Paul Dotson Killebrew was born October 27, 1924 in Big Rock, Stewart county, Tennessee, son of David Brunson Killebrew and Cynthia Frances Parker. The family lived in Stewart county, where his father was proprietor of a store in 1930, and farming in 1940. Paul had one brother. He graduated from Big Rock High School in Stewart county.

On December 19, 1942 he registered for the draft in Wayne county, Michigan. At that time he was employed by Briggs Manufacturing Plant in Detroit.

July 24, 1943 he enlisted in the Army at Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia. He was a private in the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. In preparation for the Invasion of Normandy, the regiment participated in invasion rehearsal exercises, using landing craft, vehicle, personnel and Landing Craft Assault. For the invasion, the regiment was part of Force O, the initial assault force. On June 3, 1944 the regiment embarked for Normandy from Weymouth. The operation was launched on June 6, 1944. On June 11 the 116th was withdrawn to the reserve in order to reorganize due to the D-Day losses. They moved forward on June 14. Between June 7 and July 19, 438 men of the regiment were killed, 2,040 wounded, and 38 missing, for a total of 2,516 casualties.

Private Paul D. Killebrew was killed in action on June 28, 1944.

He is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France. A memorial stone is in the Killebrew family plot, in the Powell Cemetery, LaFayette, Christian county, Kentucky.

References:

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

1930; Census Place: District 3, Stewart, Tennessee; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0004

1940; Census Place: Stewart, Tennessee; Roll: Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 81-3

U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26756023/paul-dotson-killebrew

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/116th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)#World_War_II

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Overlord

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Fold3.

Paul D Killebrew