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| Sgt. Leon Peacock served in the 78th Infantry Division at the Battle of Remagen. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74954039/francis-leon-peacock https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d1/d0/d7/d1d0d7bf49bfb819a20698de805129ec---mars-division.jpg |
Francis Leon Peacock never had a chance to reach 100 years old. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Last year I was not able to write a profile everyday from September to November because I was studying for the Certified Financial Planner test (I passed!). I feel my project to honor one U.S. serviceman for each day of the war would be incomplete if I left them off. As I have time, I am going back and adding profiles for the days I missed.
Leon was born on September 19, 1918 in Texas. His parents Brice and Bertha were also both born in Texas. His father worked as a Methodist clergyman. Leon graduated from high school and attended college. He married Pauline Buckner in January 1942. They had one daughter. He was employed by an oil well supply company.
He was drafted into the army on March 28, 1944. He became a sergeant (in a battlefield promotion a short time before his death) in the 310th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division (Nicknamed "Lightning").
On March 7, 1945 elements of the 9th Armored Division managed to capture the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine intact at Remagen. It was the first Allied unit to cross the Rhine. To keep the bridge from falling back into enemy hands or destroyed, the Americans expanded the bridgehead including the 78th Infantry Division which was on the east side of the Rhine within two days. The Germans spent 10 days trying to destroy the bridge now in American control. Sgt. Peacock was killed in action on March 14, 1945. The bridge finally collapsed on March 17, but by then the Americans were able to erect tactile bridges to keep bringing troops over.
His grave is at Sulphur Springs Cemetery in Sulphur Springs, Texas. His widow remarried after his death and died in 2006. His daughter died in 2013.
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!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
My name is Larry Leon Thomas. Leon was my uncle and I was named after him. Everything in the profile above is correct except that his mother, (Bertha Peacock) was not widowed in the 1030's. She married my grandfather, (Brice Peacock) in 1915 and they were married until his death in 1986 in Garland, Texas.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know. I made the correction. I am sure you have more details to this story. Would someone from you family like to add it here?
Deletehttps://www.fold3.com/page/638825625-francis-l-peacock
It would be part of the Stories Behind the Stars nonprofit initiative that started this year. See news stories here:
https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/post/stories-behind-the-stars-in-the-news