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| Fellow soldier in 2nd Infantry Division in Normandy bocage where Pfc. Ralph Gibson was killed. http://www.heroesforever.nl/William%20R%20Hinsch%20Jr.htm |
Ralph H. Gibson never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on June 9, 1917 in Georgia. His parents were also both born in Georgia. His dad's father was a lieutenant in the Georgia 44th Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. His father worked as a farmer. Ralph had two older brothers. By 1940 Ralph had moved out on his own. He had completed one year of high school and worked as a carpenter.
Ralph's older brother Fred enlisted in the army in January 1941 and spent 20 years in the service. Ralph enlisted on December 12, 1942. He became a private first class in Company L, 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
The 2nd Infantry Division arrived in the British Isles in October 1943. It landed on Omaha Beach one day after D-Day. It moved into the hedgerows of Normandy and engaged in very tough fighting.
By June 25 the 38th Infantry Regiment had advanced to the bottom of Hill 192 which was the high ground in the area, with views as far away as the beach. As the Americans prepared to take the hill, troops suffered from regular German mortar and 88 fire. Pfc. Gibson was one of the many men from the 2nd Infantry Division killed during this time. He died on June 29, 1944.
His grave is at Mount Zions United Methodist Cemetery in Mount Zion, Georgia.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
To mark having over 100,000 visits to my project to honor the fallen of WW2 on their 100th birthdate, I created this video to share. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100
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