William H Arledge

Pfc. William H. Arledge served with Company B, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division and was killed in action on October 6, 1944 during the savage fighting at Opheusden, Holland.

George Koskimaki, in his book Hell's Highway tells the story of Arledge's death as related by B Company communications Corporal Henry Gogola:

"We were in a ditch about fifty yards or so from the road when, suddenly, we saw what I believe was a Tiger tank looking right down our throats. His machine gun was chattering to pin us down. It fired an artillery round in our direction.  The ground shook like Jello. I know that I bounced up and was slammed back down. I heard a scream close by and saw PFC Bill Arledge not more than eight feet to my side. He had a good part of his torso blown away but was still alive - barely. I shot him up with morphine. There was not much more I could do for him. He was gone within a very short time. Another friend lost."

Arledge's body was never recovered and he is memorialized on the Tablet of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Holland.  Arledge was from Jefferson County, Alabama.