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| 330th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion troops in Germany around the time of Pvt. Marquez's death. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153271177086242&set=gm.10152987757206841&type=3&theater |
Cruz L. Marquez never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on May 3, 1917 in Texas. By 1940 he had completed two years of high school and was living with his grandfather and was working as a night watchman.
He joined the army on April 20, 1944 and became a private in Company E, 2nd Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division. The 83rd was activated in August 1942 and was in France by April 1944. It is not clear at what point Pvt. Marquez reached his unit. the 83rd was in Normandy within two weeks of D-Day. It advanced across France and fought in the Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge. It crossed the Rhine on March 29, 1945.
Pvt. Marquez was killed on April 8, 1945. On that day his unit crossed the Leine River while attacking eastward toward the Harz Mountains. He was one of 3,161 troops from this division who lost their lives during the war. Only 8 of the 68 US Army divisions lost more men.
His remains were returned to be buried at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Laredo, Texas.
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!
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