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name
DOWNING, Joseph Ralph - Date of
birth
20 January 1921 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Akron, Tuscola County, Michigan -
Hometown
Akron, Tuscola County, Michigan
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
6916262 -
Rank
Private First Class -
Function
unknown -
Unit
D Company,
2nd Battalion,
507th Parachute Infantry Regiment
-
Awards
Silver Star,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
21 January 1945 - Place of
death
Limerlé, Belgium
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Luxembourg
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| H | 11 | 23 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Clifford P. Downing (father)
Mabel B. (Metiva) Downing (mother)
William J. Downing (brother)
Malcolm K. Downing (brother)
More information
Pfc Joseph R. Downing attended before he joined the Regular Army on 22 November 1939.He was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery in Grand-Failly, France.
He was awarded the Silver Star posthumouslyfor his action on 21 January 1945. The citation cited: when Pfc Downing and another enlisted man became separated from the first patrol into Limerlé, Belgium, they joined with a French paratrooper to continue clearing the town. Upon receiving information from civilians that about 30 Germans wanted to surrender, they went to take them prisoner. As they approached the Germans, the Germans took cover and opened fire on the three men, severely wounding Pfc Downing. He immediately took cover in a nearby ditch and opened fire on the Germans, shouting to his comrades to fall back while he kept them under fire. His self-sacrifice in continuing to provide covering fire saved the life of the other enlisted man although it cost his own. His actions were in accord with the highest standards of the Airborne Forces.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Hynes and Garber Family Tree, www.findagrave.com – Coleman, www.ww2-airborne.us
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.ancestry.com – Jennifer Beardsley