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name
AMERSON, Leonard C - Date of
birth
2 October 1918 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Meriwether County, Georgia -
Hometown
Manchester, Meriwether County, Georgia
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
34263729 -
Rank
Technician Fifth Grade -
Function
Tank Driver -
Unit
A Company,
17th Tank Battalion,
7th Armored Division
-
Awards
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
5 October 1945 - Place of
death
The wooded area, southeast of Sint Anthonius, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Gus Amerson (father)
Ella P. (Morrell) Amerson (mother)
Nettie Amerson (sister)
Effie A. Amerson (sister)
Grady A. Emerson (brother)
Loney E. Amerson (sister)
More information
T/5 Leonard C. Amerson worked in a mill before he enlisted at Fort McPherson, Georgia on 9 March 1942.The tank commander, S/Sgt Frank E. Wolfe stated on 18 August 1945: "I was car commander of the tank in which T/5 Amerson was my driver. My platoon leader was 2nd Lt Dwight W. Rappleye. Our company was the assault company and my platoon was the assault platoon. The attack moved out over swampy, ravined and wooded terrain. We moved to within approximately 500 yards of our final objective, when the company was met by intense anti-tank, artillery and mortar fire. My tank was hit by an anti-tank gun across the right fender. Thinking the tank was immobilized, the crew abandoned the tank all except the gunner. The gunner, Pfc Denton C. Stroud, drove the tank around and the rest of the dismounted crew, except T/5 Amerson, got back into the tank and rode it out of the enemy line of fire."
Field investigation conducted on 10 June 1947, failed to locate the remains or provide clues about the fate of T/5 Amerson. In view of the above facts, it could only be concluded that he was killed by the enemy and his remains disposed of in an unknown manner and location which precluded recovery or identification.
He was declared officially dead one day and one year after he was reported missing in action.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, http://www.7tharmddiv.org/17deaths.htm, IDPF, www.ancestry.com - 1920/1940 Census
Photo source: Peter Schouteten