MAJ John William Sours

MAJ John William Sours was born on 26 Mar 1902 in Roanoke, Virginia to Julian Donald and Edith Lillian (Kelly) Sours one of 12 children (6 boys, 6 girls).  His father worked as a moulder on the Norfolk Western railroad.

He married Emma Vilanna Cundiff in 1924 and they had 2 sons, John William "Bill" Sours Jr and Ned Leonard Sours.

John had been in the National Guard for many years.  After the Roanoke units were federalized he had few opportunities to see his family   Son Bill was drafted and went to war in the South Pacific with the Marines repairing planes. He learned about his father's death in a Red Cross telegram. 

According to Robert Buckley, even as he was next to the Regiment's commander, MAJ Sours was killed by a machinegun bullet to the head as he debarked from the landing craft on 6 Jun 1944.  He rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.

Mrs. Sours looks at a photo of MAJ Sours

After the war, Vilanna died of melanoma in 1947. 

The original graves...