Born: June 15, 1920
First Lieutenant, United States Army Service# 0-463308 E CO, 2ND BATTALION, 16TH INFANTRY REGIMENT,
1ST INFANTRY DIVISION “BIG RED ONE” Date of Enlistment: June 25, 1942
Home or Place of Enlistment: St. Maries, Idaho Died: June 6, 1944 Place: Omaha Beach, Normandy, France Killed in Action while conducting combat operations against
Nazi Germany on D-Day during Operation Overlord. |
The FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION is awarded the
FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH PALMawarded under Decision No. 279, 22 July 1946, by the President of the
Provisional Government of the French Republic, with the following citation: An elite unit, heir of the noblest traditions of the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, which covered itself with glory during the war of 1914-18. Placed under the command of General JUIN, Chief of the French Army Detachment, at the beginning of the Tunisian Campaign in 1943, distinguished itself in the Ouselitia valley, supporting effectively the French 19th A.C., and repulsing a strong German offensive. In March 1943, it received the shock of the enemy offensive at Kasserine, and after hard fighting, stopped the German armor and took successively Gafsa and El Guettar, at the price of great sacrifices. In April 1943, it strongly attacked near Beja and menaced Mateur in such a way that at the beginning of May, Mateur fell, opening the way to Tunis.
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An elite unit which landed on the beach of Colleville, 6 June 1944, in spite of stubborn resistance of the coastal fortifications and of the enemy reinforcements. In the afternoon of the same day it seized the crest overhanging the beach and, pushing toward the interior, occupied strategic positions in spite of the furious German counterattacks. In spite of its heavy losses, it succeeded in establishing and consolidating a strong bridgehead, thus contributing to the decisive victory of Normandy.
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