Warren G Harding BIRCHER
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Source : geneecker768
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NUMBER OF SERVICE | 33146536 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
AGE | 23 yo | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DATE OF BIRTH | 24 November 1920 Ross County, OHIO | |||||||||||||||||||||||
ENLISTMENT STATE | OHIO | |||||||||||||||||||||||
FAMILY |
Married Parents : Mathilde & George W BIRCHER | |||||||||||||||||||||||
RANK | Private | |||||||||||||||||||||||
FONCTION | Paratroopers | |||||||||||||||||||||||
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT | Semiskilled miners, and mining-machine operators | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DATE of ENLISTEMENT | 9 January 1942 New Cumberland PENNSYLVANIA | |||||||||||||||||||||||
COMPANY | Company HeadQuarters | |||||||||||||||||||||||
REGIMENT | 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DIVISION | 101st Airborne Division | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DATE OF DEATH | 6 June 1944 |
Source : Dominique Potier | ||||||||||||||||||||||
STATUS | KIA | |||||||||||||||||||||||
PLACE OF DEATH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
CEMETERY TEMPORARY |
CEMTERY TEMPORARY of BLOSVILLE N°3508 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
CEMETERY | NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY of Colleville | |||||||||||||||||||||||
GRAVE |
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DECORATION |
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STORY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Warren G. H. Bircher (full name Warren G Harding Bircher) was born November 24, 1920 In Ross County ,Ohio. His father, George W Bircher, was born in West Virginia as was his mother , Matilda. His father worked as a laborer and also was a minister. Warren had an older sister, several half-siblings, attended 2 years of high school and worked as a mining machine operator prior to his military service.
When he enlisted in the Army on January 29, 1942 at New Cumberland, Pennsylvania he indicated he was married to Thelma, nee Davis. On May 19, 1943 the Uniontown Pennsylvania Evening Standard Newspaper reported that Warren had been transferred from Camp Crott, South Carolina to Fort Benning, Georgia to begin his paratrooper training. The article said that while at Camp Crott, he was assigned to a heavy weapons unit.
The unit Warren was assigned to, the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, was developed following the capture of Crete entirely by airborne forces on May 20, 1941. U S military planners recognized the tactical and strategic success of airborne troops and on March 2, 1942 the 502nd PIR was activated at Ft. Benning, Georgia and shortly thereafter was assigned as a permanent unit of the 101st Airborne Division. During the balance of 1942 and into 1943 the unit took part in extensive and grueling training exercises.
On September 4,1943 the 502nd PIR boarded the SS Strathnaver destined for England. After arriving in England they were assigned quarters and continued rigorous training including 15-25 mile hikes and company and battalion parachute drops.
On D-Day, June 6, the 502nd was the first wave to depart for Normandy. Flying out of English air bases, their mission was to secure two northern causeways leading inland from Utah Beach and destroy a German coast-artillery battery near Ste Martin-de-Varreville. A combination of low cloud cover, and enemy anti-aircraft fire caused the break-up of troop carrier aircraft formations. The scattering of the air armada was such that troops parachuting landed far afield from their designated drop zone (DZ). In spite of this, commanders took charge of small groups and accomplished most of their D-Day mission.
It was on this day, June 6, 1944 at Basse-Normandie, France that Warren was killed in action. He was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously and is buried at Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France. By : geneecker768 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
101st AIRBORNE DIVISION - SCREAMING EAGLES
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SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTO | Scott Rayl - Fold3(geneecker768) - Abmc.gov - Findagrave.com - Aad.archives.gov |
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PROGRAMMER | Henri, Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud |