Alabama State > Winston County, Army and AAF > O. Z. Thornton

O. Z. Thornton

Corporal, US Army

Service #34588694

Assigned to the
66th Armord Regiment, 2nd Armord Division
European Theater of Operations

Died on August 24, 1944
As the results of combat action
Elbeuf, Normandy, France, See Note 1
Officially Listed as Killed In Action

Final Burial Location:
Plot A, Row 5, Grave 30
Normandy American Cemetery,
Colleville-sur-Mer, France

FindAGrave.com Memorial 56650779

Awards:

Purple Heart
Medal

American Campaign
Service Medal

European-African-
Middle Eastern
Campaign Medal

World War II
Victory Medal

These awards are based on the information below and per applicable DoD Directives and Awards Manuals:
Purple Heart Awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Forces, after April 5, 1917, has been wounded, killed, or who has died or may hereafter die of wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States.
American Campaign Service Medal Awarded for military service within the American Theater between December 7, 1941 and March 2, 1946.
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Awarded for military service for service within the European-African-MiddleEastern Theater between December 7, 1941 and November 8, 1945.
World War II Victory Medal Awarded for military service between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946, both dates inclusive.

CPL Thornton is believed to have entered the US Army from
Fort McClellan, Winston County, Alabama, Enlisting in 1943
and his loss is recorded in the
Alabama World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, page 27, Winston County,
published by the War Department in June 1946.

His name is listed on the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) website.

Note 1: The death location, "Elbeuf, Normandy, France" is based on the best information available at this time. In the case of CPL O. Z. Thornton, this location was not verified by eyewitness statement, but some details were found in the 66th Armord Regiment, 2nd Armd Division Official After Action Report for 1-31 August 1944:

A. Per pages 13 and 14 the 66th Armord Regiment was engaged in combat operations in an area west of Elbeuf France on August 23-24 1944.

B. On attached S-1 Supplement, Battle Casualties for August 1944, page 8 lists two Enlisted Men Killed from the Hq Co 3rd Bn and two Enlisted Men Killed from the Medical Detachment on or nearest August 24, 1944.

C. The ABMC lists CPL Thornton as assigned to the 66th Armord Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, and date of death as August 24, 1944.

Anyone with a more specific location is welcomed and encouraged to submit an email to: ww2updates@withmilitaryhonors.com.

The following information on this casualty is sourced from The National Archives Database:
Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946 (Enlistment Records) - See Note 2

ARMY SERIAL NUMBER

34588694

NAME

THORNTON O Z

RESIDENCE: STATE

41 - ALABAMA

RESIDENCE: COUNTY

133 - WINSTON

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT

4130 - FT MCCLELLAN ALABAMA

DATE OF ENLISTMENT

1/1/1943 - January 1, 1943

GRADE, ALPHA

8 - Private

BRANCH: CODE

00 - Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA

TERM OF ENLISTMENT

5 - Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law

LONGEVITY

Undefined Code

SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL

0 - Civil Life

NATIVITY

41 - ALABAMA

YEAR OF BIRTH

1922 (10/26/1922) October 26, 1922

RACE AND CITIZENSHIP

1 - White, citizen

EDUCATION

0 - Grammar school

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION

695 - Semiskilled inter-industry metal working occupations, n.e.c.

MARITAL STATUS

6 - Single, without dependents

COMPONENT OF THE ARMY

7 - Selectees (Enlisted Men)

CARD, BOX, FILM REEL #

#, 0822, 3.244

Online Related Information:

No Additional Data Available at This Time

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Note 2. Information is sourced from the public domain and may be copied and distributed without permission.

Alabama State > Winston County, Army and AAF > CPL O. Z. Thornton

Page last updated June 3, 2019