PVT Chester Raymond Chambers

PVT Chester Raymond Chambers was born 25 Feb 1921 in Roderfield, West Virginia. He was the 11th of 15 children of John Felix and Roxie Ann (Wiles) Chambers. 5 of those children did not survive infancy and 1 daughter died at the age of 10. His father was a coal miner and the family moved fairly frequently but stayed in McDowell County, West Virginia. Chester's education did not go beyond the 8th grade. 

Chester voluntarily enlisted in the Army in August 1940 and was first assigned to Fort Thomas adjacent to Newport, Kentucky. He probably had several assignments before being transferred to E Company 116th Infantry prior to the D-Day landings in France. He landed with the unit on 6 Jun 1944 and fought with them until wounded by machinegun or rifle fire on 17 Jun 1944. Despite immediate evacuation to a field hospital, PVT Chambers died of his wound that same day.

PVT Chambers was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred with many family members in the Iaeger Memorial Cemetery in Roderfield, West Virginia.

Brother, Ray Vernon Chambers served aboard the USS Massachusetts (BB-59) as an S1c during WW2. Brothers, Robert Louis Chambers, Hoyt Ransom Chambers and Roy William Chambers all served in the Army during the war.