1st Lieutenant John R. Simons, United States Army. Service Number: O-444763

Early Life

John R. (possibly John A.) Simons was born about 1921 in Michigan. His father’s name is unknown. His mother Mary S. (maiden name unknown), born about 1898 in Michigan, is listed on the 1940 Census as being married to Samuel Schreiber and her two sons with the surname Simons are listed as Samuel’s stepsons. This probably means that either Mary’s first husband (Unknown Simons) either died or they were divorced. John was the youngest of two sons in the family.

Military

After basic training and additional follow-on training John R. Simons was assigned to Service Company, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.

In 1941, the 26th Infantry Regiment once again stood with its sister regiments and prepared for war in Europe. The regiment was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division for the duration of World War II. In World War II, the 26th Infantry led America's first-ever amphibious assault in North Africa, fought at the Kasserine Pass, assaulted Sicily at the Amphibious Battle of Gela, invaded Normandy, conquered the first German city of the war at Aachen, vaulted the Rhine and attacked all the way to Czechoslovakia by war's end. The regiment, commanded by Colonel John F. R. Seitz, conducted three amphibious assaults, and earned seven battle streamers, a Presidential Unit Citation, and five foreign awards.

Beginning another occupation of Germany, the “Blue Spaders” were given the honor of bearing the United States National Colors at the Allied Victory in Europe parade, and were selected to serve as America’s guard of honor at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials.

Death and Burial

John R. Simons was Killed in Action on 6 June 1944 on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France during the D-day invasion. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal and the Purple Heart Medal. He was buried at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Departement du Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France, Plot: I, Row: 5, Grave: 36.

Sources

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56650023/john-r-simons

https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=342898

https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/simons%3Djohn

https://www.newspapers.com/image/683829198/?terms=john%20r.%20simons&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/380712173/?terms=john%20r.%20simons&match=1

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2125/images/32212_620303056_0002-00825?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=b306789dd83a2a225c1323e9f62c128b&usePUB=true&_phsrc=5ru-2049123&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.25068220.700468495.1620509063-1128903496.1596401247&pId=96796

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2125/images/32212_620303056_0002-00824?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=5ru-6698&_phstart=successSource&pId=96794

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=4283&h=134714&tid=&pid=&queryId=7e3fdf8b871fb9a787d22f3207eab1eb&usePUB=true&_phsrc=5ru-200706&_phstart=successSource

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9170/images/42861_1521003238_0910-01446?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=7e3fdf8b871fb9a787d22f3207eab1eb&usePUB=true&_phsrc=5ru1843839&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.265382793.700468495.1620509063-1128903496.1596401247&pId=96725

https://www.bluespader.org/history/

This story was written by Robert J. “Red” Mulvanny, U.S. Navy (Retired) and 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 smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story. If you noticed anything missing in this profile, you may contact the author. Click on the author’s name located at the bottom of the story page next to the words “added by.”"