PFC Garnet Luther Rinker Jr

courtesy of Shock (sic)

PFC Garnet Luther Rinker Jr. was born on 1 Jul 1920 in Woodstock, Virginia. He was the youngest of the 3 children born to Garnet Luther and Mae Cecelia (Whitacre) Rinker. The family farmed in Shenadoah County, Virginia. Their home was valued at $4000 in 1940.

Garnet was still working as a farm hand when he was drafted in February 1942 and processed at Camp Lee near Petersburg, Virginia. After completing his basic military training he was assigned to B Company 116th Infantry. He would have trained for the planned amphibious assault on the beaches of Normandy that was to be an integral part of the liberation of Nazi occupied Europe. PFC Rinker was killed in action in that effort on 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Rinker was repatriated and re-interred in Massanutten Cemetery in Woodstock, Virginia.

Garnet's brother also served in the U.S. Army during WW2. T4 James William Rinker served from November 1941 to December 1945.