PVT William Edsel Willard

PVT William Edsel Willard was born 31 May 1925 in Forsyth County, North Carolina. Edsel, as he was called to distinguish him from his father, was the oldest of the 3 children born to William Gray and Sarah Elizabeth (Lawter) Willard. His father was a police officer in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. On 29 Oct 1938 he was engaged in a shootout with a suspect and wounded. He died 4 days afterwards leaving 13-year old Edsel as "man of the family". While the family owned their home at 2336 Westfield Avenue in Winston-Salem which was valued at $6000 in 1940, we don't know how Sarah supported her family. Edsel completed 3-years of high school and went to work in a local movie theater. 

Edsel was drafted in November 1943 at the age of 18. After training at Camp Croft, South Carolina and elsewhere he was sent overseas and may have arrived in England in time to be assigned to B Company 116th Infantry prior to the D-Day landings on 6 Jun 1944. His first mention in the unit morning reports is when he is reported as having been MIA on 30 Aug 1944. It was later determined that he had in fact been killed in action on 30 Aug 1944 as the unit attacked German forces holding Brest, France. 

PVT Willard rests forever in the Brittany American Cemetery.

Uncle, Billie Newton Willard, served as a PVT in the 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division, and was killed in action in the vicinity of Luppy on 10 Nov 1944. Brother, Jack Leland Willard would retire as a U.S. Army SGM.