PFC Walter Herman Rode

courtesy of Frogman

PFC Walter Herman Rode was born 17 Feb 1921 in Hartford, Connecticut. He was the 5th of the 6 children born to Julius and Amelia (Schlack) Rode. His father was a native of what is now Poland but was Russia at the time of his birth and worked as a machinist. Amelia died in July 1937. Walter attended West Middle School and moved to Hempstead, New York for a short time before returning to Hartford. In 1940 both Walter and his father were working for an aircraft manufacturer reporting 1939 earnings of $408 and $1600 respectively. Walter had likely just started work in the latter half of 1939. Walter was working for Hamilton Standard Propeller.

Walter was drafted in December 1942. After his basic military training he was sent to England and assigned to I Company 116th Infantry. He trained with the unit for the planned amphibious assault that was to be part of the invasion of occupied Europe. He took part in that attack on 6 Jun 1944 and continued to fight with the unit until wounded on 16 Jul 1944. He was evacuated to a field hospital where he died of his wound(s) on 17 Jul 1944.

PFC Rode rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.