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| LIFE Magazine photo of 36th Division troops where Thurman Beaver served |
Thurman S. Beaver could have been 100 years old today.
He was born on January 3, 1917 in Texas. His father was from North Carolina and his mother was from Texas. According to census records he had two older sisters and an older brother. He also had a younger brother and sister. By 1930, his father was perhaps dead, since he is not listed on the census with the rest of the family. Thurman was a high school football star in his home town of Talpa, Texas
He joined the army before the war started on his 24th birthday January 3, 1941. He sailed for Africa with the 36th Division in April 1943. He became a sergeant in the 142nd Regiment. The regiment saw support duty while in Africa guarding POWs and helping advance supplies. It first saw action in Italy at the Battle of Salerno in September 1943.
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| https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/explore/museum/digital-collection/view/oclc/812452651 |
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The campaign against the Bernhardt Line in January and February 1944 proved to be futile with heavy casualties. Sergeant Beaver was killed in action in Italy on February 18, 1944. He was killed by an artillery shell that hit his foxhole.
His remains were returned to be buried at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery. His gravestone incorrectly spells his name as Beavers.
Thank you Thurman for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Thurman.
BONUS:
Also born on January 3, 1917 was Vernon A. Walters who also served in the 5th Army in Africa and Italy. Walters went on to reach the rank of Lieutenant General and served five different presidents from Truman to Reagan. He was the US Ambassador to the United Nations from 1985 to 1989.
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| Vernon Walters with Ronald Reagan http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb377/ |
See links on right for previous profiles of WW2 Fallen on their 100th birthday.
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