Pablo Gonzales FRANCO
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Source : Leopoldville Historian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
NUMBER OF SERVICE | 38071611 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
AGE | 29 years old | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DATE OF BIRTH | 1915 NEW MEXICO | |||||||||||||||||||||||
ETAT | Loving Eddy county NEW MEXICO | |||||||||||||||||||||||
FAMILY | Spouse : Rose Segura Parents : Antonia G. & Jesus M. FRANCO Sister : Elisa MARTINEZ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
RANK | Private First Class | |||||||||||||||||||||||
FONCTION | Infantryman | |||||||||||||||||||||||
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
DATE of ENLISTEMENT | 5 February 1942 Fort Bliss El Paso TEXAS | |||||||||||||||||||||||
COMPANY | Company H | |||||||||||||||||||||||
REGIMENT | 262nd Infantry Regiment | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DIVISION | 66th Infantry Division "Black Panther Division" | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DATE OF DEATH | 25 December 1944 |
Source : F Lavernhe | ||||||||||||||||||||||
STATUS | MIA | |||||||||||||||||||||||
PLACE OF DEATH | Aboard in USS Léopoldville, In Manche(Channel), off Cherbourg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
CEMETERY |
NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY from Colleville | |||||||||||||||||||||||
GRAVE |
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DECORATION |
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STORY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
His sister Elisa MARTINEZ received a letter from pablo posted on January 3, 1945. This date caused trouble in the family. Shortly before they had received a telegram announcing his death. In this telegram, it was declared Missing in Action, it was not when 1998 following a letter from Allan ANDRADE (historian of Leopoldville) that the family knew and understood what had happened to Pablo. Pablo was transferred to ALASKA then to WASHINGTON and finally Mineral wells texas. Pablo spent two weeks vacation at Loving before setting off for England. Frances MARTINEZ (niece) remembers accompanying her uncle to the bus in Carlsbad. She remembers he was in uniform, Frances was five at the time, her last words for her uncle were: "Bye to i love you"
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Source : Leopoldville Historian | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Frances MARTINEZ with a photo of her uncle Source : Leopoldville Historian |
the last time she saw him, her family had gone to see a psychic to find out if Pablo would come back for Christmas. The clairvoyant told them that she saw a lot of water around Pablo Pablo and two of his brothers wanted to enlist alone Pablo passed the army's physical tests. He worked in an oil refinery. he was a devoted and loving father Excerpt from pablo's letter “I received a letter from Fela and one from Juan and five from Rosa, which is a comfort ... when too much time goes by without news from all of you,” Franco wrote in Spanish in a letter dated December 22, 1944, and addressed to his sister Eliza in Carlsbad. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
In his letter, Franco lamented the delay in delivering the mail, asking for the health of his sister, who had mentioned his wife was feeling ill in a letter a month earlier, and saying that he had not received one. letter from her. "I wrote you three to four letters a week," wrote Franco. "I know you wrote for me, but it's not your fault the letters don't arrive on time." "He is still under there. Nothing has been moved, while his body is still there now, in this ship, under the water," said Frances Martinez, who regrets that there has never been a burial place for his uncle. |
Source : Leopoldville Historian | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Arrived on November 26th, 1944 in England, the division polishes up its training until December 24th In the daytime of the departure and the crossing towards France and Normandy. The division embarks on two ships of which the SS Leopoldville which receives 262th and 264th regiment Infantry and leaves Southampton in training(formation) accompanied with four escort ships. Arrived unless 5 miles from Cherbourg, a German submarine U-Boat 486 is in ambush and sends a torpedo to the ship. He is touched on the starboard beam before. 802 soldiers over the 2235 which he(it) transported are killed in this drama. Leopoldville is marine cemetery today. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
66th INFANTRY DIVISION - BLACK PANTHER
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SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTO | Clive TIRLEMONT - Frédéric LAVERNHE - Leopoldville.org - Findagrave.com |
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PROGRAMMER | Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud |