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Personal info

Full name
KREFT, Rodney H C
Date of birth
24 August 1924
Age
20
Place of birth
Washington
Hometown
Welandon, Snohomish County, Washington

Military service

Service number
39211257
Rank
Private First Class
Function
Light Machine Gunner
Unit
C Company,
774th Tank Battalion
Awards
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
9 April 1945
Place of death
In the vicinity of Morsbach, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
A 8 9

Immediate family

Members
Emil Kreft (father)
Ruth P. (Bohl) Kreft (mother)
Naomi M. Kreft (sister)
Eunice E. Kreft (sister)
Dolores Kreft (sister)

More information

Pfc Rodney H. Kreft attended Everett High School in Washington.

He joined his unit on 2 January 1945 and was reported injured on 5 January. For this non-combat wound, he was treated in the 51st Field Hospital, and by 28 January he was ready to rejoin his unit.

He was hit in the forehead, which caused a fatal wound. At that moment, he was on the machine gunner-assistant driver seat, next to the driver, Michael J. Tomko. Tomko was killed the same day after bringing the damaged tank and three of his crew members to safety.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / U.S. Headstone and Interment Record / Family Tree, http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org - After Action Report 774th Tank Battalion

Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, Marianne Vrieselaar / Everett High School