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name
CLEMENTS, John Thomas - Date of
birth
25 August 1924 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Narberth, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
13186396 -
Rank
Private First Class -
Function
unknown -
Unit
357th Infantry Regiment,
90th Infantry Division
-
Awards
Distinguished Service Cross,
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 January 1945 - Place of
death
Near Binsfeld, Luxembourg
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Luxembourg
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| F | 6 | 10 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Judson W. Clements (father)
Marie (Rager) Clements (mother)
Sara A. Clements (sister)
Joseph J. Clements (brother)
Judson W. Clements (brother)
More information
Pfc John T. Clements attended Lehigh University and volunteered for the Army of the United States in Fort George G. Meade, Maryland on 17 February 1943. He was sent overseas in April 1944.He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously. The citation stated: On the night of 23 January, in the town of Binsfield, Luxembourg, when his company was counterattacked by German Infantry supported by tanks and an 88-mm. gun, Pfc Clements left the cover of a building and knocked out the enemy gun with bazooka fire. He continued the fight until all the defenders but himself and a comrade were killed or wounded, then armed only with a pistol, he boldly advanced against a German machine gun nest. Pfc Clements was killed by enemy fire as he neared the position, but his heroic devotion to duty, in keeping with the highest traditions of the service, lives on as an inspiration to his comrades.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Kathy McDermott, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov – WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Park Paxson Petty Families / Pennsylvania Veteran Compensation Application Files WWII, www.findagrave.com
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Lehigh University - 1943, www.findagrave - Civils203