World War II
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Fallen
Fallen
County:
Griggs
Date of Loss:
Branch of Service:
Army
Rank:
Technical Sergeant
Listed on/in the:
Register of North Dakota Veterans World War II 1941-1945 and Korean Conflict 1950-1953, published 1968
Major Battle/Theatre:
European African Middle Eastern Theater
Circumstances:
On Christmas Eve 1944, the Belgium troopship SS Leopoldville, left the pier at Southampton, England with over 2,000 American soldiers assigned to the 66th Infantry Division and crossed the English Channel to France. Just 5 1/2 miles from its destination, Cherbourg, the Leopoldville was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-486. There were 763 American soldiers killed and the bodies of 493 were never recovered from the Channel's frigid 48 degree waters.
Biography:
born Broadview Twp, NDak 14 Jul 13; resident Griggs County, NDak; entered US Army Ft Snelling, Minn 11 Feb 41; served European African Middle Eastern Theater; KIA 25 Dec 44 English Channel, Europe; remains not recovered.