Grayson County TXGenWeb

World War II
PVT Lonnie Jackson Kent
They were part of the D-Day Invasion.
France had been occupied by the Germans since
1940 and they would drive them out.

Map of the Battle of Saint Lô

23rd Infantry

Insignia

2nd Infantry Division


This Battle is also called The Battle of the Hedgerows
Side note about the Hedgerows; You were trapped in the hedgerows like being in a maze. The Germans had control of Saint Lo and we won the battle, but at a huge cost. Europe used hedgerows to surround their fields and pastures. Some are 16 feet high.
This photo and their relaxed weary walk is a sign that the Germans were pushed back and they were in no danger.
Strangely many Bois d'arc Trees are part of fence rows in Europe, in the fossil records the Bois'd'arc trees are native only to Grayson County and Fannin County Texas. All come from here and spread around the world. This area of Texas used to send thousands of boxcars full of the bois d'arc seeds, starting in the 1880's. Even if the fence row dies it still stays standing another 100 yrs as it rots very very slowly. It is the source of most fence posts in earlier days. You cannot just break it back or snap off branches.
An American soldier wrote home and told his parents of the difficulty of finding a way through the hedges. They sent him a hacksaw and it worked so well huge amounts of them were sent to all and became part of their equipment.
Service No. 18007824
He enlisted in Dallas, 31 Dec 1940

From;

Men and Women in the Armed Forces from Grayson County, Sherman, Texas

Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light
26 Sep 1944
List of Texas Dead


I was unable to find more articles




Buried in West Hill, Sherman, Texas
His Tombstone Order
"He was brought back home in 1948"


Grayson County Military Page

Susan Hawkins
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