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| PFC Virgil Garner served in the 90th Infantry Division. Brother Alva served on the USS Pickerel and brother Roy served in the 78th Infantry Division. None of them came home. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29350503/virgil-enos-garner https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29336132/alva-louis-garner https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29350738/roy-lee-garner |
Virgil Enos Garner never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Announcement: Later this month I will be starting a project that will result in the stories of all 400,000 plus of the World War 2 fallen at one online location. There will be an accompanying smart phone app to allow users visiting any war memorial to scan the fallen serviceman's name and be linked to his story. Watch this blog or join the WW2 Fallen 100 Facebook page to learn of upcoming details.
Virgil was born on January 2, 1920 in Oklahoma. His parents Clark and Fannie were born in Kansas and Missouri, respectively. His father worked as a farmer, first in Turney, Oklahoma, and by 1930 in Rixey, Colorado and by 1940 in Caddoa, Colorado. Virgil had two older sisters, one older brother, three younger brothers, and two younger sisters. By 1940 Virgil had completed eight years of education. He was still living at home working as a farm hand.
He was drafted into the army in September 1941. He became a private first class in Company F, 2nd Battalion, 358th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division.
Brother Alva Garner, one year younger than Virgil, joined the navy and volunteered for the silent service. He was an electrician's mate third class assigned to the submarine USS Pickerel. It left Honolulu on March 22, 1943, never to be seen again.
Virgil and the 90th ID arrived in England in April 1944 and immediately began training for the invasion of France. The 90th ID was in action in Normandy the day after D-Day. It fought through Normandy and across France as part of General Patton's 3rd Army.
Meanwhile, Brother Roy, born in 1926, was drafted into the army in June 1944. He served as a private in Company G, 2nd Battalion, 310th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division (nicknamed "Lightning").
Father Clark Garner died in September 1944. By that time Alva had been missing for a year and a half and three of his other sons were in the service.
The 78th ID arrived in France in November 1944. The 78th ID faced the Germans across the Siegfried Line during the winter of 1944/1945.
When the Germans attacked through the Ardennes in December 1944, Virgil's unit was sent to hold back their advance. By January 5, it started offensive operations, turning the Germans back. On January 12, 1945 the 90th ID had successfully completed a three day engagement near Wiltz, Luxembourg, wiping out the German units they had faced. PFC Garner was killed in action the next day. The 90th ID would suffer more than 19,000 casualties from D-Day on Utah Beach to the end of the war fighting in Germany.
Brother Roy may have joined the 78th ID as a replacement. His unit crossed the Rhine at Remagen on March 8, 1945. Pvt. Garner was killed in action one week later on March 15, 1945.
With three brothers killed, the US government sent home the oldest brother Daniel, who was one year older than Virgil. Daniel died in 2004.
The three Garner brothers share a common gravestone at Las Animas Cemetery in Las Animas, Colorado.
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| https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29336132/alva-louis-garner |
Thank you Virgil, Alva, and Roy for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for the Garner brothers.
ISAAC ASIMOV
Virgil Garner shares the same date of birth as renowned science fiction author Isaac Asimov. Asimov was born in Russia. He came to America at age 3. Asimov studied chemistry in college and during the war he was a civilian chemist at the Philadelphia Navy Yard's Naval Air Experimental Station. He was drafted into the army in September 1945 and served nine months.
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| Asimov on right https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov |
Asimov is best know for some of the most popular science fiction stories ever written including I, Robot and his Foundation series. He died in 1992.
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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