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July 1943 (?)

Registration ARC

September 1943

to the UK

July 16, 1944

Landing on Utah Beach

March 15, 1945

Siegfriedlinie

May 1, 1945

Died on pleasure flight

June 19, 1945

Buried in Margraten, Block RR, Row 12 Grave 290

November 23, 1943

Departure for Europa

January 20, 1944

Arriving in England

June 1944

Landing Omaha Beach

US enters the war

December 11, 1941

Nazi Germany declares war on the US

Turnaround WWII

Februari 2, 1943

Battle of Stalingrad: Red Army defeats Germans

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Leo Lichten

Highly trained cannon feed

Leo Lichten of New York because he was intelligent, he was admitted to a special military training for doctors, engineers and interpreters. But as the need for fresh troops grew in mid 1944, he abruptly had to finish his training and after a too short training as an infantryman, he was sent to Europe.

See Leo's story >

Dorothy Jane Burdge

An American Red Cross 'girl'

When you think about the American cemetery in Margraten, most people will remember the fallen soldiers who lie there. Male soldiers. To many people's surprise, there are also some women buried in Margraten, one of whom was not even employed by the military: American Red Cross 'girl' Dorothy Jane Burdge.

See Dorothy Jane's story >

Robert Cole

The Medal of Honor hero

Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole was a paratrooper with 101 Airborne Division, which includes the legendary men of 'Band of Brothers'. He took part in both the airborne landings on D-Day and in Operation Market Garden. In the days following D-Day, he led his men through the heavily defended Normandy coast land.

See Robert Cole's story >

Wilma ‘Dolly’ Vinsant

Flight Nurse

Dolly Vinsant raised in Texas. She studied to be a nurse and was then a stewardess at Braniff Airways. When war broke out she applied to the army as a flight nurse: a nurse specially trained to carry out evacuation flights. She flew 30 missions and evacuated hundreds of wounded soldiers.

See Wilma's story >

Maurice Rose

The Major General

Maurice Rose was born in 1899. At an early age he joined the army. In subsequent years, he climbed steadily and specialized in mechanized warfare. During World War II he commanded first 2nd Armored Division, and later - now General - 3rd Armored Division.

See Maurice Rose's story >

Arthur Whitbeck

The African American Tank Soldier

Arthur Whitbeck was born Hudson, NY. After his high school, he enlisted in the army. At Camp Claiborne in Louisiana, he was trained as a tank technician, assigned to B Company of 784 Tank Battalion of 5 US Tank Group. These consisted entirely of African-American soldiers, because of racial segregation in the military. Senior officers were white.

See Arthur's story >

George Brouillette

Liberator of
South Limburg

George R. Brouillette of Holyoke, Massachusetts, served as a soldier in the liberation of South Limburg, the 30th ‘Old Hickory’ Infantry Division. As an infantryman, he helped in the liberation of South Limburg in September 1944. Two months later he found himself with his comrades at the front just over the border in Germany.

See George's story >

The Norton twins

Born flyers

Edward R. Norton and James A. Norton Jr. wanted nothing more than to be pilots. When the war broke out, they chose to join the US Army Air Force (USAAF). On May 17, 1943 they conducted their first mission over the Netherlands: a bombing of the power station in Velsen. Tragically, their first mission was to be their last.

See Edward & James's story >

Richard Wells

A soldier’s soldier

Corporal Richard "Dick" F. Wells was part of an important supporting unit: 82 Engineer Combat Batallion. This unit marched right behind the front-line soldiers, with the task of eliminating barriers and building bridges. On September 9, 1944 Wells was part of a reconnaissance patrol along the Albert Canal.

See Richard's story >

Robert Watts

Killed by friendly fire

Robert Watts was born Robert M. Watts in 1918 and grew up in Seabrook in New Hampshire. He was a shoemaker. He was called up for service, trained as a paratrooper and was assigned to the intelligence section of506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. As a paratrooper, he fought in Normandy during Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge.

See Robert's story >

Margraten memorial

Stories of fallen soldiers

To mark 75 years of liberation, the Foundation ‘Memorial Center Akkers van Margraten’ is proud to present the English version of 'Margraten Memorial’. An interactive monument with the life stories of exemplary combatants who found their final resting place in Margraten.

Development site: KF inHeritage & BICmultimedia.nl