WW2 Fallen - Silver Star and Bronze Star hero Marvin Gilbertson, 9th Infantry Division

Sgt. Marvin Gilbertson, 9th Infantry Division, was wounded at Cherbourg and earned both the Silver Star and Bronze Star.
 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/94108728

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/americas-battle-for-cherbourg.html

 Marvin Lester Gilbertson never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

If you have enjoyed reading the stories of the WW2 fallen, I invite you to help write some!  Announcing "The Stories Behind the Stars", see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org This crowd-sourced national project has the goal of compiling stories of all 400,000+ of the US World War 2 fallen in one free-to-access central database.  Anyone visiting a war memorial or gravesite will be able to scan the name of the fallen with a smartphone and his story will appear on the phone.

Marvin was born on February 25, 1920 in York, Wisconsin. His parents Tyler and Clara were also born in Wisconsin. His father worked as a farmer and passed away in 1936. Marvin had one older brother, two older sisters, four younger brothers, and three younger sisters. In 1940, Marvin was working as a hired hand on a farm in Moscow, Wisconsin.

Marvin was drafted into the US Army in January 1942 and upon completion of training he joined the 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division, and eventually rose to the rank of sergeant. In November 1942, the 47th IR took part in Operation Blackstone in North Africa, and fought in the battles of El Guettar and Sedjenane. The regiment next fought in Sicily during the Battle of Troina in August 1943. In November 1943, the 47th IR and the rest of the 9th Infantry Division moved to England to train for the invasion of Europe. 

The 9th ID landed at Utah Beach in Normandy on 10 June 1944, four days after D-Day, and was assigned to seal off the Cotentin peninsula to prevent additional German reinforcements from breaking through, and to capture the important port city of Cherbourg. After battling across the Cotentin peninsula, the 9th ID began the attack on Cherbourg on 22 June. It was a bloody and distressing business for the advancing American infantry engaged in bitter house to house combat. German machine gunners stationed in concrete bunkers inflicted heavy casualties on the Americans while remaining safe from small arms fire. The Americans had to take out these strongpoints one at a time, approaching in the open and under fire. Following the liberation of Cherbourg on 27 June 1944, the 47th fought the remaining German forces in Cap de la Hague, ultimately capturing over 6,000 Germans by 1 July. At some point, Sgt. Gilbertson was wounded during the capture of Cherbourg and spent some time recovering in a hospital in England. 

Sgt. Gilbertson returned to his unit in France in time for the regiments’ initial drive into Germany on 14 September 1944 near Roetgen, which was the first German city to fall to the Allies. The regiment then penetrated the Siegfried Line near Schevenhütte on 16 September 1944. Sgt. Gilbertson was a member of a machine gun unit and was killed in action in Germany 19 September 1944. His obituary states that he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star but I was unable to find a citation.

Marvin Lester Gilbertson is buried in Graceland Cemetery in Blanchardville, Wisconsin. 

Thank you Sgt.Gilbertson for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Marvin.

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This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them." 

Last year on this date I profiled Lt. William White of the USS Jacinto. You can read about William 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!

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