Bernard William Homerding, born on 2 February 1922 was the second of nine children born to Bernard and Maria Homerding. One daughter, Maria Anna, did not survive infancy, passing away when Bernard was 11 years old. The family resided in Lockport, Illinois. The senior Bernard, of German ancestry, was a foreman for an oil company. By 1940, the couple, their four sons and three daughters lived on State Street in Lockport.

Bernard, a member of the Class of 1938, graduated from Lockport High School. He entered the workforce with Sanderson and Porter, an Elmwood, Illinois ordnance company.

Homerding, 20, entered military service in May 1942 as a private with Company A, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. He received basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas. Following its overseas deployment, the 29th trained with the 1st Infantry Division in Scotland and England from October 1942 to June 1944.

On 31 May 1944, Private Homerding wrote his family, telling them that he was preparing for the cross channel invasion.

Crossing into Hell:

The 29th Infantry Division sent the 116th Infantry Regiment to support the western flank of the 1st Division's 16th IR at Omaha Beach. Omaha was known to be the most difficult of the five beaches, due to its rough terrain and bluffs overlooking the beach. It was a narrow, enclosed battlefield with no possibility of outflanking it.

Omaha had been well fortified with deep, narrow trenches and high ground, fixed fortifications by its German defenders of the 352nd Infantry Division. Angled positions enabled cross-firing as well as grazing and plunging fire.

For the invasion, the regiment was part of Force O, the initial assault force leading the beach assault. The 116/29 was assigned four sectors of the beach: Easy Green, Dog Red, Dog White, and Dog Green.

The soldiers of the 116th Infantry began to hit the beach at 0630, coming immediately under heavy fire from German fortifications. Company A, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry was crushed as it landed on the westernmost section of the beach. By 0640, only one officer from Company A was alive. Every sergeant was either dead or wounded.

By 1200 hours, elements of the American forces had been able to organize and advance off the beach. The landings resumed. By nightfall, the division headquarters landed on the beach with about 60 percent of the division's total strength and began organizing the push inland. After those initial murderous hours, the 16/29 secured the bluffs. By 9 June, the Regiment occupied Isigny, France.

The 116th Infantry was one of the first to land on Omaha Beach in Normandy as part of the Allies’ liberation of Europe. The regiment suffered 381 casualties. Private Homerding was among the 103 Company A men who did not survive the beach landing. He was 22 years old, a casualty of his first day in combat.

For its actions on D-Day, the 116th Infantry received the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest unit award authorized by the United States Army.

A Community Remembers:

A Sunday article in the Joliet Herald-News, 13 August 1944, reported that Bernard’s family planned a memorial service at his home church.

_Private Bernard W. Homerding, formerly of 321 State Street, Lockport, Illinois died in action in France on 6 June 1944. He was the dear son of Bernard A. and Marie (nee Eipers); the beloved brother of Merwin, Seaman 2nd Class, Donald, James, Robert, Mrs. Arthur Anderson, Shirley and Betty Rae. _

Solemn memorial requiem mass will be offered at St. Joseph's Church in Lockport at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Bernard was a member of the Holy Name Society and R.N.A. Camp 246.

Pvt. Bernard W. Homerding, 22 years old, son of Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Homerding, 321 State Street, Lockport, was killed in action on D-Day, June 6, according to a telegram received yesterday from the War Department.
_ Private Homerding had been in service since May 8, 1942 and had been stationed in England for the past year. He received his basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas before going overseas._

_ He was born in Lockport, Illinois on February 12, 1922 and was graduated from the Lockport High School with the Class of 1938. The family received a letter from him dated May 31 which indicated that he was preparing for the invasion._

Besides his parents, he is survived by three brothers, Merwyn, Seaman 2nd Class and Donald and James and three sisters. Mrs. Arthur Anderson, Shirley and Betty Rae of Lockport.

Private Homerding was buried overseas initially. His remains were returned to the United States after the war and buried at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Lemont, Illinois.

On 6 June 1944, Allied forces engaged in the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. Along a 50-mile stretch, 150,000 American, British and Canadian troops faced frigid water, mine-laden beaches and embedded German machine gun pillboxes waiting at five landing sites. Hundreds of men drowned by waterlogged packs or were killed before setting foot on shore. This profile honors the sacrificial service of one of 2,500 Americans who were killed in action on that epic day of human tragedy and, ultimately, proved victorious over Axis tyranny.

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

References:

Ancestryinstitutions.org. 1930 United States Federal Census.

Ancestryinstitutions.org. 1940 United States Federal Census.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73842357/bernard-william-homerding

https://history.army.mil/index.html

Public Member Photos & Scanned Documents. Memorial Service Commemorative Publication, 1947.

U.S., Find-a-Grave. Joliet Herald-News, Sunday, 13 August 1944 and
Newspaper Obituary, Joliet Herald News, Tuesday, 8 August 1944. Transcribed by Diane K from microfilm copy, 31 March 2013.

U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947.