WW2 engraved KIA PH group

[Geoff]

This just recently came out of the woodwork in Dayton, Ohio. The family sold it to a good friend of mine, who promptly sold it to me. I haven't done any military records search on the soldier yet, but thought it was appropriate to post what I do have in his memory for Memorial Day.

 

The soldier was Army PFC William K. Stevens, born on April 23, 1922 in the small rural community of Casstown, OH (about 11 miles north of Dayton). He joined the Army on Dec 2, 1942, and was trained at Ft. Knox, KY, and Camp Wolters, TX. It appears that he was originally trained as an artilleryman. He went overseas to the ETO with the 102nd Infantry Division in September 1944, and at some point was assigned to M Company, 406th Infantry Regiment, 102nd Division. He was wounded in action between Nov 14 and Nov 19, 1944 as his division assaulted the German Siegfried Line at Geilenkirchen, Germany, near the Netherlands/German border north of the city of Aachen. PFC Stevens died of his wounds on November 19, and was subsequently buried in the American Cemetery near Maastricht, the Netherlands. William was 22 years old at the time of his death.

 

The group includes Steven's cased and engraved Purple Heart; the original Western Union telegram from the War Department notifying the family of William's death; two local newspaper death notices; a photo of William in uniform; a photo of his cross at the Netherlands American Cemetery; a 1946 War Dept letter to William's father asking him if he wanted William's remains returned to the United States or left in the American Cemetery near Masstricht; a pair of William's eyeglasses issued to him during his military service; a 1967 American Cemeteries in Europe brochure dated 1967; and a recent US Battle Monuments Commission computer print-out on William K Stevens and his military service and burial information.

 

[Geoff]

A photo of William's engraved Purple Heart, plus the original Western Union telegram dated December 1, 1944 that notified the family of William's death on November 19th. You can see how the WU envelope was torn open at one end. The type on the telegram is fading but still very legible.William's mother had died before the war, so this was a heavy blow to his widowed father. William also had an older brother in military service.

 

[Geoff]

Two local newspaper articles announcing William's death. The clipping with the photo is from the Troy, Ohio newspaper dated December 8, 1944. Here is also an original photo of William in uniform before he shipped overseas. One mystery here - in the photo he is wearing corporal stripes on his service jacket, but he was a PFC when he died, so he evidently received a demotion at some point.

 

[Geoff]

Here is the original October 1946 War Department letter to William's father, asking if Mr. Stevens wanted William's remains returned to Ohio, or to stay in the Netherlands American Cemetery. Evidently his father elected for William's remains to stay in the Netherlands cemetery.

The document has been folded for decades and was difficult to straighten out to photograph.

[Geoff]

A cased pair of William's eyeglasses came with the group. They were issued to him in 1943 while he was undergoing training at Fort Knox, KY. There is also a lens-cleaning cloth from a local Troy, OH Optometrist who was his civilian eye doctor. The document on the right is the Army prescription for his eyeglasses, dated June 21, 1943.

 

[Geoff]

Evidently a family member visited William's grave site in the Netherlands sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s. The group came with an American Military Cemetery informational brochure for Europe, dated 1967. There is also an old, faded color photo of William's grave stone evidently taken by the family member on that trip. Looking at the original photo in hand you can barely make out William's name, but it is too faded to show up on my scan.

 

[Geoff]

Finally, a recent US Battle Monument Commission document printed off their website with William Steven's WW2 service and burial information. William was born just two months after my own father who served in the Pacific Theater and came home at the end of the war. The closeness of their ages brings home to me the ultimate sacrifice that William Stevens made for our country. I was lucky to have my veteran father around until his death at the age of 83 in 2005.

[JDK]

Thanks for sharing and remembering him this weekend!

 

JD

[Terry K.]

A nice grouping

[katieony]

A very poignant group. Thank you for sharing his story.

Mike

[stratasfan]

Fabulous group! That will sure make a nice display! I found this little article about his death in the Piqua paper. As you don't have the original, thought you might like this one to go along with your group!

 

His full name was William Knight Stevens (his mother's maiden name was Knight).

 

 

He has a cenotaph on his parents' tombstone in Casstown.

 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11807270&ref=acom

 

 

 

 

 

[Geoff]

Hi Stratasfan, thanks for the additional information and newspaper clipping from Piqua. There's some good information about his family there. It appears that we're not to far apart. I lived in Dayton for 30 years and just recently moved to Cincinnati. It's nice to meet another Ohio history buff and collector!

[Becky]

Hello Geoff,

I have found this thread and have become a member.  I am the niece of William Knight Stevens.  My uncle's items were sold without my knowledge.  I would very much like to purchase them from you, if possible.  Thank you.

Becky