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| Sgt. Emory Kiser, shown above with his wife Golda, served with the 35th Infantry Division in France. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167174701/emory-kiser http://www.35thinfdivassoc.com/Normandy/the-story_1.shtml |
Emory Kiser never had a chance to reach 100 years old. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
I began this project on January 1, 2017. It will conclude on September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War 2. During the intervening time, a different fallen serviceman was profiled every day on his 100th birthday. I have decided to round out the project by profiling one of the fallen born between December 7, 1916 and December 31, 1916. This will result in one of the fallen being profiled for every day America was engaged in World War 2. The total will be 1,366 men and women. That's enough for only 13 stars out of the 4,048 on the Freedom Wall of the World War II Memorial.
Emory was born on December 26, 1916 in Virginia. His parents Isaac and Dora were also both born in Virginia. His father worked as a farmer. Emory had four older sisters, one older brother and two younger sisters. Within a period of less than two years in 1929-1930, a brother, sister, and his mother all died. Emory had a grammar school level of education and worked as a farm hand. He also spent some time working for the Civil Conservation Corps.
Emory was drafted into the army in May 1941. He eventually reached the rank of Tec4 in Company G, 2nd Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division.
He married Golda Ruby Sliger from Alabama on April 21, 1944. Not long after that the 35th ID was sent to England. A month after D-Day, it was in action in Normandy. Its first battle was in the hedgerows north of St. Lo. After the breakout from Normandy, Sgt. Kiser's regiment moved east. By September 1, it was near Aix en Othe, France.
On September 8, Sgt. Kiser's battalion took heavy casualties while trying to secure a bridge over the Moselle River. The Germans were able to destroy the bridge. He was reported missing on September 11 and it was later determined he was killed on September 14.
His grave is at Henry Mayfield Kiser Cemetery in Russell County, Virginia. His widow remarried and died in 2004.
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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