PFC Milton Raymond Bailey

PFC Milton Raymond Bailey was born abt 1924 to Frederick and Nellie (Horigan) Bailey. His father was a plumber.  Nellie died in 1939, Fred in 1941.

After entering the service and receiving medic training Milton was sent overseas and assigned Medical Detachment 116th Infantry and attached to Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry.  He was relieved of attachment and returned to the Medical Detachment on 18 Jul 1944.  Promoted to PFC on 13 Nov 1944, PFC Bailey was killed in action on 22 Nov 1944.

PFC Bailey is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery. 

PFC Gerald Kay Davis

PFC Gerald Kay Davis was born 28 Nov 1924 in Beaver Creek, Minnesota. He was the youngest of the six children of Harry Irven and Lavina (Hettinger) Davis. His father was a blacksmith who owned his home and business. Gerald or "Jerry" as the family called him, no doubt helped his father.

Jerry probably entered service sometime in 1943.  Trained as a medic and sent overseas he was assigned to Medical Detachment 116th Infantry and then attached to Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry.  On 1 Jun 1944 he was relieved from attachment and returned to the Medical Detachment and was with that unit on D-Day.  On 11 Jun 1944 he was attached to Headquarters Company 3rd Battalion 116th Infantry to work in their aid station.  On 18 Jul 1944 he was relieved from attachment and returned to Medical Detachment.  PFC Davis was killed in action on 31 Aug 1944. 

PFC Davis is buried in the Brittany American Cemetery.

SSG John Harry Dillon

SSG John Harry Dillon was born 10 Mar 1920 in Tazewell County, Virginia. He was the 4th of 7 children born to George Dee and Henrietta C (English) Dillon. His father had farmed his own land in the Gills Creek area of Franklin County, Virginia where the family had lived for many generations but later went to work as a spinner for a local rayon mill in Roanoke, Virginia for which he earned a reported $1248 in 1939. John married Agnes May Gordon in March 1938 and the couple had a daughter in September 1938. John was also able to find work in the area earning $369 in 1939 although he was only able to work 32 weeks in that year and Agnes worked as a checker in a steam laundry but money was probably in short supply for the family of 3 even though they were living with John's parents.

The need for additional income might have well have been a contributing factor in John's decision to enlist in the Virginia Army National Guard. He was still a PVT when the unit, Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry, was mobilized on 3 Feb 1941. Sent to Fort George Meade, Maryland for in-processing and initial training, the expectation was that this mobilization would end in a year. The attack by the Japanese on 7 Dec 1941 put and end to those hopes and PVT Dillon continued to train with his unit at Fort Meade, near Fort Bragg, North Carolina in the Carolina Maneuvers and at Camp Blanding, Florida. He then shipped out with the unit for England in September 1942. After their arrival in England, the unit began intense training for the planned amphibious assault on the German forces in Nazi occupied France. In March 1944 he suffered an infection and was hospitalized for a time before returning to his unit. John must have demonstrated leadership and soldier skills since mobilization because he had been promoted to SSG before 1 Jun 1944. He participated in the amphibious attack on 6 Jun 1944 and although wounded by artillery fire he remained on duty. He continued to fight with the unit through the bocage to Saint-Lo and Vire and was with his unit as it approached Brest, France. SSG Dillon was killed in action on 21 Aug 1944. 

SSG Dillon was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in the Mountain View Memorial Park in Rocky Mount, Virginia.

Several of John's great-grandfathers served during the Civil War. James Reed Dillon served as a PVT in A Company 53rd Virginia Infantry (CSA), Tyree Thomas Dillon served as PVT in F Company 57th Virginia Infantry (CSA), and George William English served as a CPL in D Company 24th Virginia Infantry (CSA)

PFC Harry Lamont Baughman

PFC Harry Lamont Baughman born 6 Feb 1919 in Fairfax County, Virginia to Harry Clarke and Albertine Emily (Bancroft) Baughman. The 3rd of 6 children, he undoubtedly helped on the family farm before working as a carpenter (most likely with his father) in the years before the war. 

Harry was drafted in April 1941.  Assigned to Anti-tank Company 116th Infantry he landed with the regiment on D-Day, fought in Normandy and was killed in action in the attack on Vire on 2 Aug 1944.  He rests overseas in the Brittany American Cemetery. 

PFC George Paul Conway

PFC George Paul Conway, b. 14 Sep 1922 - d. 2 Aug 1944. Son of Charles George and Mary Elizabeth (Foy) Conway of Roanoke, VA and husband of Mary Katherine Waldis of Princeton, WV. PFC Conway was serving with Anti-tank Company 116th Infantry when he was killed. He is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.

PFC Marsh Julian Jones

PFC Marsh Julian Jones was born as "Morse Julian Jones" on 17 Aug 1913 in Rainswood, Virginia to Eppa George and Anna Mirteen (Allison) Jones.  The family of 6 farmed in Richmond County. 

Marsh was drafted in April 1941.  At some point after his initial training, Marsh was assigned to Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry.  He trained with that unit in England for the amphibious assault on "fortress Europe" and was with the unit on 6 Jun 1944.  Marsh fought with the unti until 29 Jul 1944 when he was killed in action.

PFC Jones is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.  His father died 1 Oct 1944. His brother, George Wesley Jones served in the Army during the war. 

1LT James Robert Montgomery

courtesy of Frogman

1LT James Robert Montgomery was born 22 Nov 1915 in Frankfort, Kentucky. He was the 5th of 6 children born to Staiar Prittle and Mary Elizabeth (Thomlinson) Montgomery. Mary was Staiar's 2nd wife. Staiar worked as a clerk for an insurance company and later for Kentucky and the State Auto Board. In 1930 James had started his work life as a newsboy. He managed to attend 2 years of college and like his father, had worked as a bookkeeper/clerk.

James was drafted in October 1941. With his college education he likely was tagged to be an officer early on. After attending the Officer Candidate Course he likely had other assignments before being sent to England where he was assigned as one of the plus-ups to Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry on 4 Jun 1944. He landed with that unit in the amphibious assault on Omaha Beach on 6 Jun 1944. He continued to fight with the AT Company until 24 Jun 1944 when he was reassigned to I Company 116th Infantry to serve as a Platoon Leader. 1LT Montgomery was killed in action on 12 Jul 1944.

1LT Montgomery now rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery. There is also a cenotaph for James in the Georgetown Cemetery in Georgetown, Kentucky.

James had 2 brothers who also served in the war. Older brother Harry Winn Montgomery served as a PFC in the U.S. Army. Younger brother Henry Partloe Montgomery also served as a 1LT in the U.S. Army in the European theater. The latter is not to be confused with their half-brother by their father's first wife, Henry Partlow Montgomery.

CPL Vincent Dimitry Jurisich

courtesy of Mike & Bushy Hartman

CPL Vincent Dimitry Jurisich was born 7 Nov 1918 in Olga, Louisiana to Joseph and Dominica (Bujacich) Jurisich.  Born in Dalmatia, his father made his living fishing all things, that is he was a waterman.  In 1940 Vincent is recorded on the census as working as an oysterman.

However, Vincent was working as a truck driver when he was drafted in August 1941.  After his initial training he may have been assigned to Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry before the regiment shipped out for England in September 1942.  He was certainly with the unit in the amphibious assault at Omaha Beach on 6 Jun 1944.  On 11 Jul 1944 he was seriously wounded and evacuated to hospital where he died of his wounds on 12 Jul 1944.

CPL Jurisich was repatriated in 1948 and is buried with many family members in Saint Rochs Campo Santo #1 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

SSG Howard Luck Nichols

courtesy of Amanda Bishop Burns

SSG Howard Luck Nichols was born in Roanoke, Virginia on 23 Jan 1919. He was the 2nd child of 5 born to Jessie Harry and Nancy Mary (Hurt) Nichols. His father worked for the Norfolk and Western Railroad reporting a 1939 income of $1639. Howard was working as a truck driver for a produce wholesaler and had been unemployed for 13 weeks before finding that job. He had a 1939 income of only $159. At the time the family was living together in the home (valued at $2500) his father owned at 1030 Stewart Avenue in Roanoke. 

Howard was already a member of the National Guard when the unit was mobilized on 1 Feb 1941. As such he would have trained with the 116th Infantry at Fort Meade, Maryland and Camp Blanding, Florida before boarding the Queen Mary and sailing for England in September 1942. Once in England the unit soon began training for the amphibious assault on the beaches of occupied France. SSG Nichols was a part of that effort as a member of Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry. SSG Nichols was killed in action on 16 Jun 1944.

SSG Nichols was repatriated and re-interred in Fair View Cemetery in Roanoke, Virginia.

Brother, Herman Cable Nichols, served in the U.S. Navy 1943 to 1945 and brother, James Edward Nichols, served in the Navy.

SGT Manuel Eugene Weeks

SGT Manuel Eugene Weeks was born 30 Aug 1920 in Roanoke, Virginia. He was the 2nd of 6 children of Louis Tyree and Gertrude Elizabeth (Harper) Weeks. His father was a crane operator for Virginia Bridge Company and the family rented a home at 213 Glade Street in Vinton, Virginia. They later moved to 220 Braddock Street in the same town. Manuel lf=eft high school after 3-years and went to work as a telegraph messenger earning $260 in 1939 while his father earned $1300 that year. 

Money may have been one of the reasons that Manuel enlisted in the National Guard becoming a member of the Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry. He was a PVT when federalized with his unit in February 1941. He then trained with his unit at Fort George Meade, Maryland, in the Carolina maneuvers near for Bragg, North Carolina and at Camp Blanding, Florida. He went with the unit to England in September 1942 and once there trained with them as they prepared for the amphibious assault on Nazi occupied France. SGT Weeks fought with his unit on D-Day and after until he was struck by fragments from artillery fire and killed in action on 15 Jun 1944.

SGT Weeks is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.

Manuel was 2nd cousin to PVT Julian Joseph Weeks of G Company 116th Infantry.

PVT William Edward Newhouse

courtesy of Richard Boyer

PVT William Edward Newhouse was born 24 Jul 1923 in Library, Pennsylvania. He was the 4th of 6 children born to John Amon and Ellen Nellie (Hughes) Newhouse. His father worked as a coal miner and a quarryman who reported a 1939 income of $331. The family was paying $13 a month rent at that time. William was unemployed when he registered for the draft.

William was drafted in January 1943. After basic training he was sent to England and assigned to Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry. As a soldier in that unit he would have participated in training for the amphibious assault on occupied France. That action took place on 6 Jun 1944 at Omaha Beach on the coast of Normandy. PVT Newhouse was wounded 2 days later and died of his wound(s) on 9 Jun 1944.

PVT Newhouse was repatriated and re-interred in Jefferson Memorial Park in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania.

PFC Clarence William Bloxom Jr

PFC Clarence William Bloxom Jr. was born 19 Jul 1917 to Clarence William and Lacie Beulah (Taylor) Bloxom of Parksley, Virginia.  His father was a mechanic. 

Clarence was drafted in February 1942.  At the time he was living in Washington, D.C. and he was apparently working in a gas station.  At some point he was assigned to Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry and was with that unit when it embarked for the invasion of Europe.  He was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Bloxom is buried in Parksley Cemetery in Parksley, Virginia. 

PFC Donald E Burke

PFC Donald E Burke was born 23 Oct 1916 in New York (according to enlistment).  A resident of Washington, D.C. when he was drafted in February 1942.  Assigned to Anti-Tank Company 116th Infantry on D-Day, he was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944.

We do not know anything else about him.