SGT William Lewis Rucker

SGT William Lewis Rucker was born 29 Aug 1916 in Botetourt County, Virginia. He was the 3rd of the 4 children born to Frank Milton Rucker and his first wife, Dola Jane (Myers) Rucker. His father farmed for others. His mother died from the influenza in January 1919. His father married her younger sister, Lula Bell Myers in late 1920. The couple would have 6 children. Many family members moved to Forsyth County in North Carolina. William married Nancy Ann Merritt in November 1939. The couple lived on Winston Salem Road in Lewisville, North Carolina and William worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

William was drafted in November 1942 and went first to Camp Croft, South Carolina. After completing basic training PVT Rucker was sent to England and assigned to G Company 116th Infantry. He trained with the unit for the planned amphibious assault that was to be part of the effort to liberate occupied France. PFC Rucker was wounded on D-Day, 6 Jun 1944 and evacuated to hospital. He didn't return to the unit until  29 Jul 1944 as the unit approached Vire. He fought in the liberation of Vire and at Brest. It was at Brest that he was promoted to SGT on 17 Sep 1944. He was killed in action in the fighting at Aachen, Germany on 15 Oct 1944.

SGT Rucker was repatriated in 1951 and re-interred in the Forsyth Memorial Park in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

His half-brothers also served. Russell Owen Rucker, served in the U.S. Army 1943-1945. Henry Jackson Rucker and James Milton Rucker both served as CPLs in the U.S. Army in Korea.