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| Sgt. Deward Peery, 35th Infantry Division, was a POW at Stalag 3B. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63069970/deward-n-peery/photo https://garbicz.beepworld.de/apps/photoalbum?aid=40381750 |
Deward Peery never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on April 7, 1919 in Westmoreland, Kansas. His parents Lackey and Nellie were born in Virginia and Kansas, respectively. His father worked as a farmer. Deward had two older sisters and one younger sister. By 1940 Deward had graduated from high school and found work in a bakery.
He was drafted into the army in 1942. He started off as a cook but later became a tech sergeant in Company A, 1st Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division. The 35th ID arrived in Normandy in July 1944. It's first action was the Battle of St. Lo.
By November, the 35th ID was fighting near the German border. Sgt. Peery was captured on November 16, 1944. The International Red Cross reported he was at Stalag 3B near Fuerstenberg, Germany and that he had a broken arm.
Stalag 3B had 3,500 Americans, as well as 8,000 Frenchmen, 12,000 Russians and even 1,000 Serbs. With the Russians advancing from the East the camp was evacuated and the prisoners were marched west. Sgt. Peery died in Brandenburg, Germany on March 31, 1945. His death was not reported at home until September 1945.
His grave is at Aultorest Memorial Park in Ogden, Utah.
Last year on this date I profiled John Hollinger, 3rd Armored Division. You can read about John 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.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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