Memorial

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Sgt Marshall Cornelius Jr. graduated from Sunbury High School where he played football and attended Lebanon Valley College for one year before he enlisted at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland on 8 February 1943.

He partifipated in the campaign in North Africa and had previously been wounded in action on the Italian front while rounding up German prisoners. He was hospitalized there for a while and then sent to England for further treatment before participating in the invasion of France.

Following the prearranged artillery barrage, his patrol moved across flat terrain with absolutely no resistance for about 200 yards while some man ran out ahead. At a sudden moment, a burst of machine gun fire cut waist-high from right left. After this first burst, everything went dead quiet. Then out of the quiet men heard Cornelius, who must had taken the burst right in the middle, cry very softly, 'Mamma...Mamma.' He then began reciting, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray __" and that was all.

Sgt Cornelius was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Molenhoek on 25 October 1944.