PVT Roy William Strausbaugh

PVT Roy William Strausbaugh was born 6 Oct 1918 in Buffalo County, Nebraska, probably Kearney. He was the only child of William Ray and Ethel Cora (Frazier) Strausbaugh. His father was a mail carrier in Kearney. The family then moved to Salem, Oregon and bought a home at 1025 North 15th Street which was valued at $3250 in 1930. Roy's father was not well and he died of Parkinson's disease in September 1934. He was 41 and Roy was 15. Roy graduated from North Salem High School in June 1936 and immediately left home.

Roy enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1936. We know he was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington in 1940. In Jan 1943, while a SGT stationed with the Women's Army Corps at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia he married Cara Frances Day. The couple had a son born in October of that same year. It is unclear why but Roy was demoted and sent to the European theater. He was transferred from the replacement depot to B Company 116th Infantry as a rifleman on 11 Aug 1944. The unit was then near Vire, France and moving towards Brest. PVT Strausbaugh fought with the unit as they approached Brest and was killed in action there on 1 Sep 1944. 

PVT Strausbaugh was ultimately interred in the Brittany American Cemetery.