Memorial

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John H. Featherston Jr. attended the U.S. Army West Point Prep School at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, where he competed for a Presidential Appointment to West Point. With the advent of war, his stay at West Point was cut short and his class graduated in January rather than in June 1943. His chosen branch was the Field Artillery and, after a brief leave at home, he proceeded to tho Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. There, after finishing the basic course, he became interested in airborne troops and tactics. With little persuasion he decided to go to a Field Artillery Glider Battalion and consequently was sent to Camp Mackall, North Carolina, a glider training center, where he was assigned to the 17th Airborne Division which had just been newly created.

A Battery commander, Capt Featherston, led a patrol of men out, shortly after they landed. To investigate some small-arms fire that was being directed at them from a group of nearby houses. As he approached the building a shot range out, the Captain fell, mortally wounded. After clearing the houses, they discovered the sniper to have been a 12 year old German boy.