Memorial

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According to a Missing Report, Pvt Duane W. Payne became missing in action when he was wounded in action during an attack on Mariadorf. He left his company to get to the battalion aid station at Alsdorf and was not seen not heard from again.

In October 1945, US Military Authorities were notified that remains of twelve to seventeen American soldiers had been found behind a rubbishdump of the "Maria" coal mine, about one mile southeast of Schaufenberg. The exact number of the deceased could not be determined since the remaining bones were scattered all over de area. This was probably caused by the esplosion of mines. The place of discovery was identical with an area, which was formely heavy mined near the "Maria" coal mine at Mariadorf.

By order of the Military Government the remains were put into seven caskets and placed in the morgue of Mariadorf. About five months later an American disinterring-team evacuated the bodies to the cemetery of Margraten in the Netherlands.

At that time it was assumed that four American soldiers of the 117th Infantry Regiment, who were reported missing in action, were killed in this area. Attempts to assiciate these casualties with the remains, found in this area had proven negative. All such remains had been positively associated with other unrecovered casualties or have been declared unidentifiable due to lack of identifying media.

He was declared officially dead one day and one year after he was reported missing in action.

Pvt Payne is remembered at Fort Ripley Cemetery, Minnesota, 6 stones from his son Joyce's grave.