Rank: Technician Fifth Grade
Unit: A Trp, 2d Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 2d Cavalry Group (Mecz)
Awards: Purple Heart Medal, American Campaign Medal, Europe / African / Middle East Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal
Enlisted: 21 January 1943 in Camp Croft, South Carolina
Date of birth: 5 May 1923
Hometown: Mecklemburg, North Carolina
Occupation prior to enlistment: Semiskilled routemen
High School: 3 years of high school
Married: Hazel
Campaign: WWII
Died: 20 February 1945
Age at death: 21
Cause of death: Missing in action
Location of fatality: Flaxweiler, Luxembourg
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Place of interment: Tablets of the Missing, Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg City
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Place of interment: Philadelphia Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Mint Hill, North Carolina
Click to open a new window to view Soldier’s grave site on the Find A Grave website.
Note: He stood 5’8″ and weighed 160 pounds with blue eyes, brown hair, and light complexion.
Battle for Wincheringen, Germany losses for 2d Cavalry Group:
Total KIAs: 6
KIAs from Troop A: Tec 5 Troy R. Earp, Pvt Elmore R. Arrowood, Cpl Charles W Deptola, Pfc Carlton C. Musser, PFC Henry H. Bunch.
KIA from HQ & SRV Trp was Tec 5 Lewis A. Simon.
Wounded totals: 22
Troop A wounded total was 13 and 6 of those returned to duty. Troop B wounded total was 6. HQ & SRV Trp had one wounded that returned to duty. Medical Det had two wounded and they both returned to duty.
Battle for Wincheringen, Germany dated 20 February 1945, direct from Operational Report:
At 1715, 19 Feb 45, orders were received to make river crossing at Bhnen, Luxembourg (L027122) and to proceed to Wincheringen, Germany, (L055131), take and hold the high ground around the town, to cut off all roads leading from the town, and to clear the town of enemy forces.
At 0100, 20 Feb 45, the attacking force–Trs A & B, the Sq Patrol, Co C 285th Engr Bn, and 1st platoon of CoC, 160th Engr Combat Bn began crossing the river. 1 plat of men from Co C, 160th Engr Combat Bn supplied the assault boats and, assisted by members of the Sq Patrol, ferried the attacking force across the river. 2d Lt Stephen C. Mitchell, 01015770, supervised the crossing. 1 Plat of Co C, 285th Engrs crossed first and proceeded to the high ground opposite from Ehnen and covered the remainder of the men who crossed. Trp A then crossed, and lst Platoon, 2d Lt Richard HE, Lasswell, 01030794, in command, proceeded cross country over difficult terrain toward Wincheringen, thus being the first assault wave. 1st Plat, Tr A, entered the SW edge of the town at 0700 and met fierce enemy resistance which forced them to take cover in a building, where they remained until approximately 1530. The 2d & 3d Platoons, Tr A, reached the W & SW edge of the town and due to heavy enemy mortar fire had to dig in and waited to attack.
Trp B began crossing the river at 0200 and due to darkness of the night & fierceness of the river, much difficulty was encountered in assembling the troop on the far bank. The troop, after being delayed, moved cross-country to the S & SE edge of the town where their mission was to set up roadblocks on all roads leading from the town and to enter the town from the SE. By 0715, Tr B had arrived on outskirts of Wincheringen and proceeded to set up road guards and cut enemy communication lines on roads leading S & SE from the town. Heavy enemy mortar and artillery fire forced the road guards to withdraw to woods at LO501l22, where they remained until approximately 1600.
At 0230 the 2 remaining platoons of Go C, 285th Engr Bn, crossed the river and proceeded under heavy enemy mortar & artillery fire to the high ground at L046132 and £049135, W& NW, respectively of Wincheringen where they were held in reserve by Lt Col Walter J. Easton, 0308641, Sq CO.
At approximately 1530, under protective cover provided by the 2 Engr platoons at 1046132, the lst Platoon, Trp A, withdrew from the building on the edge of the town where they had been since early morning to south of the town.
At approximately 1700, the 2d & 3a platoons, Trp A, and all of Trp B, began the final assault on the town. Slight enemy opposition was
met. Soon after 1730 tank units of the 10th Armored Div driving from the South contacted our units and assisted in occupying and clearing the town of enemy. The 3d Platoon, Tr A, and all of Tr B outposted the town for the night in order to keep communication between Sq Hq and the attacking force, wire patrols were sent from Hq & SV Tr across the Moselle River to patrol the communication lines & keep them intact. Enemy mortar fire killed one EM of the wire patrol.
Troop A captured 1 enemy Off & 26 enemy Soldiers captured with unknown amount of enemy killed. Troop B captured 7 enemy Soldiers with unknown amount of enemy killed.