Milton E. Winston was born on January 19, 1923 in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington to George A. Winston and Esther F. Winston, nee Gerrard. Milton had two brothers, George R. and William Winston. The family lived in the small community of Heissen in rural Clark County, Washington, where George was a farmer. George A. Winston died in 1945.

Milton Everett Winston registered for the draft on June 30, 1942. He was 19 years old, 5’8” tall, and weighed 140 pounds. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion. He lived in Battle Ground, Washington and was working for the Bonneville Power Administration. He enlisted in the United States Army on December 18, 1942 in Tacoma, Washington. His residence was Clark County, and he was working as an office machine operator. He was single, without dependents, and had a grammar school education. Prior to enlisting, Milton had also worked in the Vancouver shipyards.

Private Milton E. Winston served in the 175th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. The 175th landed on the still unsecured Omaha Beach on the morning of June 7, 1944 and proceeded to capture its objective, the village of Isigny. The 175th fought stiff German resistance through the treacherous hedgerows of Normandy, pushing the American lines to within three miles of St Lo, France. In June, the unit defended the high ground, known as Hill 108 (nicknamed "Purple Heart Hill.”) As the 29th Infantry approached the city of St Lo in July of 1944, Pvt. Winston was hit by artillery shell fragments which fractured his leg. He returned to duty the following month.

In August, the 175th Regiment was moved to the Brittany coast to participate in the capture of the port city of Brest, and the German submarine pens located there. The Germans had heavily fortified the city; fighting was intense. Allied troops fought from house to house, while heavy artillery barrages were fired by both sides.

Private Milton Winston was killed in action on September 14, 1944, probably in the Battle of Brest. His remains were returned to the States in 1948 and reinterred in the Brush Prairie Cemetery, Brush Prairie, Clark County, Washington, (Sec. C, Blk. 032, Lot 02). He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

SBTSProject/Washington/Clark

Sources:

The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), 12 Oct 1944, Thu, Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/809700990/?terms=%22milton%20winston%22&match=1

The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), 09 Aug 1948, Mon, Page 10, https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/809639896/?terms=%22milton%20winston%22&match=1

The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), 06 Aug 1948, Fri Page 3, https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/809639873/?terms=%22milton%20winston%22&match=1

WWII Army Enlistment Records, https://www.fold3.com/record/90846605/milton-e-winston-wwii-army-enlistment-records

Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43372325/milton-e-winston

U.S. WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954, https://www.fold3.com/publication/1088/us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954

1930 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/111573131:6224?tid=&pid=&queryId=1970ff00b03befe236998f6a4fdce10b&_phsrc=xOR57615&_phstart=successSource

1940 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/63756124:2442

Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1095090:2375

World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/37192752:2238

Milton E Winston