PVT George Mayer

courtesy of Glenn

PVT George Mayer was born "Jurgen Mayer" on 22 May 1923 in Bad Nauheim, Wetteraukreis, Hesse, Germany. He was the son of Julius and his second wife Irma (Sicherer) Mayer. The Jewish family had escaped Germany where they had last lived in Frankfort am Main. Arriving in New York, New York aboard the Gerolstein on 4 Nov 1937 the family established themselves in this country. Half-sister Vera went to work as a live-in maid for a family in Queens. His father Julius worked as a bus-boy reporting a 1939 income of $320. George worked as an "office boy" for a firm manufacturing "novelties" and he earned $160 in 1939. The family lived in apartment 207 at 165 Audubon Avenue in New York for which they paid $50 a month. Irma's brother and his wife also lived with them. He also worked as a bus boy (earning $820 in 1939) and she worked in the clothing industry (earning $140 in 1939).

George was drafted in April 1943.  After his initial training he was sent to England and assigned to G Company 116th Infantry. He trained with the unit as it prepared for the amphibious assault that was to be a part of the invasion of occupied Europe.  The attack took place on the morning of 6 Jun 1944. PVT Mayer was killed in action on that day near Les Moulins.

PVT Martin was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in the Long Island National Cemetery in East Farmingham, New York.

Coincidentally, George's father applied for citizenship on 6 Jun 1944.