Memorial

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James Winebrenner completed the junior class of Clemson College before he enlisted in 1943.

He was sent overseas in October 1944.

He was killed in action when his patrol was ambushed.

In a letter to his family, his Sergeant, George Thomas, wrote: "I was Jim’s Sergeant and we soldiered together for about a year and half. He was a perfect soldier in any man’s army. While we were fighting he feared nothing and did his job wonderfully. Anytime he was to do anything he did it and was proud to do it. All of the fellows liked him very much and easy to get along with.

The night that Jim got killed I was with him. Here is the story: One night about 10:00 in a wooded area I was picked to take a patrol into another town where the Germans were and to get information. I asked for volunteers. I had to have five besides myself. Jim was the first one to step forward and the other four men step forward. I gave the instructions to them and told them exactly what we were supposed to do. We set out. I was first to set out and the others followed. Jim was last.

We were about 10 yards apart walking down the road single file. It was a snowy and cold nite as we walked a few yards we would get down on the ground to see if we could hear anything moving then we would start out again. We started to pass several houses and we would go through them to see if there were any Germans in the houses. As we started out again we were approaching another house when we were fired upon by two machine guns and as we crawled back to cover there were three of the fellows that were hit. I didn’t know exactly which three they were. Two of the other fellows and myself tried to get the fellows and then as I asked each fellow who he was they told me and we went to each one to give aid and found that all three of them were dead, one of these was Jim. He was shot through the head.

The rest of the company heard the firing and came to our aid and we killed the Germans that were in the house. We returned back to the wooded area that night to our Captain to tell him what men were killed in action. That is the way that your son was killed and I among the rest of the men knew how brave your son was, he was always willing to go with me."