SSG Daniel Paul Womack

 

SSG Daniel Paul Womack was born 30 Jun 1922 in Carter County, Kentucky. He was the 3rd child and eldest surviving son of Howard Earl and Anna Catherine (Tilghman) Womack. His father first farmed in Carter County and then moved his family to Lynchburg, Virginia where he worked in the paper mill and they lived in a house at 414 Ninth Street. Howard bought a home at 412 Walnut Street before 1935 which was valued at $1200 in 1940. Daniel had only completed 2-years of high school before he entered the work force, first in a shoe factory and in 1940 was working as manager of the local Western Union office. 

Daniel probably enlisted in B Company 116th Infantry because membership in the local national guard unit brought in added income. He was still a PVT when the unit was federalized in February 1941. He then trained with the unit at Fort George Meade, Maryland, in the Carolina Maneuvers near Fort Bragg and at Camp Blanding, Florida before going to England with the unit in September 1942. Once in England he then trained with the unit for the planned amphibious assault that was to be a part of the effort to liberate Nazi occupied France. In that time, PVT Womack was promoted to SSG and that was the rank he held on 6 Jun 1944 when he was killed in action in the amphibious assault at Omaha Beach. 

SSG Womack rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery. 

Daniel's brothers, William Douglas Womack and Clarence Estill Womack both served in the U.S. Navy during WW2. William as a EM1c aboard the USS Sciota (ATA-205) and Clarence as a GM3c aboard the USS Westmoreland (APA-104).

PFC Joe Will Pullen

courtesy of Bobby C.

PFC Joe Will Pullen was born 20 May 1912 in Boaz, Alabama. His given name at birth was probably "Joseph William" but he later would enter the army as "Joe Will". He was the 6th of the 10 children born to Joseph Allen and Elizabeth Gertrude Pullen. His father farmed.

Joe was drafted in December 1942. After his basic military training he was sent to England and assigned to A Company 116th Infantry. He trained with that unit for the planned amphibious assault that was to be part of the invasion of occupied France. It was while participating in that assault that PFC Pullen was shot in head and killed in action during the landing on 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Pullen was repatriated and re-interred in Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham, Alabama.

PVT Vincent James Mastrorilli

courtesy of Skip Farrow

PVT Vincent James Mastrorilli was born 8 Aug 1920 in Terlizzi, Italy.  He was the only son and first born of 4 children of Stanislas and Francesca (Bisceglia) Mastrorilli. His parents were also native Italians and the family immigrated in 1938 arriving aboard the SS Vulcania on 5 September of that year. Stanislas was a stone mason.

Vincent was living at 6 Purdy Street in Harrison, New York (in Westchester County) when he was drafted in April 1943.  Sent to Camp McClellan, Alabama he chose to apply for naturalization in October 1943.  At the time he was assigned to C Company 24th Battalion 7th Regiment Infantry Replacement Training Center. From there he was sent to England and assigned to E Company 116th Infantry.  He trained with the unit for the amphibious assault that was to be part of the invasion of occupied France.  He took part in that effort with E Company on 6 Jun 1944 and was wounded. Evacuated to England, he died of his wound(s).

PVT Mastrorilli rests forever in the Cambridge American Cemetery in Coton, England.

1LT Merle T Cummings

1LT Merle T Cummings, b. 1921 - d. 6 Jun 1944. Son of Sherod McClure and Ethel Vanetta (Wilson) of Paris, Illinois. Merle was a Sergeant in the Illinois National Guard on mobilization in 1941. By D-Day he was a First Lieutenant in D Company 116th Infantry. 1LT Cummings was survived by his parents and sister, Georgia Lucille (Cummings) Houk. Sadly, we do not know where he is buried and he may be one whose body was never recovered. This photo is from a 1938 high school annual.

SGT Joseph A. Felix

courtesy of FrogMan

SGT Joseph A. Felix was born 24 Oct 1910 in Erie, Pennsylvania to George Eugene and Rose (Krader) Felix.  His father worked as a machinist.  He died in 1931.  In 1930, Joseph was working as a laborer in an iron foundry.  Joseph reported a 1939 income of $1460. 

Joseph was drafted in June 1941.  On 20 Aug 1942 he married Virginia Mae Dawes.  Sent overseas soon thereafter, he was assigned to B Company 116th Infantry and trained with them to prepare for the planned amphibious assault on Hitler's "fortress Europe".  As it turned out that took place on 6 Jun 1944 on which day SGT Felix was killed in action being struck in the head by fragments from an artillery shell. 

SGT Felix is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.

2LT Herman G Hilscher

2LT Herman G Hilscher, b. 10 Oct 1918 - d. 6 Jun 1944, son of Joseph A and Louise (Ganzert) Hilscher. His father was a veteran of the Spanish American War and his brother Raymond was a Seaman 2nd Class serving in the Navy. We don't often find newspaper articles on our soldiers but of those we do find, this is pretty typical. 2LT Hilscher was serving with F Company 116th on D-Day and he rests at the the Normandy American Cemetery.

SGT Warner Hamlett described 2LT Hilscher's last moments:

As I was going straight towards the beach, I saw Lieutenant Hilscher go down on his knees as a shell exploded. He fell into the hole caused by the explosion. He died there on the beach.…

PVT George Robert Losey

PVT George Robert Losey was born 7 Oct 1924 in Ogdensburg, New York teh fourth of eight children of Arnold Deforrest and Lena May (LaMay) Losey. His parents had moved to St. Lawrence County, New York from Ontario, Canada. The family farmed. George's mother died in 1932. On 19 Jan 1942 he married Margaret Ida McDonald in Ogdensburg. George worked as a farm hand.

George was drafted in May 1943. After completing basic training he was sent to England and assigned to C Company 116th Infantry.  Margaret enlisted in the Women's Army Corps in April 1944. He was with the unit for the amphibious invasion of occupied France and was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944.

PVT Losey was repatriated and re-interred in the the Ogdensburg Cemetery in Ogdensburg, New York.  Margaret re-married and was honorably discharged as a PFC. The couple had no children.

Brother, Walter A. Losey, served in the Army 1944-1946. Brother Fred Losey served from 1948 to 1957.

PFC William Tolbert Boyd

PFC William Tolbert Boyd was born 14 Mar 1915 in Buchanan, Virginia to Patton Lockheart and Amy Isabelle (Charles) Boyd, the 11th of 13 children. The family farmed.  One sister died 9 years before William was born his younger brother died at birth.  His father died in 1934 and his mother died in 1943 as did a sister. 

When William was drafted in April 1941 he was working as a miner in Russell County, Virginia.  He was assigned to I Company 116th Infantry, sent to England to prepare for the cross-channel invasion of "fortress Europe".  In that amphibious assault, PFC Boyd was killed on 6 Jun 1944. 

PFC Boyd was repatriated and is buried in the Patton Boyd Cemetery on the family home place in Russell County, Virginia.

PVT Robert L. Dittmar

PVT Robert L. Dittmar was born 22 Mar 1925.  From Fairfield, Connecticutt, we've yet to find any family information.

After Robert entered the service he was sent overseas and assigned to B Company 116th Infantry.  He trained with and landed with that unit on D-Day.  He was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944, dying on the beach.  His death was witnessed by Hal Baumgarten.

PVT Dittmar was repatriated and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. 

PFC David S. Shapiro

courtesy of Gene Dershewitz

PFC David S. Shapiro was born 31 Jan 1922 in Chicago, Illinois. We believe his parents were Hyman (Chaim) and Minnie (Minsky) Shapiro and that his father was a tailor. Both parents and an older brother were natives of Russia or what is Poland today, most likely in the Pale and had immigrated about 1911-1915. We think that the family moved to Los Angeles, California about 1940-1941. David stayed in Chicago and worked for the U.S. Treasury Department.

David was drafted while living in Illinois in December 1943. After his basic military training he was sent to England and assigned to F Company 116th Infantry. He would not have had much training  before he departed England with his unit for the amphibious assault on the beach code-named Omaha. He was killed in action in that assault on 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Shapiro was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in the Mount Carmel Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

It is possible that it was his sister Bertha Shapiro who enlisted in the Women's Army Corps from Los Angeles in September 1944. His mother was living at 2828 12th Avenue in Los Angeles in 1948.

PFC Charles Frances Edgar

courtesy of Bessie Savery

PFC Charles Frances Edgar was born 1915 in Newark, New Jersey to Charles Butler and Anne Frances (Meeker) Edgar.  His father drove for a laundry.  In 1940, Charles was also driving but for a bakery.

Charles was still working as a driver and was married when he was drafted in May 1942.  After training, Charles was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry and trained with the unit in preparation for the great amphibious landing on the beaches of Normandy.  PFC Edgar was killed in action on that day, 6 Jun 1944.

PFC Edgar is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery. 

PFC Leo Casimer Balon

PFC Leo Casimer Balon was born 1 Jul 1924 in Buffalo, New York. He was the 6th of 9 children born to Anthony and Stephania (Czarnecki) Balon. Leo's parents were both 1st generation Americans whose parents had immigrated from Poland. His father worked for the New York Central Rail Road and owned the family home at 102 Shepard Street in Buffalo which was valued at $6000 in 1930 but the family moved before 1940 and were renting a place at 66 Mary Street. Leo did not progress beyond the 8th grade and  he went to work for Buffalo Forge Company.

Leo was drafted in February 1943. After completing about 5-months of basic military training he was sent to England and assigned to A Company 116th Infantry. He then trained with the unit to prepare for the amphibious attack on the beaches of Nazi occupied France. He was with the unit on 6 Jun 1944 when the assault took place and was killed in action on that day.

SGT Balon was ultimately interred in the Normandy American Cemetery. 

Leo's older brothers, John Leo and Chester Bernard Balon also served during the war.

TSGT Elvin Tremain Estes

TSGT Elvin Tremain Estes was born 14 Sep 1912 in Halifax County, Virginia to Henry Lee and Lena (Wallace) Estes.  Henry supported 10 people by farming with assistance from one son who worked as a weaver in a local factory.  In 1940, Elvin was also working as a weaver.

Elvin was a PVT in the South Boston National Guard infantry unit when it was federalized in February 1941.  A member of F Company 116th Infantry, Elvin rose in rank as the unit prepared for the invasion of "fortress Europe".  He was killed in action during the landing on 6 Jun 1944.

He was returned to the U.S. and is now buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in South Boston, Virginia.

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.