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| Pfc. William Priddy was killed in the most devastating banzai charge of World War 2. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=30781590 |
William A. Priddy never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on November 4, 1917 in Ohio. His parents Arthur and Mabel were also both born in Ohio. His father worked as a farmer. William was an only child. By 1940 William had completed one year of high school and was working as a laborer while living on his parents' farm.
He enlisted in the army on September 22, 1941. He became a private first class in Company B, 1st Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. The 27th ID was sent to defend California when the war started. In May 1942 it was moved to defend Oahu. In November 1943 it captured the Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. Pfc. Priddy final service was in the Battle of Saipan which began on June 15, 1944. For three brutal weeks Pvt. Priddy was part of the dogged effort to dislodge the Japanese from their caves and other defensive positions.
On July 7, 1944, the Japanese recognized there was nowhere to retreat. The commanding Japanese general ordered a suicide banzai charge of 3,000 remaining able-bodied men, followed by hundreds of the wounded. The attack, considered by many the most devastating banzai attack of the war, was concentrated in the area defended by the 105th IR. Pfc. Priddy's battalion was overrun and nearly destroyed. The engaged units of the 105th IR suffered more than 75 percent killed and wounded that day and totaled more than 900. Pfc. Priddy was one of those killed in action. The Japanese lost more than 4,000 killed.
His grave is at Brown Cemetery in West Manchester, Ohio.
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.
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100
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