George Shell Grant was born on 7 December 1915 in Fayetteville, Arkansas to James R and M Grace Sowers Grant. The family consisted of three boys and two girls.

George graduated from Akradelphia High School with honors. In 1937 he graduated from Ouachita College magna cum laude. He was ROTC cadet captain and a member of Sigma Alpha Sigma Club and Pi Kappa Tau. He played football and was assistant manager of the team.

After graduation, he taught at Piggott High School for two years and Fordyce High School for a year and a half and then went to Kansas City High School where he was assistant professor of military science and tactics.

On 6 October 1935, George married Melba Smith. With her he had one son George and a daughter Judith.

In August 1942, George volunteered to be an Army paratrooper, service number 0-351088. He received training at Toccoa and Fort Benning in Georgia and at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. He was promoted to the rank of Major in January 1943. In September 1943 Major Grant went to England as the Executive Officer of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

On D-day, June 6, 1944, “This was the plan for Third Battalion: Supported by one platoon of 326th Engineer Battalion and two demolition sections, it was to land on DROP Zone D, which was to the south of VIERVILLE and east of ANGOVILLE AU PLAIN. From this ground, the force was to strike southward as soon as possible and seize the two bridges near LE PORT at the mouth of the RIVER DOUVE. The bridges were to be expanded into a bridgehead as rapidly as the tactical situation permitted. By seizing the high ground in the direction of BREVANDS, the Battalion would be reaching toward the American forces which were moving northward from OMAHA BEACH. It was believed that all of these things could be accomplished on the first day.”

“Third Battalion had played in worse luck initially, but a mere handful of its men had set a shining example in initiative for the remainder of the Regiment. When the planes carrying the Battalion passed over the flooded area between CARENTAN and ST COME DU MONT, heavy anti-aircraft fire enveloped the formation and dissolved it, the planes taking evasive action in all directions. This ground fire leaped up at the parachutists as they responded to the jump signal; it had been given them just a flash too early. Despite the interference from the ground batteries, the individual planes kept to their courses fairly well and most of the sticks were delivered a little short of DROP ZONE D, to westward and northward of it.

“Of the 575 men from 3rd Battalion who jumped that night, 75 were taken prisoner and 93 were killed during the Normandy campaign.” Among those killed, was Major George S Grant, who was reportedly killed while hanging in a tree, still in his parachute harness near Saint Come-du-Mont, France. He later died of his wounds. He was a recipient of a Purple Heart.

Major Grant was buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France in Plot F, Row 17, Grave 26.

Sources:

US, World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas

US, headstone and Interment Records for US, Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949

honorstates.org

US, Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945

US, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011

Arkansas, Birth Certificates, 1914-1917

1920 US Federal Census – Prairie, Washington, Arkansas

1940 US Federal Census – Fordyce, Dallas, Arkansas

Arkansas, US, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957

Newspapers.com (Northwest Arkansas Times, Fayetteville, Ark) 28 June 1944

“Regimental Unit Study Number 3, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment in Normandy Drop”,

History.army.mil/documents/wwii/506-nor/506-nor.htm

“Destination Normandy”, historynet.com/destination-normandy.htm

Americandday.org/101st_Airborne_Division-Order_of_battle.html

www.arkansasonline.com

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.