 |
| Pvt. Robert Adkins served in the 15th Combat Engineer Battalion attached to the 9th Infantry Division in Normandy. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25016558/robert-widdie_astor-adkins https://www.amazon.com/9th-Infantry-Division-Invasion-Normandy/dp/B000LXU80S https://9thinfantrydivision.net/15th-engineer-battalion/ |
Robert Widdie Astor Adkins never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on September 29, 1919 in Leet, West Virginia. His parents Dewie and Peachie were also both born in West Virginia. His father worked as a farm laborer and later as a steel mill laborer. His mother died in 1926 and his father remarried. Robert had one older brother and two younger brothers. By 1940 Robert had completed eight years of schooling and was living with an uncle. He worked for the CCC. It appears that he married a woman with the first name Winifred, but I couldn't find anything else about her.
He was drafted into the army in June 1942. He became a private in the 15th Combat Engineer Battalion which was attached to the 9th Infantry Division. Its main role was clearing land minds and building bridges.
Pvt. Adkins fought in the 9th ID engagements in North Africa beginning in November 1942. He was wounded in both legs on August 11, 1943 in Sicily, perhaps from a land mine.
The 9th ID arrived on Utah Beach on June 10, 1944. It helped capture Cherbourg and by July was fighting in the Battle of St. Lo.
On July 14, Pvt. Adkins was wounded in the back by a land mine explosion. He died the next day.
His grave is at Adkins Family Cemetery in Oak Hill, Ohio.
Last year on this date I profiled Medal of Honor hero Horace Thorne, 9th Armored Division, who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. You can read about Horace 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
No comments:
Post a Comment