PFC Ervin Heckman Wright

PFC Ervin Heckman Wright was born 21 Oct 1914 in Brunswick County, Virginia. He was the eldest and only son of the 4 children born to William Wilkins and Lottie Odell (Jones) Wright. His father farmed to support his family. Ervin's youngest sister was born and died in 1922. His mother suffered a stroke and died at the age of 29 in January 1924. Ervin's father married Lottie's older sister, Jennie Cates (Jones) Edwards about 1926 and the couple had another son. Ervin's education ended about the 8th grade and he went to work farming for others and working in the lumber industry then the Brunswick County highway department. 

Ervin was drafted in May 1941. He had his basic military training at Fort George Meade, Maryland and was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry. He trained with the unit near Fort Bragg, North Carolina and at Camp Blanding, Florida before shipping out with the unit for England in September 1942. In England he trained with the unit for the planned amphibious assault that was part of the invasion of occupied France. He was with the unit when it landed at Vierville-sur-mer, France and was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944. 

PFC Wright was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in the Jones-Wright Cemetery in Brunswick County, Virginia. 

While his name is recorded some places as Erwin it is an apparent misspelling as his name is given as "Ervin" on all documents except on his internment request where the misspelling was corrected in pencil.

Ervin served in A Company with his distant cousin, CPL Atlas Elwood Wright, who was also killed in action on 6 Jun 1944.