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| PFC Whipple Prince served in the 47th Infantry Regiment in the Hurtgen Forest. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136582870/whipple-prince https://www.pinterest.com/pin/197173289914595171/?lp=true |
Whipple Prince 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.
Whipple Prince was born on December 20, 1916 in Kentucky. His parents Zulus and Nora Jane were also both born in Kentucky. His father worked as a farmer. Whipple had one older brother, one younger brother, and two younger sisters. He had completed three years of high school and worked as a farm laborer. He married Mabel Donahue in 1937. However the 1940's census showed that both Whipple and Mabel were single and still living at home. Not sure how to explain that.
He was drafted in the army in July 7, 1943. He became a private first class in Company A, 1st Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. Although the 9th ID was active in North Africa and Sicily, PFC Prince likely did not join his company until it was based in England preparing for the cross channel invasion. It landed in Normandy on D+4 and helped clear the Germans out of Cherbourg. By October it had advanced as far as the west German border and was fighting in the Hurtgen Forest. (The 9th ID would lose more than a third of its men fighting in the Hurtgen Forest.)
By November 16, the 47th IR was temporarily attached to the 1st Infantry Division to support its attack on Hamich Ridge. The regiment took heavy casualties over the next few days, some companies were reduced to 30% of full-size. Enemy shell fire was especially bad. PFC Prince died on November 20, 1944, either from wounds sustained a few days before or perhaps he was killed in action that day.
His grave is at Prince Cemetery in Hillsboro, Kentucky. His widow remarried and died in 2009.
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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