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| Sgt. John Meints served in the 35th Infantry Division in Normandy, where he earned the Silver Star. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38541472/john-g-meints http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/252839-wwii-134th-infantry-regiment-kia-in-st-lo-posthumous-silver-star-uniform-grouping/ http://www.35thinfdivassoc.com/Normandy/the-story_3.shtml |
John G. Meints 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.
John was born on December 7, 1916 in Nebraska. His parents George and Maria were born in Missouri and Nebraska, respectively. John had a baby sister born in December 1918 who died the day she was born. His mother died the day after. The next year his father remarried. John was raised by his material grandparents who still had young children around John's age. By 1940 John had completed eight years of schooling. He was living with an uncle and worked as a farm hand.
He was drafted into the army on February 19, 1941. Any birthday plans he had for December 7, 1941 were no doubt disrupted by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He eventually reached the rank of tech sergeant in Company C, 1st Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division. The 35th Infantry Division joined the front lines in Normandy on July 8, 1944 and immediately suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Saint-Lo and more than 2,400 during the Normandy campaign.
Sgt. Meints was wounded sometime during July, but not serious enough to keep him from returning to his unit.
On August 1, 1944, Company C was in the vicinity of Torigni Sur Vire, south of Saint-Lo. The regimental objective for that day was to reach the Vire River. In the afternoon, his unit was pinned down by German machine-gun fire. Sgt. Meints crawled around to the side of the Germans and used hand grenades to eliminate the gun. He was wounded from the attack and died later that day.
He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. His citation reads as follows:
Sergeant Meints was platoon sergeant of the First Platoon of Company C, participating in an assault on high ground south of **** when his platoon was pinned down by heavy enemy machine gun fire. Without hesitation, Sergeant Meints crawled around the right flank to the vicinity of the machine gun nest, and with hand grenades killed the enemy crew, silencing the machine gun.
The intrepid daring of Sergeant Meints, his utter disregard for personal safety, and his determination that his platoon succeeded in its mission, regardless of obstacles, reflects credit upon his character as a soldier, and upon the military service.
Thank you Sgt. Meints for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for John.
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.
Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
His grave is at Zions Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery in Pickrell, Nebraska. A collection of his effects has been shared at this website.
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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