Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size...
and a combat star to his jump wings.
In August 1948, Gorham's remains were returned to the United States. He was interred in Bellevue, Ohio in a family plot.
Tributes and Memorials
In a letter to the Gorham family, General Jim Gavin credited Gorham and his Paratroopers with much of Operation Husky's success: "Most of the combat success of the regiment in Sicily was due to Art and the men of his command." In his book, On to Berlin (page 47), General Gavin wrote "Colonel Gorham and his small group of troopers and the lieutenants from the 3rd Battalion, 504th, accomplished all of the missions assigned to the entire regimental combat team. It was a remarkable performance, and I know of nothing like it that occurred at any time later in the war...His death was a great loss to the division."General Matthew Ridgway
Matthew Ridgway
Matthew Bunker Ridgway was a United States Army General. He held several major commands and was most famous for resurrecting the United Nations war effort during the Korean War. Several historians have credited Ridgway for turning around the war in favor of the UN side...
, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, probably put this in the best perspective when he wrote to Gorham’s widow, "The action which resulted in his death was typical of his inspiring leadership, for it was he that personally instilled the spirit of the attack at a time that those around him were thinking only of defense, and in person led the attack, which succeeded. His indomitable spirit acknowledged no odds.”
The tributes to Gorham include:
- On May 21, 2008 the new headquarters of the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment505th Parachute Infantry RegimentThe 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment is one of four infantry regiments of the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army.Activated in 1942, the regiment participated in the campaigns of Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, Holland and the Battle of the Bulge during World War II...
was named in Gorham's honor. During this ceremony a memorial was also dedicated to the members of the Battalion killed in the Global War on Terrorism.
- In May 1998, a room in the Battalion’s former dining facility was named in Gorham’s honor.
- A street at Ft. Bragg is named for him.
- There is a memorial marker which bears his name near the 82nd Airborne Museum. The marker was laid in 1948 to commemorate the naming of a street for Gorham.
- Gorham's name is included among the 39 killed near Point Dirillo near Gela in Sicily. The memorial was erected by the citizens of Sicily and is maintained by Senor Ventura. Each year, the local residents in conjunction with Naval personnel from the nearby Naval Computer and Telecommunication Station, Naval Air Station Sigonella hold a ceremony to remember these brave Paratroopers.
- The DeMolay chapter, a Masonic youth leadership organization, in his hometown of Bellevue, Ohio was previously named in Gorham's honor but it is no longer active.
- The Masonic Lodge in Bellevue was also for a time named in Gorham's honor.
- Gorham's name is included in a plaque overlooking Trophy Point at West Point honoring the members of the Class of 1938 who gave their lives for their country. In total, 16 members of the Class of '38 died during World War II (9 KIA, 15 died or executed as POWs).
- Gorham's name is included on a plaque in Cullum Memorial Hall at West Point. His name was added in a ceremony on October 6, 1949 presided over by West Point Superintendent Major General Bryant MooreBryant MooreMajor General Bryant Edward Moore was a United States Army officer who commanded the 8th Infantry Division during and after World War II and the IX Corps in the Korean War. A K-8 school is named after him....
and Air Force Chief of Staff General Hoyt VandenbergHoyt VandenbergHoyt Sanford Vandenberg was a U.S. Air Force general, its second Chief of Staff, and second Director of Central Intelligence....
.
- Tim Dyas' book of war poety, Barbed Words of War, was donated by the poet to the USMA library with the following inscription: "23 Oct 2000 To: Gen. Matthew B. Ridgeway, LtGen James M. GavinJames M. GavinJames Maurice "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin was a prominent Lieutenant General in the United States Army during World War II...
, LTC Arthur Gorham (KIA)Arthur F. GorhamArthur Fulbrook Gorham was a U.S. Army officer and Paratrooper. Gorham was the first commander of the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division...
. My leaders from USMA who knew only one way to lead -- up front. Tim Dyas"
- For a time, Gorham's family sponsored a scholarship at Bellevue High School in his name. The first scholarship of $500 was awarded in 1954. ($4009 in 2010 terms)