WW2 Fallen D-Day 100 - Bedford Boy John Wilkes, 29th Infantry Division

Master Sergeant John Wilkes, 116th Infantry Regiment, was one of the first soldiers to land on Omaha Beach on D-Day.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70733049
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/800374164998657452/?lp=true 

John L. Wilkes never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on July 20, 1919 in Virginia. His parents Leotie and Mary Elizabeth were also both born in Virginia. His father worked as a coal mine nurse and later as a farmer. John had two older sisters, one older brother and four younger sisters. By 1940 John had completed one year of high school, was still living at home and worked sometimes as a coal miner and sometimes as a farmer. He also served in the Virginia National Guard to make some extra money. He married his wife Bettie in August 1941.

John's National Guard unit was federalized on February 3, 1941 and became part of the regular army. Because of his serious nature and self discipline, he became a master sergeant in Company A, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. 34 other men from Bedford were also in the 1st Battalion, most of them in Company A.

The 29th Infantry Division arrived in England at the early date of September 1942. While other units were sent to fight in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, the 29th Infantry Division stayed in England, training for 21 months. As a master sergeant, Wilkes had an important role in maintaining discipline and morale in Company A as it trained. Company A was selected to land on Omaha Beach on D-Day June 6, 1944 at section Dog Green. 

Company A was the tip of the spear -- its men went in on the very first wave divided among seven landing craft. Sgt. Wilkes was the second in command on his landing craft as it headed for the beach. As soon as the ramp dropped, Sgt. Wilkes was one of the first men off. He managed to move forward before German fire concentrated on the men disgorging from the craft. He made it out of the water unscathed but minutes later he was killed while firing his weapon at the German position labeled D-1. 

By the end of D-Day only 18 of Company A's 230 men were unhurt. 

A month after D-Day Bettie Wilkes was concerned that she had not received any letters from her husband after D-Day. At the Bedford Western Union telegraph office on July 17 the notices kept coming, one right after the other. Towns folks divvied up the telegrams to take the bad news to families. Bettie Wilkes was driven home from her factory job, knowing the news would not be good. A doctor had to give her a sedative to deal with her shock.

The small 3,200 strong community of Bedford lost 22 men in Normandy, 19 on D-Day. It was the greatest loss per size of home town from all of the war. The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford commemorates this sacrifice.

John Wilkes's grave is at Greenwood Cemetery in Bedford, Virginia. His widow remarried after the war.

Thank you Master Sergeant Wilkes for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for John.

To learn more about the boys from Bedford, I recommend the excellent book The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw.

Last year on this date I profiled Kermit Becker, 34th Infantry Division. You can read about Kermit here.

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.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Fallen - Distinguished Flying Cross hero and B-24 waist gunner Gerald Murphy

Staff Sergeant Gerald Murphy was a waist gunner on the B-24 Vagabond King.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56292759/gerald-e_-murphy
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65291054
http://www.b24bestweb.com/vagabondking.htm
http://acepilots.com/archives/Photos/b24-liberator.jpg 

Gerald Edwin Murphy 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.

Gerald was born on October 4, 1918 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His parents born in Indiana and Iowa, respectively. His father was not listed on the 1920 census. His mother was living with her parents, but was listed as being married. Gerald had one older brother. By 1930 Gerald's mother had remarried. By 1940 Gerald had completed four years of high school. He was living as a lodger in Rochester, Indiana and worked for the Polar Ice Company.

He was drafted into the army on August 31, 1941. Later he volunteered for the Army Air Forces and became a staff sergeant in the 565th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group which was equipped with B-24 Liberators. Sgt. Murphy was trained as a waist gunner. The 389th BG was sent to England in June 1943. Shortly thereafter many of the planes in the 389th BG were sent to Libya. It flew missions over Crete, Sicily, Italy, Austria, and Romania.

On November 17, 1943, his hometown newspaper reported that Sgt. Murphy had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his action during the August low-level bombing attack of the Ploiesti refineries in Romania. Prior to that he had already earned two Bronze Stars and four Oak Leaf Clusters. In a letter home he wrote that on a recent mission he had shot down two German fighters, and maybe a third.

One day later, on November 18, 1943 Sgt. Murphy woke up with a cold. He hoped he could get a break on participating on the assigned mission to bomb targets in Oslo, Norway. His wishes were not granted and he was part of the crew flying a B-24 with the nickname Vagabond King which was shot down on its 21st mission over the North Sea by a German FW-190. It was the only bomber lost on the mission.

His cenotaph memorial is at Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial in Coton, England. There is also a cenotaph grave at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Bruce Lake Station, Indiana.

Thank you Sgt. Murphy for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Gerald.

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.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 D-Day Fallen - William Obuchowski, 4th Infantry Division

Pvt. William Obuchowski served with the 4th Infantry Division in Normandy until D+4.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141592555/william-a-obuchowski
http://www.stolly.org.uk/ETO/menofthe4thinfantrydivisionmoveinshorefromutahbeach.html 

William Obuchowski never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on July 19, 1919 in Trenton, New Jersey. His parents Anthony and Caroline were  born in what became Poland. His father worked as a fireman. Bill had one older sister and two younger sisters. By 1940 Bill had completed eight years of education and worked as a farm laborer. Prior to joining the army, Bill was engaged to be married, but it appears he decided not to get married while the war was going on.

He was drafted into the army on February 24, 1942. He became a private in the Headquarters Company, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. He may have been a runner that would have exposed him to enemy fire in the process of delivering messages.

Pvt. Obuchowski's unit landed on Utah Beach on D-Day June 6, 1944 and it appears that Private Obuchowski was wounded on this date and died four days later.

His grave is at Saint Marys Greek Catholic Cemetery in Trenton, New Jersey.

Thank you Pvt. Obuchowski for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Bill.

Last year on this date I profiled Iwo Jima Silver Star hero Edmund Yanoushek, 3rd Marine Division. You can read about Edmund here.

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.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Pearl Harbor Fallen - Dauntless radioman William Miller, USS Enterprise

Add caption
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91603528
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_SBD_Dauntless

William Cicero Miller never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

William was born July 18, 1919 in Thomasville, North Carolina. His parents Melvin and Ora were also both born in North Carolina. His father worked in a furniture factory. William had one older sister and two younger sisters.

William enlisted in the US Navy as an apprentice seaman on 20 October 1937 and completed instruction at the Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia. On 30 September 1938 he was assigned to Scouting Squadron 6 (VS-6), attached to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, flying as a radioman/gunner aboard Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive-bombers. S2c Miller served with VS-6 into 1941 and became the rear-seat man for Lt. Clarence E. Dickinson, Jr. around April of that year.

The Enterprise departed Pearl Harbor on 28 November 1941 to deliver a Marine Fighter Squadron to Wake Island. During the return voyage to Pearl Harbor the ship was delayed because of weather. On the morning of 7 December 1941, nine pairs of aircraft from VS-6, including the SBD-3 flown by Lt. Dickinson and RM1 Miller, departed early in the morning to fly to Ford Island to await the arrival of the Enterprise later that day.

As Lt. Dickinson and another Dauntless from VS-6 approached Oahu they became aware of smoke from the island, which they assumed was from burning sugar cane fields. They were puzzled to see numerous shell splashes in the water by the entrance to Pearl Harbor as well as antiaircraft bursts above Pearl Harbor. As they climbed to 4,000 feet nearing their destination they were unexpectedly attacked by Japanese planes and quickly realized that Pearl Harbor was under attack. Both planes quickly dove to 1,000 feet as they headed toward Pearl Harbor, in pursuit by Japanese fighters. RM1 Miller immediately unlimbered his .30-caliber machine guns in order to engage the Japanese aircraft. Attacking Zero fighters riddled Lt. Dickinson's plane, but Miller, already wounded once, downed one and ultimately exhausted his ammunition in the defense of his aircraft until it had been set afire. Lt. Dickinson called for Miller to bail out but received no answer. The pilot managed to get out of the falling plane but Miller, either dead or so severely wounded that he was unable to free himself from the aircraft, remained with it until it crashed into a cane field on Oahu.

For his devotion to duty despite his wounds, RM1 Miller was awarded a posthumous commendation by the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet. The destroyer escort USS William C. Miller (DE 259) was named in his honor, received seven battle stars for her service, and was present in Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender.

William Cicero Miller is buried in Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery in Thomasville, North Carolina.

Thank you RM1 Miller for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for William.
_____
This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them."

Last year on this date I profiled Jack Leonard of the 82nd Airborne Division. You can read about Jack here.
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.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Normandy Fallen - Eldon Abbott, 79th Infantry Division

Sgt. Eldon Abbott served with the 79th Infantry Division during the attack on Cherbourg.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84614615/eldon-wendel-abbott
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/liberating-cherbourg-normandys-great-port/ 

Eldon Wendel Abbott never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on July 17, 1919 in Indiana. His parents William and Verna were also both born in Indiana. His father worked as an odd jobs laborer during the Great Depression and later as a road worker. His mother suffered from epilepsy and died in 1931. Eldon had one older brother, two older sisters, and two younger brothers. His father married again to a woman with four children. They two more sons and one daughter. By 1940 Eldon had completed three years of high school and was still living at home and worked as a farm laborer.

He was drafted into the army on June 11, 1942. He became a sergeant in Company D, 1st Battalion, 313th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division.

The 79th Infantry Division joined the Normandy campaign on June 19, 1944. The Division was involved in a heavy engagement with the enemy at Fort de Roule, just before entering Cherbourg. Sgt. Abbott was a reconnaissance sergeant who had to find advanced positions for his machine gun squad. It was during this engagement on June 23, 1944 that Sgt. Abbott was killed in action.

His grave is at Fulton Cemetery in Fulton, Indiana.

Thank you Sgt. Abbott for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Eldon.

Last year on this date I profiled Silver Star hero and company commander Cecil McMahan, 2nd Armored Division. You can read about Cecil here.

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.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

WW2 Fallen - B-25 pilot Wilson Pinkstaff

Lt. Wilson Pinkstaff was the pilot of the B-25 Happy Legend in New Guinea.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49298865/wilson-levi-pinkstaff
https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-25/41-12907/1942/b25-nose-landing.html 

Wilson Levi Pinkstaff never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on July 16, 1919 in Illinois. His parents Elmer and Amanda were also both born in Illinois. His father worked as a farmer. Wilson had two older sisters and a younger sister. By 1940 Wilson had graduated from Eastern Illinois Teacher College and was still living with his parents and sisters.

He enlisted in the army on November 30, 1940. He volunteered for the Army Air Forces and became a first lieutenant and pilot in the 405th Bombardment Squadron, 38th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force which was equipped with B-26 Marauders and later B-25 Mitchells.

The B-25s of the 405 BS arrived in Australia at the end of August 1942. The 405 BS bombed and strafed Japanese targets in New Guinea. It moved to Port Morsby in late November.

On December 5, 1942 Lt. Pinkstaff was flying the B-25c #41-12907, nicknamed Happy Legend, as part of a seven plane bombing attack of Japanese troops at Buna. Happy Legend became separated from the rest of the bombers before flying over the Owen Stanley Mountains and never returned to base. Two months later Australian troops discovered its crash site near Myola and the Kokoda Gap. Remains from the crash site were still being recovered as recently as 2008.

His grave is at Arlington National Cemetery.

Thank you Lt. Pinkstaff for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Wilson.

Last year on this date I profiled Medal of Honor hero Laverne Parrish, 25th Infantry Division. You can read about Lav here.

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.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

WW2 Battle of the Bulge Fallen - Chestine Jenks, 106th Infantry Division

PFC Chestine Jenks faced the main German attack in the Battle of the Bulge.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26937839/winifred-chestine-jenks

Winifred Chestine Jenks never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on July 15, 1919 in Wewahitchka, Florida. His parents Andrew and Daisy were born in Florida and Georgia, respectively. They divorced in 1929 but remarried in September 1930. His father worked as a deputy sheriff and later as a WPA foreman. Chestine had one younger sister. By 1940 he had completed two years of high school. He was living with his parents and worked as a refrigerator laborer. 

He was drafted into the army in September 1941. He served 28 months in the Panama Canal Zone. When back in the states and with the rank of private first class, he was assigned to the Battery E, 592nd Field Artillery Battalion (equipped with 155mm howitzers) which arrived in Europe in November 1944. The 592nd FAB was attached to the green 106th Infantry Division whose first frontline line position was in the Ardennes Forest.

The 592nd FAB found itself directly in the path of the main attack by the Germans that began the Battle of the Bulge on December 16, 1944. Providing artillery fire as best it could, it was pulled out the next day to avoid being overrun. It moved almost every night to stay ahead of the advancing Germans. PFC Jenks was killed in action on December 19, 1944.

His grave is at Jehu Cemetery in Wewahitchka, Florida.

Thank you PFC Jenks for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Chestine.

Last year on this date I profiled Medal of Honor hero Raymond Beaudoin, 30th Infantry Division. You can read about Raymond here.

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.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org