RESIDENCE (DURING WWII)
Sonora, Pinal County, Arizona
Sonora, Pinal County, Arizona
✭ Ardennes-Alsace Campaign (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945), ✭ Rhineland Campaign (15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945)
Family Villarreal
File Unit: Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946
(Enlistment Records)
in the Series: World War II Army Enlistment Records,
created 6/1/2002 - 9/30/2002,
documenting the period ca. 1938 - 1946.
- Record Group 64
(info)
Brief Scope: This series contains records of approximately nine million men and women who enlisted in the United States Army, including the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
Source: aad.archives.gov/aad/„…we were told to go back and guard the crossroads leading into the town. We quickly retreated to the town of Krinkelt in Belgium.“ S/Sgt. Samuel R. Hodges, Company L, 38th Inf. Regt. “Lt. Bill Jones from Oklahoma was our Platoon Leader. He was a considerable distance out front leading the way. There were numerous tanks around the crossroads which he presumed were Americans. When he realized they were German tanks, it was too late for escape. We all learned a valuable lesson that day, don´t ever presume anything. Lt. Jones hid behind a brick wall and watched as seven American soldiers lined up in front of a tank and were slaughtered. Then a lone soldier was lined up and shot. Hiding in an old well for a long period of time proved useless. Later that day, Lt. Jones was captured by infantry soldiers. Some wanted to shoot him on the spot, but thankfully, the leader would not permit it….
Today we would like to honor the memory of a young member of Company G, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Pvt. John C. Villarreal, who was killed in action on February 3, 1945 near Bronsfeld, Germany.John Villarreal was born on June 24, 1922 in the state of Durango, Mexico. Several years later he moved with his family to Sonora, Pinal County, Arizona and was employed by the Nevada Cons. Copper Corp in Ray, Arizona. John enlisted into the army on February 29, 1944 in Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, California. After his basic training he was sent to Europe as a replacement. Unfortunately, we do not have more records yet about the date when he joined the 2nd Infantry Division. Pvt. John Villarreal was killed in action on Saturday, February 3, 1945 when his Company G advanced through Monschau Forest in order to attack the village of Bronsfeld, Germany. The attack of the 2nd Infantry Division was greatly complicated by a high…