Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy. On June 6, 1944, Operation Neptune, commonly known as D-Day, began.32 Virginia Guard Soldiers from Bedford's Company A, 116th Infantry, 29th Division were part of the first wave of more than 160,000 Allied troops that landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany and begin the march across Europe to defeat Hitler. Company A assaulted Omaha Beach on the west end as part of the First Division's Task Force O and by the end of the day, 19 of the company's Bedford Soldiers were dead and two more died later in the Normandy campaign as did yet another two assigned to other 116th Infantry companies.
Bedford's population in 1944 was about 3,200, and proportionally the community suffered the nation's most severe losses on D-Day, as well as all of World War II.
The Bedford County, Virginia Army National Guard soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice are:
SSgt Leslie C Abbott Jr., PFC Wallace R. Carter, PFC John D. Clifton, T/Sgt Frank Price Draper Jr., Capt Taylor Nicholas Fellers, PFC Nick N. Gillaspie, Pvt Bedford Turner Hoback, SSgt Raymond S. Hoback, Pvt Clifton G. Lee, SSG Earl L. Parker , PFC Jack G. Powers, PFC Weldon Antonio Rosazza, PFC John F. Reynolds, SSgt John B. Schenk, TSgt Ray O. Stevens, Master Sgt John L. Wilkes, SSgt Gordon H. White Jr., SSgt Elmere P. Wright, Sgt Grant C. Yopp
Overlord Synopsis and Links Courtesy of Greg Raike
______________________________________________
The following was provided by Eric Ackerman
While researching WWII casualties on newspaperarchive.com, I came across this article on Elmere Wright. I offer it to you in the hope that you might add it to his Find-A-Grave memorial.
SAN ANTONIO LIGHT, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1944, PAGE 6-B (page 18 on newspaperarchive.com)
ELMERE WRIGHT: BALL PLAYER KILLED IN FRANCE
San Antonio baseball fans, grumpy over the Browns' slump and the threat of their departure from the pinnacle of the American league to which they have miraculously stuck these many, many weeks, will find further reason for sadness in the news that Elmere Wright, who once belonged to the Browns and pitched a short time for the San Antonio club of the Texas league back around 1939 and '40, has been killed in action in France. The big pitcher didn't make a regular with the Missions but showed promise and when the war broke out he was on the reserve list of the Browns' Toledo American association club, scheduled for another spring tryout the following year. A likeable boy, his death will bring regret to all the people he met here and associated with in the Browns' farm system.
Thank you,
Eric Ackerman
Topeka, Kansas
Bedford's population in 1944 was about 3,200, and proportionally the community suffered the nation's most severe losses on D-Day, as well as all of World War II.
The Bedford County, Virginia Army National Guard soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice are:
SSgt Leslie C Abbott Jr., PFC Wallace R. Carter, PFC John D. Clifton, T/Sgt Frank Price Draper Jr., Capt Taylor Nicholas Fellers, PFC Nick N. Gillaspie, Pvt Bedford Turner Hoback, SSgt Raymond S. Hoback, Pvt Clifton G. Lee, SSG Earl L. Parker , PFC Jack G. Powers, PFC Weldon Antonio Rosazza, PFC John F. Reynolds, SSgt John B. Schenk, TSgt Ray O. Stevens, Master Sgt John L. Wilkes, SSgt Gordon H. White Jr., SSgt Elmere P. Wright, Sgt Grant C. Yopp
Overlord Synopsis and Links Courtesy of Greg Raike
______________________________________________
The following was provided by Eric Ackerman
While researching WWII casualties on newspaperarchive.com, I came across this article on Elmere Wright. I offer it to you in the hope that you might add it to his Find-A-Grave memorial.
SAN ANTONIO LIGHT, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1944, PAGE 6-B (page 18 on newspaperarchive.com)
ELMERE WRIGHT: BALL PLAYER KILLED IN FRANCE
San Antonio baseball fans, grumpy over the Browns' slump and the threat of their departure from the pinnacle of the American league to which they have miraculously stuck these many, many weeks, will find further reason for sadness in the news that Elmere Wright, who once belonged to the Browns and pitched a short time for the San Antonio club of the Texas league back around 1939 and '40, has been killed in action in France. The big pitcher didn't make a regular with the Missions but showed promise and when the war broke out he was on the reserve list of the Browns' Toledo American association club, scheduled for another spring tryout the following year. A likeable boy, his death will bring regret to all the people he met here and associated with in the Browns' farm system.
Thank you,
Eric Ackerman
Topeka, Kansas
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy. On June 6, 1944, Operation Neptune, commonly known as D-Day, began.32 Virginia Guard Soldiers from Bedford's Company A, 116th Infantry, 29th Division were part of the first wave of more than 160,000 Allied troops that landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany and begin the march across Europe to defeat Hitler. Company A assaulted Omaha Beach on the west end as part of the First Division's Task Force O and by the end of the day, 19 of the company's Bedford Soldiers were dead and two more died later in the Normandy campaign as did yet another two assigned to other 116th Infantry companies.
Bedford's population in 1944 was about 3,200, and proportionally the community suffered the nation's most severe losses on D-Day, as well as all of World War II.
The Bedford County, Virginia Army National Guard soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice are:
SSgt Leslie C Abbott Jr., PFC Wallace R. Carter, PFC John D. Clifton, T/Sgt Frank Price Draper Jr., Capt Taylor Nicholas Fellers, PFC Nick N. Gillaspie, Pvt Bedford Turner Hoback, SSgt Raymond S. Hoback, Pvt Clifton G. Lee, SSG Earl L. Parker , PFC Jack G. Powers, PFC Weldon Antonio Rosazza, PFC John F. Reynolds, SSgt John B. Schenk, TSgt Ray O. Stevens, Master Sgt John L. Wilkes, SSgt Gordon H. White Jr., SSgt Elmere P. Wright, Sgt Grant C. Yopp
Overlord Synopsis and Links Courtesy of Greg Raike
______________________________________________
The following was provided by Eric Ackerman
While researching WWII casualties on newspaperarchive.com, I came across this article on Elmere Wright. I offer it to you in the hope that you might add it to his Find-A-Grave memorial.
SAN ANTONIO LIGHT, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1944, PAGE 6-B (page 18 on newspaperarchive.com)
ELMERE WRIGHT: BALL PLAYER KILLED IN FRANCE
San Antonio baseball fans, grumpy over the Browns' slump and the threat of their departure from the pinnacle of the American league to which they have miraculously stuck these many, many weeks, will find further reason for sadness in the news that Elmere Wright, who once belonged to the Browns and pitched a short time for the San Antonio club of the Texas league back around 1939 and '40, has been killed in action in France. The big pitcher didn't make a regular with the Missions but showed promise and when the war broke out he was on the reserve list of the Browns' Toledo American association club, scheduled for another spring tryout the following year. A likeable boy, his death will bring regret to all the people he met here and associated with in the Browns' farm system.
Thank you,
Eric Ackerman
Topeka, Kansas
Bedford's population in 1944 was about 3,200, and proportionally the community suffered the nation's most severe losses on D-Day, as well as all of World War II.
The Bedford County, Virginia Army National Guard soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice are:
SSgt Leslie C Abbott Jr., PFC Wallace R. Carter, PFC John D. Clifton, T/Sgt Frank Price Draper Jr., Capt Taylor Nicholas Fellers, PFC Nick N. Gillaspie, Pvt Bedford Turner Hoback, SSgt Raymond S. Hoback, Pvt Clifton G. Lee, SSG Earl L. Parker , PFC Jack G. Powers, PFC Weldon Antonio Rosazza, PFC John F. Reynolds, SSgt John B. Schenk, TSgt Ray O. Stevens, Master Sgt John L. Wilkes, SSgt Gordon H. White Jr., SSgt Elmere P. Wright, Sgt Grant C. Yopp
Overlord Synopsis and Links Courtesy of Greg Raike
______________________________________________
The following was provided by Eric Ackerman
While researching WWII casualties on newspaperarchive.com, I came across this article on Elmere Wright. I offer it to you in the hope that you might add it to his Find-A-Grave memorial.
SAN ANTONIO LIGHT, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1944, PAGE 6-B (page 18 on newspaperarchive.com)
ELMERE WRIGHT: BALL PLAYER KILLED IN FRANCE
San Antonio baseball fans, grumpy over the Browns' slump and the threat of their departure from the pinnacle of the American league to which they have miraculously stuck these many, many weeks, will find further reason for sadness in the news that Elmere Wright, who once belonged to the Browns and pitched a short time for the San Antonio club of the Texas league back around 1939 and '40, has been killed in action in France. The big pitcher didn't make a regular with the Missions but showed promise and when the war broke out he was on the reserve list of the Browns' Toledo American association club, scheduled for another spring tryout the following year. A likeable boy, his death will bring regret to all the people he met here and associated with in the Browns' farm system.
Thank you,
Eric Ackerman
Topeka, Kansas
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Virginia.
