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| PFC Wilburn McKay served in the 29th Infantry Division in Normandy. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/121706747/wilburn-dennis-mckay https://www.pinterest.com/pin/407083253807694808/?lp=true |
Wilburn Dennis McKay 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.
Wilburn was born on January 13, 1920 in Cameron, Texas. His parents were also both born in Illinois. His father Thomas died in the 1920s after which his mother Minnie found work as a servant. She remarried in 1935. Wilburn had one younger brother and a younger half brother. By 1940 he was still living at home and worked as a farm laborer. He had completed seven years of schooling.
Wilburn was drafted into the army in May 1942. He became a private first class in Company E, 2nd Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. It arrived in England before the end of 1942.
The 175th IR landed on Omaha Beach on D+1. With the beach secured, PFC McKay's unit moved on to fight the Germans in the Normandy hedgerows.
By June 12, 1944, Utah and Omaha beaches were only tentatively connected by patrols. The 175th IR was assigned to patrol across the Vire River to watch for an anticipated German counter attack. After crossing the river, Company E was moving along a sunken road when it was ambushed by German rifle and machine-gun fire hidden in the hedgerows above. PFC McKay was probably killed in this engagement.
His grave is at Rice Cemetery in Cameron, Texas.
Last year on this date I profiled Normandy fallen Malcolm Blackman, 1st Infantry Division. You can read about Malcolm 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
After surviving the hell of 6 June only to be KIA 6 days later illustrates what those infantry men faced in the push to free Europe. God bless PFC MCKay, and RIP...At least his body was recovered and returned to his mother.
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