Le Journal du Mémorial
"Ne
demandons pas à Dieu pourquoi de tels hommes devaient mourir à la
guerre... Laissez-nous plutôt remercier Dieu que de tels hommes aient
vécus..."
Général George S. Patton
James Robert
"J.R."
Knight  |
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Born November
25, 1921 at
Paint Rock, Marshall, Alabama, USA Residence : Fyffe, Dekalb County, Alabama, USA Died June, 6 1944 at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France Buried in Normandy American Cimetery of Colleville-sur-Mer (Plot G, Row 26, Grave 23) Civilian occupation: Farmer Award : Purple Heart with oak leaf Service# : 34338052 Rank : PFC (Private First Class) Status : KIA (Killed In Action) |
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Mother : Cordie (Keeton) Knight (1898 - 1974)
Brothers and sisters :
Martha Irene Knight Bradford (1926 - 1999)
Hester Mae Knight Wilborn (1928 - 2012)
Ernest G Knight (1932 - 2004)
William Knight, Sue Goggans
 1st Div. Inf. The Big Red One  16th Infantry Regiment |
He was Private First Class
in Company L, 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment
(RCT), from the 1st Infantry
Division (The Big Red one) (Co. L, 3rd Bn, 16th RCT, 1st Div. Inf). Enlisted August, 17 1942 at Fort McClellan, Alabama English camp : Long Bredy, Dorset (from April 1st to April 24th 1944) Campaigns : - Invasion of North Africa (Tunisia) : Wounded in action (Operation Torch) - Battles in Sicily : Operation Husky - Operation Overlord, landing in Normandy (Operation Neptune) |
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Killed in action, June, 6 1944,
on Omaha Beach Arrival time: H+01 Initial sector : Fox Green Real : Fox Red (WN 60) Coming from : HMS Empire Anvil by LCA (Landing Craft Assault) Load place : Weymouth - Portland (Isle of) His family was told that JR and other soldiers approached a group of German soldiers who had hoisted a white flag ... when they opened fire, killing him and his comrades. Personal effect found on body and sent to his family: - 1 Wallet His parents receive the news of his death by mail July 6, 1944. |
For the "little" story:
- "Adopted" since 2012
- His cousin, John Luke Hastings was
incorpored in the same regiment and killed the same
day in same place..
- The cemetery area is a perpetual concession made by France
to USA. It overlooks
Omaha
Beach
| Documents | ||
| War Memorial Dekalb, Alabama, USA |
Newspaper article on death of James Robert and his cousin |
Part of book "A History of WWII Veterans from DeKalb County". |
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IDPF - 1 (Individual Deceased Personnel File) |
IDPF - 2 Letter to family |
IDPF - 3 Letter to family |
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IDPF - 4 Personnal objects |
IDPF - 5 Report of death |
IDPF - 6 Inventory |
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| Location | |
| Omaha Beach, Normandy, France | American
Cemetery Colleville-sur-Mer |
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| American
Cemetery Plot G, Row n°26 |
Grave of James Robert Knight June 2012 |
Omaha Beach today |
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| Grave of James Robert Knight June 2012 |
Grave of James Robert Knight June 2012 |
Grave of James Robert Knight June 2012 |
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| Grave of James Robert Knight June 2012 |
Omaha Beach June 2012 |
Omaha Beach June 2012 |
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Sanded Letters (from ABMC) |
ABMC Normandy Virtual 360 |
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Memorial Big Red One (Omaha Beach) |
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Omaha Beach Fox Red sector (WN 60) |
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| Landing sectors | Bigot plan - Omaha East | HMS Empire Anvil |
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| Fox Red - June, 6th 1944 | ||
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| Fox Red - May 2023 | ||
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Informations requests:
I "found" J.R during my research on his cousin,
John Luke
Hastings.
As I was in relationship with the families of John Luke and JR,
I requested to the association "Les Fleurs de la Mémoire"
if I could also become the sponsor of JR. The person who
sponsored JR has agreed to let me this sponsorship. Thanks to
her.
Eric Triau