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name
DUNCAN, Jack Wesley - Date of
birth
23 October 1919 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Langley, Aiken County, South Carolina -
Hometown
Warrenville, Aiken County, South Carolina
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
14104189 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
E Company,
2nd Battalion,
502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment,
101st Airborne Division
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Died of Wounds - Date of
death
18 September 1944 - Place of
death
Sonse Forrest near an embankment where now Highway A-2 is situated
East of Best, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | 25 |
Immediate family
-
Members
John W. Duncan (father)
Bertha S. Duncan (mother)
Earle L. Duncan (brother)
More information
Jack Duncan enlisted on 1 April 1942. He received basic training at Camp Walters, Texas. He also trained at Fort Benning and Alliance, Nebraska. He was sent overseas in October 1943.Sgt Duncan rushed over from his company's position several hundred yards away, to take part in the fighting. He did have permission to do this, but was to eager to join the action. He took a German officer prisoner. He put a .45 pistol to the officer's head and marched him up onto the embankment. As the two men became visible, fire from both sides tappered off. Sgt Duncan instructed the German to shout out orders to his troops to lay down their weapons and surrender. The officer shouted something to his men but non of the Americans understood what he said. As in a reaction, all the Germans opened fire and both got killed.
Jack Duncan was initially buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Son near Eindhoven.
Two of the pictures were taken at Greenham Common, England, hours before the D-Day invasion. On one he is talking to General Eisenhower. He is marked as number 4. On the other pictures he is marked as number 8
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.abmc.gov, www.ww2-airborne.us/, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record, www.newspapers.com - Aiken Standard and Review 18 October 1944
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.marketgarden.com, www.newspapers.com - Aiken Standard and Review 18 October 1944, Richard Duncan