PFC William Barry Alexander

PFC William Barry Alexander was born 7 Jul 1911 to Parks Watson and Martha Caroline (Kennedy) Alexander of Cherokee County, Alabama.  The family soon moved to Menlo, Georgia where Parks worked as a deliveryman.  In 1930, William was working in a rayon mill. 

When William was drafted in December 1942 he is noted as being divorced with dependents. His father died just a bit over 6-months later.  William was assigned to F Company 116th Infantry on 23 Jul 1944 being transferred from the replacement depot. PFC Alexander was killed in action on 7 Aug 1944. 

Repatriated in 1948, PFC Alexander is buried in Chattanooga National Cemetery. 

PFC Henry A. Nichols

courtesy of Martha Ladd

PFC Henry A. Nichols was born 5 Jan 19195 in Henagar, Alabama. He was the first-born of 8 children of William Chester and Lou Ella (Romines) Nichols. His father worked as a coal miner. Henry had only managed to complete grammar school before beginning work. In 1941 he was working in the manufacture of leather goods.

Henry was drafted in August 1941. It is unknown where or with what unit(s) he served before being transferred from the replacement depot to E Company 116th Infantry on 22 Jun 1944. PFC Nichols was killed in action on 12 Jul 1944.

PFC Nichols was repatriated and re-interred in the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Henry had 3 brothers who also served. T5 Harrison Franklin Nichols served in A Company 847th Engineer Battalion; James Robert Nichols served as a PVT in the U.S. Army; Willard Lester Nichols served as a T5 in the U.S. Army.

PVT John Henry Ficken Jr.

PVT John Henry Ficken Jr was born 6 Feb 1925 to John Henry and Mary G. (Barkley) Ficken of Chattanooga, Tennessee. John Sr. was a carpenter.

John Jr. was drafted in June 1943.  Sent overseas, he was assigned to H Company 116th Infantry.  On D-Day, 6 Jun 1944, he was killed in action participating in the amphibious assault. 

PVT Ficken was returned to the U.S. and is buried in Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

PFC Victor Louis Culberson

PFC Victor Louis Culberson was born 26 Jan 1918 in Nashville, Tennessee to Veni Lois and Lucille (Ray) Culberson as was his twin sister, Louise Culberson.  Their mother died in 1919 being survived by their father and older sister, Marguerite Lucille Culberson.  Immediately after their mother's death they lived with her parents in Alabama but moved to live with their father and his second wife as well as their cousin/adopted brother.  V. L. worked as a postal inspector and was doing so in 1930 in Meridian, Mississippi. 

After Victor entered the service he received medical training and was then sent overseas to England.  Assigned first to Medical Detachment 116th Infantry and from that unit attached to C Company 116th Infantry he was with C Company on D-Day.  He was killed in action in the landing on 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Culberson was returned in 1947 and is buried in the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee.