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name
SKLAR, Fred - Date of
birth
13 August 1919 -
Age
25 - Place of
birth
Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana -
Hometown
Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-397469 -
Rank
Captain -
Function
Troop Commander -
Unit
25th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized),
4th Armored Division,
B Troop
-
Awards
Silver Star,
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
25 December 1944 - Place of
death
In the woods, south of Chaumont, Belgium
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Luxembourg - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Sam Sklar (father)
Ida (Siegel) Sklar (mother)
Betty Sklar (sister)
Albert Sklar (brother)
More information
On 24 December 1944, B Troop was positioned in the outskirts of Chaumont, near a wooded area. Their orders were to storm the woods, south of Chaumont in order to support CCB of the 4th Armored Division and to take the village. They were up against a strong force of the 5. Fallschirmjäger Division and the first two attacks failed.At a certain moment, Capt Sklar, angry about the failures, took out his pistol and personally took command of the third attack. He stormed into the woods and never came back.
Records show that he was taken prisoner and must have been wounded and died of his wounds in a German hospital.
At this moment an investigation is ongoing to reveal the place where he is buried.
Source of information: André Koch, Raf Dyckmans, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - 1930/1940 Census
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Erwin Verholen