"Bill" Willis Charles Caperton served his country as a Rudder Ranger. He took part in the D-Day landings of the United States Army's C Company of the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion. His C Company made the D-Day assault on Omaha Beach and were to fight their way overland to Point du Hoc. They took heavy casualties, under constant enemy fire, scaled 100-foot (30 meter) cliffs to reach and destroy German gun batteries. The battalion's casualty rate for this perilous mission was greater than 50 percent. Rudder's Rangers dug in and fought off German counter-attacks for two days until relieved. Rudder and his men helped to successfully establish a beachhead for the Allied forces. Unfortunately, "Bill" Willis Charles Caperton lost his life in service to his country on D-Day storming the beach of Normandy France with his battalion. He proposed marriage and became engaged before leaving for the war. His life ended before he could wed. He was first interred in France but was later moved to Cross Cemetery in Greenwood, Sebastian County, Arkansas. He was the son of Andrew Jackson Caperton and Vera Starnes Caperton of Greenwood, Arkansas.
As noted in a document dated July 11, 1944 to Andrew Caperton, father of Willis C. Caperton, his remains were initially interred in the U.S. Military Cemetery at St. Laurent, plot Q, row 8, grave 147, prior to his final interment at Cross Cemtery, Greenwood, Sebastian county, Arkansas. St. Laurent Cemetery was established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 as the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.
Letter to Vera Caperton from Lt. Col. James E. Rudder:
FRANCE
13 July 1944
Re: Cpl Willie C Caperton – 36610503
Dear Mrs. Caperton:
No Commanding Officer can ever find words to adequately express his deep sympathy with those whose sons, husbands, or brothers finished their earthly tour of duty while under his command. The soldiers who formed the Ranger Battalion were the best – all volunteers. Their strenuous training and carefully supervised work and recreation brought officers and men, and the men and their buddies close, so close that they learned mutual respect and a dependence upon each other to carry out the individual tasks in order that the unit plan might work. The Day of Invasion found these men ready, fully trained, fully equipped not only physically but mentally. On the day before they came to France, men of all faiths had gathered with the Chaplain and dedicated the work at hand to God and their individual part in it as subject to His Holy Will.
The mission of the Rangers was successfully accomplished but as with all worthwhile things, the cost was great, so great indeed, that it cost the life you cherished and lost us a comrade and a friend. A Country must be great to call for the sacrifice of such men but America will always be great just because such men have fallen in order that the principles expressed in our Constitution might endure.
Every public honor will be accorded his memory. His President has already proclaimed him a hero. A grateful Congress will erect a monument to his name. The people of America will realize what that Gold Star means to those who loved him and will resolve to keep America worthy of such men. More than all these, however, the surviving Rangers, his buddies, will carry with them all their lives the example of his courage and will do their best to instill a like nobility in the hearts of generations to come.
So our comrade has gone and we realize that there is a void in your heart which neither your Country’s gratitude nor our sympathy can fill. We, with whom he shared his life ask only now to share his memory that it may inspire us all to the gaining of an early Victory and the making of a lasting peace.
With deepest sympathy,
JAMES E RUDDER
Lt Col Infantry
Commanding
As noted in a document dated July 11, 1944 to Andrew Caperton, father of Willis C. Caperton, his remains were initially interred in the U.S. Military Cemetery at St. Laurent, plot Q, row 8, grave 147, prior to his final interment at Cross Cemtery, Greenwood, Sebastian county, Arkansas. St. Laurent Cemetery was established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 as the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.
Letter to Vera Caperton from Lt. Col. James E. Rudder:
FRANCE
13 July 1944
Re: Cpl Willie C Caperton – 36610503
Dear Mrs. Caperton:
No Commanding Officer can ever find words to adequately express his deep sympathy with those whose sons, husbands, or brothers finished their earthly tour of duty while under his command. The soldiers who formed the Ranger Battalion were the best – all volunteers. Their strenuous training and carefully supervised work and recreation brought officers and men, and the men and their buddies close, so close that they learned mutual respect and a dependence upon each other to carry out the individual tasks in order that the unit plan might work. The Day of Invasion found these men ready, fully trained, fully equipped not only physically but mentally. On the day before they came to France, men of all faiths had gathered with the Chaplain and dedicated the work at hand to God and their individual part in it as subject to His Holy Will.
The mission of the Rangers was successfully accomplished but as with all worthwhile things, the cost was great, so great indeed, that it cost the life you cherished and lost us a comrade and a friend. A Country must be great to call for the sacrifice of such men but America will always be great just because such men have fallen in order that the principles expressed in our Constitution might endure.
Every public honor will be accorded his memory. His President has already proclaimed him a hero. A grateful Congress will erect a monument to his name. The people of America will realize what that Gold Star means to those who loved him and will resolve to keep America worthy of such men. More than all these, however, the surviving Rangers, his buddies, will carry with them all their lives the example of his courage and will do their best to instill a like nobility in the hearts of generations to come.
So our comrade has gone and we realize that there is a void in your heart which neither your Country’s gratitude nor our sympathy can fill. We, with whom he shared his life ask only now to share his memory that it may inspire us all to the gaining of an early Victory and the making of a lasting peace.
With deepest sympathy,
JAMES E RUDDER
Lt Col Infantry
Commanding
"Bill" Willis Charles Caperton served his country as a Rudder Ranger. He took part in the D-Day landings of the United States Army's C Company of the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion. His C Company made the D-Day assault on Omaha Beach and were to fight their way overland to Point du Hoc. They took heavy casualties, under constant enemy fire, scaled 100-foot (30 meter) cliffs to reach and destroy German gun batteries. The battalion's casualty rate for this perilous mission was greater than 50 percent. Rudder's Rangers dug in and fought off German counter-attacks for two days until relieved. Rudder and his men helped to successfully establish a beachhead for the Allied forces. Unfortunately, "Bill" Willis Charles Caperton lost his life in service to his country on D-Day storming the beach of Normandy France with his battalion. He proposed marriage and became engaged before leaving for the war. His life ended before he could wed. He was first interred in France but was later moved to Cross Cemetery in Greenwood, Sebastian County, Arkansas. He was the son of Andrew Jackson Caperton and Vera Starnes Caperton of Greenwood, Arkansas.
As noted in a document dated July 11, 1944 to Andrew Caperton, father of Willis C. Caperton, his remains were initially interred in the U.S. Military Cemetery at St. Laurent, plot Q, row 8, grave 147, prior to his final interment at Cross Cemtery, Greenwood, Sebastian county, Arkansas. St. Laurent Cemetery was established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 as the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.
Letter to Vera Caperton from Lt. Col. James E. Rudder:
FRANCE
13 July 1944
Re: Cpl Willie C Caperton – 36610503
Dear Mrs. Caperton:
No Commanding Officer can ever find words to adequately express his deep sympathy with those whose sons, husbands, or brothers finished their earthly tour of duty while under his command. The soldiers who formed the Ranger Battalion were the best – all volunteers. Their strenuous training and carefully supervised work and recreation brought officers and men, and the men and their buddies close, so close that they learned mutual respect and a dependence upon each other to carry out the individual tasks in order that the unit plan might work. The Day of Invasion found these men ready, fully trained, fully equipped not only physically but mentally. On the day before they came to France, men of all faiths had gathered with the Chaplain and dedicated the work at hand to God and their individual part in it as subject to His Holy Will.
The mission of the Rangers was successfully accomplished but as with all worthwhile things, the cost was great, so great indeed, that it cost the life you cherished and lost us a comrade and a friend. A Country must be great to call for the sacrifice of such men but America will always be great just because such men have fallen in order that the principles expressed in our Constitution might endure.
Every public honor will be accorded his memory. His President has already proclaimed him a hero. A grateful Congress will erect a monument to his name. The people of America will realize what that Gold Star means to those who loved him and will resolve to keep America worthy of such men. More than all these, however, the surviving Rangers, his buddies, will carry with them all their lives the example of his courage and will do their best to instill a like nobility in the hearts of generations to come.
So our comrade has gone and we realize that there is a void in your heart which neither your Country’s gratitude nor our sympathy can fill. We, with whom he shared his life ask only now to share his memory that it may inspire us all to the gaining of an early Victory and the making of a lasting peace.
With deepest sympathy,
JAMES E RUDDER
Lt Col Infantry
Commanding
As noted in a document dated July 11, 1944 to Andrew Caperton, father of Willis C. Caperton, his remains were initially interred in the U.S. Military Cemetery at St. Laurent, plot Q, row 8, grave 147, prior to his final interment at Cross Cemtery, Greenwood, Sebastian county, Arkansas. St. Laurent Cemetery was established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 as the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.
Letter to Vera Caperton from Lt. Col. James E. Rudder:
FRANCE
13 July 1944
Re: Cpl Willie C Caperton – 36610503
Dear Mrs. Caperton:
No Commanding Officer can ever find words to adequately express his deep sympathy with those whose sons, husbands, or brothers finished their earthly tour of duty while under his command. The soldiers who formed the Ranger Battalion were the best – all volunteers. Their strenuous training and carefully supervised work and recreation brought officers and men, and the men and their buddies close, so close that they learned mutual respect and a dependence upon each other to carry out the individual tasks in order that the unit plan might work. The Day of Invasion found these men ready, fully trained, fully equipped not only physically but mentally. On the day before they came to France, men of all faiths had gathered with the Chaplain and dedicated the work at hand to God and their individual part in it as subject to His Holy Will.
The mission of the Rangers was successfully accomplished but as with all worthwhile things, the cost was great, so great indeed, that it cost the life you cherished and lost us a comrade and a friend. A Country must be great to call for the sacrifice of such men but America will always be great just because such men have fallen in order that the principles expressed in our Constitution might endure.
Every public honor will be accorded his memory. His President has already proclaimed him a hero. A grateful Congress will erect a monument to his name. The people of America will realize what that Gold Star means to those who loved him and will resolve to keep America worthy of such men. More than all these, however, the surviving Rangers, his buddies, will carry with them all their lives the example of his courage and will do their best to instill a like nobility in the hearts of generations to come.
So our comrade has gone and we realize that there is a void in your heart which neither your Country’s gratitude nor our sympathy can fill. We, with whom he shared his life ask only now to share his memory that it may inspire us all to the gaining of an early Victory and the making of a lasting peace.
With deepest sympathy,
JAMES E RUDDER
Lt Col Infantry
Commanding
Inscription
OKLAHOMA TEC 5 2 RANGER INF BN WORLD WAR II
