SGT Ozro Thurston Whitacre

SGT Ozro Thurston Whitacre was born 9 Jan 1923 in Coffeyville, Kansas. He was the 4th of the 7 children born to Robert English and Thora Mae (Anderson) Whitacre. His father did odd jobs and mother worked as a laundress in Coffeyville and then his father worked on a Works Progress Administration road crew earning a reported 1939 income of $288. Ozro worked as a orchestral musician in 1940 before going to work at the Crane Packing Company in Chicago, Illinois. 

Ozro was drafted in 1943 and sent to England after completing his basic military training. PVT Whitacre was transferred from the replacement depot to A Company 116th Infantry on 7 Jul 1944 when the unit was in the fight to seize the important road junction city of Saint-Lo, France. He must have demonstrated leadership as well as military competence because Ozro was promoted to SGT on 25 Jul 1944 as the unit approached Vire, France. He fought with the unit until 30 Jul 1944 when he suffered a non-battle injury and went to hospital. He was returned to the unit on 4 Aug as it completed the liberation of Vire. SGT Whitacre then was with the unit as it progressed up the Brittany peninsual and in the fight for Brest, France. SGT Whitacre was killed in action on 14 Sep 1944. 

SGT Whitacre rests among other heroes in the Brittany American Cemetery.

Ozro's brother, Robert Anderson Whitacre, also served as a SGT in the U.S. Army during the war.