PVT John Edward Thommessen was born 14 Aug 1916 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the only child of John Andrew and Agnes (Kagerbauer) Thommessen. Jack, as he was called to distinguish him from his father, grew up knowing his father as a successful community member who was an alderman, well-known and liked in Kenosha. His mother was his father's second wife and he had a half-sister from his father's previous marriage who had moved out and gotten married before Jack was 8-years old. Jack's father supported the family by working as an engineer at a local dairy. Jack and his mother moved to West 60th Street and went to work for the American Brass Plant.
Jack was drafted in March 1943 and received his basic military training at several different posts. PVT Thommessen was sent to England in 1943 where he was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry and trained for the amphibious landing that was a part of the plan to liberate Nazi occupied France. That landing took place on 6 Jun 1944 and PVT Thommessen was killed in action on that day.
PVT Thommessen was repatriated 1947 and re-interred in Saint James Cemetery in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
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