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name
MEYER, Melvin Herman - Date of
birth
25 June 1925 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Livingston County, Illinois -
Hometown
Minonk, Woodford County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
36990241 -
Rank
Private First Class -
Function
unknown -
Unit
B Company,
1st Battalion,
289th Infantry Regiment,
75th Infantry Division
-
Awards
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
25 April 1945 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Gevelsberg, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| H | 11 | 6 |
Immediate family
-
Members
John J. Meyer (father)
Antka M. (Rients) Meyer (mother)
Lubbie J. Meyer (brother)
John E. Meyer (brother)
Vernell C. Meyer (brother)
Arthur Meyer (brother)
Dorothy M. Meyer (sister)
Judith A. Meyer (sister)
More information
Melvin Meyer enlisted on 22 June 1944, while a junior in high school. He was stationed at Camp Blanding, Florida for 18 weeks training. After 10 days at Fort Meade, Maryland, he was sent overseas in the middle part of December 1944.Two of his brothers also served, S/Sgt John in Santa Barbara, California, and Cpl Vernell in the Philippines.
In 1951, Capt C. M. McLauglin wrote a letter to his family, explaining what happened on that tragic day: "Pfc Melvin H. Meyer joined the 75th Infantry Division as a reinforcement on 1 January 1945. He entered combat while the division was fighting on the First Army Sector where it aided in stopping the winter offensive by Von Rundstedt in the Ardennes.
He then participated in the battle of the Colmar packet in Alsace, France where the division assisted in driving the Germans back across the Rhine. The division was then moved to the Ninth Army Sector where the division crossed the Rhine and aided in clearing the enemy from the Ruhr pocket.
Pfc Meyer was engaged in unloading a truck filled with captured German ammunition. During the unloading process, the ammunition suddenly exploded, killing PFC Meyer instantly."
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, http://75thdivisiondad.com/kia roster.htm#1, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record, www.newspapers.com - The Pantagraph
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, The Meyer Family