Memorial

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T/4 James A. Coyle enlisted in Louisville, Kentucky on 6 April 1943.

He was on board of a CG-4A Glider with serialnumber 45-6186, with two crew members, F/O George G. Pittman and F/O John J. Sweeley Jr. and seven passengers, Major Andrew J. Hundley, Lt. Everett W. Loomis, S/Sgt Michael T. Cherkola, Pfc. Forest K. Martin, T/4 James A. Coyle, Pfc. Earl J. Leek and Pfc. Donald R. Hebebrand. Pfc. Hebebrand was the only survivor.

Pfc Donald R. Hebebrand stated the following:
"Pfc Hebebrand states that he was one of six members of the 1st Battalion, 194th Glider Infantry, 17th Airborne who took off in a glider on the morning of 24 March 1945. He states that he saw the pilot and co-pilot buy did not hear their names.
As they climed out of the glider, after landing in a field near Wesel, Germany, the Germans opened fire on them with 88mm guns and small arms hitting every man and setting the glider on fire. To Pfc Hebebrand’s knowledge the seven other men were killed instantly. Since he was not hit fatally himself he escaped death only by playing dead until other American gliders landed on the field about two hours later. His conviction that the other men were dead was strengthened by the fact that they did not move when he stood up to signal the Americans."