Hi all !

I've introduced myself here : http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/eng...?showtopic=6838

As I say in my presentation I would like to sponsor/support a grave and in order to make it properly I wanted to collect as many information as I can about Cpl John M. STRICKLAND Jr. (36th Engineer Combat Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Company I)

In this topic I will share you all that I've learned about him since two weeks :

Here is his grave ; Epinal American Cemetery, Plot B, Row 2, Grave 47

Here, his death notice

Here the American Battle Monuments Commission data

Here the National Archives and Records Administration data

Here the Georgia Honor List of casualties during WWII where you can see him on WARE county list

What I've learned from all this pictures is that :

-John M. STRICKLAND Jr. enlist in the army the 11th February 1942 at Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia as a private, serial number 34198541

-He was a white citizen from WARE county and was married, he was born in 1916 and worked as a Semiskilled chauffeurs and drivers, bus, taxi, trucks or tractor

-He was Killed In Action the 1st November 1944 with the corporal rank, awarded purple heart

----

Reading the Pentagon's record about the 36th Engineer Combat Regiment, graciously put online by Marion ( http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/doc...tory%20WDRB.pdf ), I learned a few things :

-The 12th of September 1943 : During an enemy counterattack with tanks and artillery Lt Nealon, Commanding Officer of Co I was a casualty and was replaced by Capt. McQuaide.

-For the crossing of the Moselle, the 2nd and 3rd Bns supported 45th and 36th Infs Divs, respectively. The 2nd cleared the divisions MSR from XERTIGNY to EPINAL of mines, debris and roadblocks, and constructed a timber trestle bridge at FONTEROY, and an armored trestle at ARCHETTES and a 140 foot D/D Bailey in EPINAL. The 3rd cleared the streets of REMIREMONT, astride the Div's MSR, assisted the 111th Engineers with an infantry support bridge and build baileys at REMIREMONT and DOCELLES, the latter undercover of darkness for the enemy shelled the site continually. The 1st Bn meanwhile was doing all types of Engineer work on all Corps routes and put in a fixed bridge in REMIREMONT.

-On the 7th of October Co H was attached to the 36th Inf Div and moved into the front lines as infantry in the vicinity of LEPANGE, immediately encountering casualties by sniper and artillery fire. The rest of the 3rd Bn joined Co H on the 13th of Oct and was given an assault mission. At 0800, the 14th of Oct Cos H & I jumped off for the attack and secured their objectives by 0915, capturing 17 POWs. They immediately set up new defenses and then Co H was relieved, leaving Co I to hold this sector. For six days they held this position, suffering casualties (13 KIA, 10 WIA). On the 20th of Oct the 3rd Bn was relieved of its attachment to the 36th Div and moved into the vicinity of RAMBERVILLERS under the control of Regtl HQ.

-On the 21st of Oct the 3rd Bn reported back to the Regtl control, having finished its assignment with the 30th Div, and was immediately attached to the 157th Inf, relieving the 2nd Bn of that Inf Regt. On the 23rd of Oct the Regtl CP at ST HELENE closed and a new one was opened at RAMBERVILLERS. On this day the 3rd Bn set a building ablaze with mortar fire in the enemy town of BRU. A patrol from this Bn contacted the enemy on the outskirts of BRU, and became engaged in a heavy fire fight and killed several. On the 25th of Oct the 2nd Bn was relieved and assembled in regimental reserve and two days later the rest of the regiment was also relieved, except for the 3rd Bn which was now attached to the 177th Cav Rec Sq. This Bn remained as infantry until the 12th of Nov. It not only held defensive positions but also moved into the attack and seized the towns of BRU and JEANMENIL. This period of from the 8th of Oct until the 3rd Bn was relieved on the 12th of Nov proved very costly (14 KIA; 1 MIA; 71 WIA)

There it is ; all that I've learned till' now.

Now, I have to read the sitreps from September to November 1944 to find other information.

I'm asking you some help,

If you know something about him, please let me know

If you found some pictures of Co I, 3rd Bn, 36th Engineer Combat Regiment please share them

If you think that he still has some family (maybe his wife), please tell me how to contact them

But I still have questions, I would like to know when did he was promoted Pfc and/or Cpl because it's an important information about him that I don't have ; Do you think I should contact the actual 36th Engineer Brigade to know if they have records of promotions in the regiment ?

I know that all this concern some privacy of life ; about this man, about maybe his family but I only do this for the duty to remember the men who died for my freedom and my country.

Till' some answers, greetings !

I am including here, a few more things, including an attached page from the Sitreps from November 1944, which shows John's name as KIA.

==============

Hello !

 

Here you can see some informations about him :

 

http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail....amp;rid=4635293

 

http://www.wwiimemorial.com/registry/warde...8&tcount=21

 

http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/doc...%20Dec%2044.pdf -> Here you can see at the page 174 that he were from Co I

 

I'm actually reading this full history of the 36th -> http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/doc...tory%20WDRB.pdf

 

That's all that I have,

till soon,

Tom