Army SSGT Martin R. Pennartz, only the second Wilson County, Texas casualty reported in the World War II "French Invasion", was the son of Sam and Annie Pennartz of the Camp Ranch community on Route 4 near Floresville, Texas. He was killed in action 27 June 1944 in Normandy, France while serving with Company C, 357th Infantry Regiment, in the 90th Infantry Division, VIII Corps, 3rd Army.

The "blood-red T-O" insignia of the 90th Infantry Division was nicknamed "Tough Ombres" during World War II. The letters "T-O" of the insignia previously stood for Texas and Oklahoma; being a carryover from World War One, when the 90th Infantry Division was made up of men from these states.

Martin enlisted on 22 March 1942 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He was assigned to the 357th Infantry Regiment for basic military training.

The 357th Infantry Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division was ordered into active military service 25 March 1942 and reactivated at Camp Barkeley southwest of Abilene in Taylor County, Texas.

13-19 Dec 1942: took part in a one-week maneuver at Camp Bowie, completing battalion firing tests.

26 Jan 1943: convoyed 600 miles by truck to the vicinity of Leesville, Louisiana for mock-battle maneuver training.

1 Sept 1943: took a troop train to the California-Arizona Combat Maneuver Areas.

11 Sept 1943: billeted in a tent camp at Camp Granite, California.

26-31 Dec 1943: took a troop train to Fort Dix, New Jersey,

14 March 1944: prepared for overseas movement at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

23 March 1944: sailed aboard the "HMS Dominion Monarch” from the New York Harbor Port of Embarkation to Liverpool, England.

4 April 1944: de-barked at the River Mersey docks at the Port of Liverpool, and moved via trains to the camps near Kidderminster, England. Trained for D-Day invasion from 10 April to 4 June 1944.

13 May 1944: moved 64 miles nearer the English Channel to Camp Race Course, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales.

4 June 1944: traveled via train 30 miles to Cardiff, Wales, and embarked on the “S.S. Bienville” cargo ship to cross the English Channel.

8 June 1944: transferred to a Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) ship, and went ashore at "Utah Beach" on the Cherbourg Peninsula of Normandy, France.

9 June 1944: advanced toward St Sauveur le Vicomte.

12 June 1944: encountered enemy resistance in the vicinity of Amfreville.

13-16 June 1944: holding action at Gourbesville.

23 June 1944: conducted mop-up operations in the town of Portbail.

25-26 June 1944: an enemy patrol struck in-force in the area of the Outpost Line of Resistance (OPLR) of the 357th Infantry Regiment.

27 June 1944: KIA near Saint-Lo-d'Ourville, France (Company C was engaged in heavy fighting in the hedgerows of Normandy when Sgt Pennartz was killed).

Martin R Pennartz