PFC Alva Jackson Knight

PFC Alva Jackson Knight was born 25 Nov 1922 in Sand Fork, West Virginia the second of three sons of Lloyd Byrle and Clarice Opal (Moore) Knight.  His father worked as a teamster and as a coal miner.

Alva had completed high school and was working as a farm hand when he was drafted in April 1943.  After his training he was sent to England and assigned to B Company 116th Infantry.  He trained with that unit for the amphibious assault that would begin the invasion of "fortress Europe".  PFC Knight was reported missing in action in that effort on 6 Jun 1944 but was later confirmed to have been killed in action on that date. 

PFC Knight was repatriated and is now buried in the K of P Cemetery in Burnsville, West Virginia.

Older brother, Ulyssis Andrew Knight, served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1942-1946.

PFC Clarence Edward Peck

PFC Clarence Edward Peck was born 27 Feb 1918 in Cedar Bluff, Virginia. He was the 4th of 7 children born to John Michael and Eunice Myrtle (Thompson) Peck. His father farmed in the New Garden area of Russell County, Virginia on Kent Ridge along State Route 640. Clarence was reported as working at farming on the 1940 census, most likely for the Stuart Land and Cattle Company (which today controls 20,000 acres in Russell County).

Clarence was drafted in May 1941 and due to policies in effect at the time was assigned to D Company 116th Infantry at Fort Meade, Maryland. He then participated in all the training the company underwent at Fort Meade, Camp A.P. Hill, Virginia, in the Carolina maneuvers and at Camp Blanding, Florida. The unit boarded the Queen Mary and sailed for England in September 1942 and PVT Peck was with them. It was during their training for the amphibious landings planned for the invasion of occupied Europe that Clarence was promoted to PFC. PFC Peck was killed in action in the landings at Omaha Beach on 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Peck rests forever with many of his comrades from the 116th Regiment at the Normandy American Cemetery.

PVT Robert C. Reece

PVT Robert C. Reece was born 4 May 1924 in Buffalo, New York. He was the 3rd of 6 children born to Earl Leroy and Wilhemina (Berns) Reece. His paternal grandparents had immigrated from Canada and his maternal grandparents had immigrated from Germany. His father had worked as a traveling salesman for a soap manufacturer but by 1940 was working for the Works Progress Administration. The family was renting at 139 Forest Avenue in Buffalo.

Robert was drafted in February 1943. After his basic military training he was sent to England and assigned to A Company 116th Infantry where he trained for the amphibious assault planned for the Normandy coast of occupied France. He took part in that attack and was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944.

PVT Reece was repatriated in 1947 and re-interred in the Acacia Park Cemetery in North Tonawanda, New York.

CPL Walter Edward Broscious

courtesy of Bessie Savery

CPL Walter Edward Broscious was born 31 Dec 1918 in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania the first child of Frank Otto and Mary E. (Kanok) Broscious.  His father worked as a coal miner and as a house painter.  Frank was a veteran of the World War I.  Walter completed 2-years of high school and also worked at a coal mine.

Walter was drafted in February 1942. After training, Walter was sent overseas and assigned to M Company 116th Infantry.  He was with that unit on 6 Jun 1944 when he was killed in action while participating in the amphibious assault on French beaches in Normandy.

CPL Broscious is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.

PVT Howard Ogden

PVT Howard Ogden was born 19 Dec 1924 in Amherst County, Virginia to Hugh Oliver and Myra Jane (Ogden) Ogden.  His parents were 1st cousins.  Of their 8 children only Howard and his older brother, Rader Mathias Ogden (later Reverend) served during WWII. His father worked in a paper mill.  Howard's mother died in 1933 but his father did not remarry until 1944.  Howard never married.

Howard was drafted in July 1943 and actually entered service in Roanoke, Virginia.  He was sent overseas and assigned to F Company 116th Infantry prior to D-Day.  At first recorded as missing in action, his status was changed to killed in action on 6 Jun 1944. 

In 1948 his body was repatriated and he now rests forever in Green Hill Cemetery in Rockbridge County, Virginia.

SSG Earl Lloyd Parker

SSG Earl Lloyd Parker was born 22 Jan 1914 in Bedford County, Virginia. He was the 2nd of 5 children born to Joseph Ernest and Eula Grace (Arrington) Parker. The family farmed. Earl graduated from Bedford High School and went to work for Piedmont Label Company making labels for canned goods. He was said to enjoy hunting and baseball.

Earl joined the National Guard unit in Bedford, A Company 116th Infantry and was a PFC in the unit when it was federalized in February 1941. He then trained with the unit at Fort Meade, Maryland and Camp Blanding, Florida before sailing with the unit aboard the Queen Mary to England in September 1942. Before leaving he would marry Annie Viola Shrader on 26 Jan 1942. Once in England he trained with the unit for the planned amphibious invasion of occupied France. Operation Overlord's amphibious landing at Omaha Beach began the morning of 6 Jun 1944 and SSG Parker was killed in action on that day. 1LT Ray Nance told Annie that SSG Parker had been struck by a mortar shell and his body washed out to sea.

SSG Parker is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Normandy American Cemetery and there is a cenotaph in his memory in Oakwood Cemetery in Bedford, Virginia.

Earl was the only "Bedford Boy" who was a father. He and Viola had a daughter, Mary Daniel Parker, born to them on 16 Feb 1943. Earl had only seen photos of his daughter. Earl's younger brother, PVT Joseph Ernest Parker Jr, would be killed in action on 27 Aug 1944 while serving with C Company 116th Infantry. Their younger brother, William Eugene Parker, was captured and held as a prisoner of war at Stalag 7A Moosburg Bavaria 48-12 (Work Camps 3324-46 Krumbachstrasse 48011, Work Camp 3368 Munich 48-11).

Links:
- National D-Day Memorial

PFC Charles Robert Milliron

PFC Charles Robert Milliron was born 4 Feb 1919 in Roanoke, Virginia. He was the 2nd of 6 children born to George Dillard and Nettie May (Howell) Milliron. His father worked a variety of jobs and in 1940 Charles was working for the Works Projects Administration (W.P.A.) on road construction.

It is likely that Charles, like many other young men, had enlisted in his local National Guard unit for the $1 a day it paid for drilling every Tuesday night and for 2 weeks every summer. Charles was federalized in February 1941 with his unit, D Company 116th Infantry. He trained with the unit at Fort Meade, Maryland and Camp Blanding, Florida before shipping out for England in September 1942. Once in England he continued to train with the unit, now for the planned amphibious landing that would be part of the invasion of northern occupied France. That landing took place on 6 Jun 1944 and PFC Milliron was killed in action on that day.

PFC Milliron rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.

Brother, Alfred Wiley Milliron, served in the U.S. Army. Great-grandfather, Alexander Blueford Milliron, was a PVT in the Bedford Light Artillery, and died of wounds in Richmond, VA in 1864.

PVT Joseph Morris Feinberg

PVT Joseph Morris Feinberg was born 29 Oct 1915 in New York, New York son of Abraham Feinberg, a Russian immigrant. He worked as a shoe salesman. Joseph was a member of the New York National Guard, C Company 9th Regiment, but was dropped from the rolls for failure to attend drills. 

When drafted in June 1943, Joseph was working as a typesetter.  He was sent overseas and assigned to Headquarters Company 1st Battalion 116th Infantry and trained for the amphibious assault on the French beaches.  PVT Feinberg was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944.

PVT Feinberg is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.

PFC Robert Barajas Reyes

courtesy of Row Walker

PFC Robert Barajas Reyes was born 12 Jul 1923 in Los Angeles County, California. He was the 2nd of 7 children born to Francisco and Cecelia (Barajas) Reyes. He was probably born as "Roberto" and his name anglicized in common use. Both parents were natives of Mexico and had married in Arizona. His father supported the family working on farms and by 1940 Robert and his older brother Manuel were doing the same. The 3 men, Francisco, Manuel and Robert, reported a 1939 income of $600, $500 and $500 respectively. The family of 9 was paying $2 a month rent.

Robert was drafted in March 1943. After his basic military training he was sent to England and assigned to B Company 116th Infantry. He trained with the unit for the amphibious landing that was to be part of the invasion of occupied Europe. PFC Reyes was killed in action in that landing on 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Reyes was repatriated in 1949 and re-interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Fresno, California.

TSGT Ralph Hoyte Hubbard

TSGT Ralph Hoyte Hubbard was born 20 Apr 1917 in Wise County, Virginia the only surviving child of Henry Floyd and Martha Lucinda (Bolling) Hubbard.  He was likely a 3rd or 4th cousin to Ezra Hubbard. The family farmed. In 1940 his father was working for the state highway department and Ralph was working as a salesman.  Ralph had a reported 1939 income of $210. 

Ralph had completed 2-years of college and was working as a salesman when he was drafted in May 1941.  After his initial training he was sent to England perhaps having already been assigned to C Company 116th Infantry.  He was with that unit on D-Day as the unit was one of the companies of the 116th Infantry making the amphibious assault on Hitler's "fortress Europe".  TSGT Hubbard died that day, killed in action on 6 Jun 1944.

Repatriated after the war, TSGT Hubbard was buried in the Banner Bolling Cemetery in Pound, Virginia. 

SSG Clarence Edward Roberson

courtesy of Darrell Landrum

SSG Clarence Edward Roberson was born 26 Oct 1920 in Campbell County, Virginia. He was the eldest of the 12 children born to William Kyle and Mary Joanna (Lerner) Roberson. His father was working as a cutter in a local shoe factory owned by the Craddock Tevay Shoe Corporation. His father reported a 1939 income of $900 to support the family while paying $5 monthly rent for a home on Patterson Mill Road outside Brookville, Virginia. That same year Clarence made $420 working in a shirt factory.

As with many members of the National Guard at the time, Clarence enlisted in a National Guard unit in Lynchburg, Virginia for the $1 a day pay (approximately $66 a year) and was a member of B Company 116th Infantry. PVT Roberson was mobilized with the unit in February 1941 and departed for training at Fort Meade, Maryland. He then trained with the unit in the "Carolina Maneuvers" and at Camp Blanding, Florida before shipping out for England aboard the Queen Mary in September 1942. Once in England the Regiment trained for the amphibious operation that was intended to be part of the invasion of occupied Europe. SGT Roberson was promoted to SSG on 5 Jun 1944. He was killed in action in the amphibious assault on the beach code-named Omaha at Vierville-sur-mer on 6 Jun 1944.

SSG Roberson was repatriated 1949 and re-interred in Fort Hill Memorial Park (formerly Fort Hill Burial Park) in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Clarence's brothers also served during WW2. William Kyle Roberson Jr served as a COX in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Casa Grande in the Pacific Theater. Thomas Preston Robertson served as an F2c aboard the USS Sylvania, also in the Pacific Theater. Howard Raymond Roberson served in the U.S. Army 1948-1952.

1LT Emil Winkler

1LT Emil Winkler was born in Peshtigo, Wisconsin on 11 May 1921. He was the 6th of the 7 children born to Frederick and Rose Amunda (Kuntz) Winkler. The parents and 2 oldest children were natives of Poland. Emil's father farmed near Peshtigo. About 1923 Rose left the family and married Edward Herman Hipke with whom she had 2 more children. The marriage didn't last and she moved back with Frederick where she was listed as his housekeeper on the 1930 census and the 2 young children were listed as his step-children. Emil left his confused family situation in 1939 by enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps. 

While stationed at Napier Field in Dale County, Alabama Emil met and married Shirley Elizabeth Stinebaugh in May 1942. The couple would have a son born in Austin, Texas near another duty station although we don't know which it was. Emil then attended Officer Candidate School. We do not know where he served but he was a 1LT when he was assigned to B Company 116th Infantry on 1 Jun 1944 as one of the officers added to the companies in the hopes of ensuring that enough leaders survived the assault to continue the push inland. 1LT Emil Winkler is killed in action in the assault, shot dead on the beach after landing.  

1LT Emil Winkler was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in the Riverside Cemetery in Peshtigo, Wisconsin where he now lies between his mother and father. 

As noted in the newspaper report of his loss his brother Adolph served in the Merchant Marine and his sister Ruth served in the Navy (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service or WAVES) but we do not know any of the specifics of their service. Half-brother Ervin William Hipke Winkler served as a Coxswain aboard the LCI(L)-733 in the Pacific Theater. Shirley remarried and her husband adopted their son who did a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy.

PFC Albert Denton Wingate

PFC Albert Denton Wingate was born 18 Sep 1917 in Grayson County, Virginia. He was the 7th of the 9 children born to John Poindexter and Daisy Belle (Lyons) Wingate. For a while the family lived in Old Town, Virginia and Albert's father drove a truck for a local sawmill. Sometime before the stock market crash the family moved to LaGrange, Georgia where Albert's father worked as a logger and rented a home at 810 Truitt Avenue for $1 a month. Older sister, Ella Maude, who was working in a cotton mill, died in 1929. The Great Depression may have changed things for the family and they left Georgia living first in North Carolina and then in Henry County, Virginia. Whatever the family's circumstances, Albert's education did not progress beyond grammar school. He married Sarah Lucille Daniel of Hogansville, Georgia and the couple had 2 sons. However, Albert found work in a cotton mill owned by Marshall Field and Company in Fieldale, Virginia earning a reported $458 in 1939 and lived with his parents there while Sarah and the boys lived with her widowed father in High Shoals, North Carolina and Sarah worked in a cotton mill there.

Albert was drafted in May 1941. He was almost certainly sent to Fort George Meade, Maryland for initial training and assigned to A Company 116th Infantry there. He then trained with the regiment in Maryland, in the Carolina maneuvers near Fort Bragg and at Camp Blanding, Florida before boarding the Queen Mary in September 1942 and sailing to England. Once in England the entire regiment began a period of intense training that soon turned to preparation for the amphibious assault that was planned in the effort to liberate France. PFC Wingate took part in that assault and was shot and killed in action on 6 Jun 1944 at Vierville-sur-mer, France. 

PFC Wingate was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in Roselawn Burial Park in Martinsville, Virginia near where is family then lived in Henry County, Virginia.

PVT Clyde Edward Moore

courtesy of Frederick Carter

PVT Clyde Edward Moore was born 16 Sep 1919 in Castlewood, Virginia. He was the 4th of 6 children born to Walter Riley and Nannie Virginia (Dean) Moore. His father was a coal miner who died of lobar pneumonia in July 1930. Nannie then married William Gordon Jessee, a farmer near Castlewood. Clyde enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps and was assigned to Company 3361 at Camp Brown Gap near Grottoes, Virginia.

Clyde was drafted in May 1941. Like others drafted in this time period he was sent to a fairly close post and assigned to D Company 116th Infantry. He would have trained with the unit at Fort Meade, Maryland and Camp Blanding, Florida before being sent to England aboard the Queen Mary in September 1942. In England the unit trained for the amphibious landings that would be part of the invasion of occupied Europe. That assault finally took place on 6 Jun 1944 and PVT Moore was killed in action on that day.

PVT Moore was repatriated and re-interred in Temple Hill Memorial Park in Castlewood, Virginia near his mother.

CPL Atlas Elwood Wright

 

CPL Atlas Elwood Wright was born 3 Jul 1919 in Gasburg, Virginia. He was the 3rd of the 4 children born to Leonard Hope and Winnie Ann (Whitby) Wright. His father farmed for others before buying his own farm in the Meherrin District in Brunswick County, Virginia. Atlas' younger brother, Aruby, died of scarlet fever at the age of 3 in 1931. Then his father began working in one of the cotton or textile mills in the area and both Atlas and his father were doing that work in 1940 with Atlas working for the Rosemary Manufacturing Company in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina about 15 miles away while his father worked for the Roanoke Mill Company in the same town. Atlas had only a grammar school education.

Atlas was drafted in May 1941. He initially went to Fort George Meade, Maryland and it was while there that he was probably assigned to A Company 116th Infantry. He then trained with the unit at Fort Meade, in the Carolina Maneuvers near Fort Bragg and at Camp Blanding, Florida before being sent to England in September 1942. Once there he trained with the unit in preparation for the amphibious assault that was planned as a part of the effort to liberate Nazi occupied France. A Company was the lead element in that assault and landed exactly where they were supposed to on the beach which was heavily defended and suffered numerous casualties. CPL Wright was killed in action on that day, 6 Jun 1944. 

CPL Wright was repatriated and re-interred in Wright's at Woodview Cemetery in Brunswick County, Virginia.

PFC Thomas Newman Ward Jr

courtesy of Lisa Squared

PFC Thomas Newman Ward Jr. was born 31 Dec 1917 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the 2nd of 3 children and only son born to Thomas Newman and Anna C. (Cranston) Ward. His father was a machinist and the family lived in the home they owned at 207 Wolfe Street in Philadelphia. The family suffered a tragedy in 1922 when Anna died of influenza just a month after giving birth to Thomas' younger sister. Paternal aunt, Catherine Kelly, moved into the household to raise the children. Due to the depression his father worked at other jobs to support his family and the value of the house declined from $3500 in 1930 to $2200 in 1940 when his father was earning $1500 a year working in a chemical plant owned by Harshaw Chemical Company. Young Thomas managed to complete high school and was also working at the chemical plant and made just as much as his father. 

Thomas volunteered for the Army in November 1942. After completing his basic military training he was sent to England in June 1943 and was assigned to F Company 116th Infantry. He then trained with the unit for the amphibious landing that was planned as an element in the liberation of Nazi occupied France. PFC Ward took part in that landing on 6 Jun 1944 when he was killed in action. 

PFC Ward rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.

PFC Noel Oakley Price

PFC Noel Oakley Price was born 13 Jun 1915 in Appomattox County, Virginia. He was the 4th of the 8 children born to Oscar William and Lillie Mae (Baldwin) Price. His father first farmed in Charlotte County, Virginia then worked at a saw mill in Appomattox County before going to work for the Works Projects Admininstration on highway construction reporting a 1939 income of $300. Noel was working as a carpenter for the Burruss Land and Lumber Company in 1940 and reported a 1939 income of $624 which no doubt was a big help in supporting the 5 family members then in the household. Noel had only completed grammar school.

Noel was drafted in May 1941 and like other draftees of that period was sent to a regional training center. For him this was Fort Meade, Maryland and he was then assigned to A Company 116th Infantry. He trained with the unit there, in the Carolina Maneuvers and at Camp Blanding, Florida before being sent to England aboard the Queen Mary. In England the unit trained for the amphibious landing that was to be part of the invasion of Nazi occupied Europe. PFC Price was killed in action in that attack on 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Price is buried with many of his fellow Stonewallers in the Normandy American Cemetery.

One of his 3 brothers, Hubert Lee Price, also served in the U.S. Army during WW2, rising to the rank of T5.

SGT Tyrus Heber Tisdale

SGT Tyrus Heber Tisdale was born 13 Oct 1913 in Madison County, Virginia. He was the 2nd of the 3 sons born to Bennie Heber and Gertrude Eleanor (Daniel) Tisdale. The family farmed near Barboursville on land they owned along Burnley Road which was valued at $4000 in 1940. Tyrus graduated from high school in 1932. In that year Bennie was still farming but Gertrude was earning $720 as a public school teacher and Tyrus was sporadically working in a steel mill, he had only earned $300 in 1939. He said that he was working for himself when he registered for the draft in 1940. 

Tyrus was drafted in May 1941. Due to the policy at that time it was at this time that he was sent to Fort George Meade, Maryland and assigned to H Company 116th Infantry. The regiment was already training there after mobilizing in February 1941. He then trained with the unit there, in the Carolina Maneuvers near Fort Bragg and at Camp Blanding, Florida. He was with the unit when it sailed for England aboard the Queen Mary and trained with the unit in England for the amphibious landing that was planned to liberate occupied France. He must have demonstrated leadership and soldier skills because he was promoted to SGT before the regiment boarded for the amphibious assault. SGT Tisdale was killed in action in that assault on 6 Jun 1944. 

SGT Tisdale was repatriated and re-interred in the family plot in the Graham Cemetery in Orange, Virginia.

PFC George Thomson

PFC George Thomson was born 3 Nov 1922 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of the 4 children born to Robert Mathew and Wilhelmina (Strachan) Thomson. Both parents were natives of Scotland and had immigrated in 1911 and 1912 with their older children. His father worked as an instructor in health and hygiene. His 2 sisters became nurses and his brother became a doctor and surgeon. In 1940 the family was living at 40 Concord Avenue in Milton, Massachusetts, a home owned by his father and valued at $7500 at that time. George was still a student when he registered for the draft in 1942 and he managed to complete 2-years of college.

George volunteered for the Army in February 1943. After enlisting and completing his basic military training he was sent to England and assigned to A Company 116th Infantry. He then trained with the unit as they prepared for the amphibious invasion of Nazi occupied France. PFC Thomson took part in that amphibious assault on the morning of 6 Jun 1944 when he was killed in action on Omaha Beach.

PFC Thomson rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.

PFC William Gray Perdue

courtesy of Karl Clendening

PFC William Gray Perdue was born 1 Aug 1923 in Roanoke, Virginia. He was the eldest of the 3 children born to William Harrison and Stella Gray (Crowe). His father worked as a mechanic at a garage and was later the proprietor of a gas station reporting a 1939 income of $900. The family owned their home at 677 Peters Creek/Route 3 in Salem, Virginia. William was able to graduate from Andrew Lewis High School and then be employed.

William was drafted in January 1943. After his initial military training he was sent to England and assigned to A Company 116th Infantry. He was with the unit for the final phases of training for the amphibious landing that took place at Vierville-sur-mer, France on the beach code-named "Omaha". PFC Perdue was killed in action in that assault on 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Perdue was repatriated and re-interred in the Sherwood Burial Park in Salem, Virginia.

PFC Daniel Brunke Schmidt

PFC Daniel Brunke Schmidt was born 1 Oct 1913 in Cherry County, Nebraska. He was the eldest of the 5 children born to Harmon Brunke "Harm" and Mary Ellen (Osgood) Schmidt. 5-year old sister Elizabeth died in 1921. His father was a rancher who died unexpectedly in 1922 when one of his horses kicked him in the head. His mother married a man who had been their hired hand, Fred Mittendorf, who was a native of Germany. Mary and Fred had 2 more children and continued to live on the ranch. In 1940 Daniel was working for Lewis Anderson as a ranch hand. His family moved from the Cherry county ranch to Ulysses, Nebraska in 1942. He then went to work as a contractor and carpenter at the Alliance Army Air Base.

Daniel was drafted in November 1942. 3 months after entering the service he was sent to England and assigned to F Company 116th Infantry. He trained with the unit for the planned amphibious landing that was to be a part of the effort to liberate Nazi occupied Europe. PFC Schmidt was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Schmidt was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in the Sterling Cemetery in Sterling Nebraska.

Daniel's brother-in-law, LT(jg) Cecil Leroy Smith, and half-brother, PFC Fred Mittendorf Jr., were both serving at the time of Daniel's death.

PFC Thomas Henry Williams

courtesy of MAJ Jimmy Cotton

PFC Thomas Henry Williams was born 19 Aug 1917 in Troutdale, Virginia. He was the first of Walter Johnson and Dora Geneva (Pierce) Williams' 8 children. His father supported the family by farming in Grayson County, Virginia, at first on rented land and then on his own farm. Thomas and his siblings certainly helped their father and Thomas was able to attend 3-years of high school before going to work full-time. That is, in the economy of the time, it was difficult for Thomas to find full-time employement.

Thomas was drafted in May 1941. In accordance with policy at this time in the war he was sent to Fort George Meade, Maryland for processing and assigned to A Company 116th Infantry. PVT Williams then trained with the unit there and near Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Camp Blanding, Florida before sailing to England with the unit in September 1942. Once in England he trained with his company as it prepared for the amphibious invasion of Nazi occupied France. PFC Williams took part in that assault on 6 Jun 1944 and was killed in action on that day.

PFC Williams rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.

Great-grandfather, David Crockett Williams, served as a PVT in A Company 34th North Carolina Infantry (CSA) wounded at Chancellorsville, captured and interned at Point Lookout.

SSG Maurice Miller Williams

SSG Maurice Miller Williams was born 25 Aug 1917 in Vienna, Virginia. He was the youngest of the 13 children born to Howard Milton and Leah Colmore (Cornell) Williams. His father farmed in Fairfax County, Virginia. Maurice (pronounced "Morris") completed just 3-years of high school before he began work as a gas station attendant and played amateur baseball. He might have found a position as a Richmond City policeman in early 1941 but that job wasn't going to last very long.

Unlike many of the senior NCOs in the 116th Infantry, Maurice had not been in the National Guard at the beginning of the war. He was drafted in May 1941, soon after the 116th's units had been federalized and sent to Fort George Meade, Maryland. In accordance with the policy at the time he was drafted, PVT Williams was sent there as well. Once assigned to A Company 116th Infantry, PVT Williams was with the unit as it conducted training at Fort Meade, near Fort Bragg, North Carolina and at Camp Blanding, Florida. He was with the unit when it sailed for England aboard the Queen Mary. His unit was sent to Tidworth Barracks near Stonehenge and began a period of intense training. It was soon apparent to the command that so much training without recreation wasn't good for morale and among other things, an American baseball league was begun. The 116th formed a baseball team in the summer of 1943and Williams  was chosen as pitcher on the 20-man roster. The Yankees had a 27-game winning streak and entered the 1943 ETO World Series. Although they were considered underdogs the 116th Infantry Regiment Yankees fought off the competition and won the ETO World Series. Military necessity then required that the pace of training again increase to prepare the 116th for the coming amphibious assault. It says something for his leadership skills or military competency that Maurice would achieve the rank of SSG before June 1944. SSG Williams was killed in action in that amphibious assault on 6 Jun 1944. 

SSG Williams rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.

Older brother, Virgil Vivian Williams, served as a PVT in A Battery 110th Field Artillery Regiment, 29th Division in France during WWI. Brother, Allen Howard Williams, also served as a PVT in France during WWI.

PVT Claude Vernon Bray

PVT Claude Vernon Bray was born 15 Oct 1918 to John William and Rena Ann (Todd) Bray of Polk, Missouri.  His father was a farmer who died in 1930. Rena remarried and the children lived with her and their step-father, Edward Snyder.  However, it was the older brothers who are actually the farmers in the 1940 census. 

Claude entered service on 29 Jun 1943.  He was shipped overseas and assigned to 1st Platoon B Company 116th Infantry with which unit he attempted the assault on 6 Jun 1944 but he was killed on that day.  PVT Bray is buried in Montrose Cemetery in Greenville, Illinois. 

Brothers Clifford Earl Bray and  Manford A Bray also served. 

Soldiers without any biography...

While our intent is to provide a short biography and photos of soldiers of the 116th (mostly those who died in service) but with veterans of the Great War (World War I) we will have soldiers for whom and about whom we can find no information other than Rank, Name (and not always much of that), and date of death.  If you can help with that we'd be most grateful but of course nobody would know with which soldiers we need help unless we provide a list.  This is that list.  It should go without saying that we will update as we get information on those listed by posting a biography on them or by adding those as we discover them in this project.

PVT Satarino Fabricatose,  D-116th, KIA 8 Oct 1918*
PVT Alexander Pionski, D-116th, DOW, 22 Oct 1918
PVT Giovanni Santo, G-116th, KIA, 9 Oct 1918

PVT Joseph A. Crane, H-116th, DOW, 17 Jul 1944
PVT James D. Roberts, B-116th, KIA, 24 Apr 1945
PVT James A. Thompson, G-116th, KIA, 7 Jun 1944

PS - If you have information, feel free to comment on this post which will make that information easy to find.  If you need more genealogical assistance with someone you believe was a soldier in the Stonewall Brigade, i.e. the 116th Infantry Regiment or one of its ancestral units we will be glad to help if we can. Alternatively you can contact us through the 116th Infantry Regiment Foundation web site Contact page.

* New information has come to light and further research is being done to complete a memorial.