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Eugene Harrell BARWICK
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| NUMBER OF SERVICE | 14166612 | ||||||
| AGE | 20 yo | ||||||
| DATE OF BIRTH | 13 Décembre 1923 à Caire GEORGIA | ||||||
| ETAT | Grady County GEORGIA | ||||||
| FAMILY | Married to: Ruth WALKER Parents: Eugene WATSON & Katherine Florence HARRELL BARWICK | ||||||
| RANK | Private | ||||||
| FONCTION | Browing Automatique Rifleman | ||||||
| JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT |  | ||||||
| DATE of ENLISTEMENT | 15 June 1944 | ||||||
| COMPANY | Company | ||||||
| BATTALION | Battalion | ||||||
| REGIMENT | 264th Infantry Regiment | ||||||
| DIVISION | 66th Infantry Division | ||||||
| DATE OF DEATH | 24 Décembre 1944 |  | |||||
| STATUS | MIA | ||||||
| PLACE OF DEATH | Aboard in USS Léopoldville, In Manche(Channel), off Cherbourg | ||||||
| CEMETERY |
NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY from Colleville | ||||||
| GRAVE |
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| DECORATION |
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| STORY | |||||||
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He played football in high school. Big fan of outdoors, Eugene enjoyed hunting and fishing. He graduated in the Cairo High School in May 1941. He was top of his class (Class Valedictorian). Ruth WALKER was his girlfriend and they married in Camp Rucker, Alabama on May 5, 1944. He enrolled in Mercer University, Macon Eugene played football for the Mercer Bears. Eugene had completed the 2/3 of the admission program at the Medical College. He was in his class top ten. The US Army launched a program called Army Specialized Training Unit, a program which allowed the students to continue their medical or engineering studies but in a military environment. On June 15, 1943, Eugene joined the army. He enrolled in the university to continue his studies. eugène est Enlisted Reserve Corp of the Army Mercer University also started the program. Eugene asked to be transferred in the navy to be able to come back to Mercer University. Before he could be transferred, the army ended this program. All the students like Eugene went to active service. Eugene was assigned to the 264th Infantry Regiment Company B as a Browing Automatic Rifleman. Eugene embarked to England in New YORK on November 15, 1944. Eugene’s parents never had a merry Christmas again after receiving a telegram following Eugene’s death.  Anecdote: Ruth remarried…20 years later, Ruth died on Christmas eve like Eugene. | |||||||
 | Stéle by Eugène BARWICK | ||||||
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Arrived on November 26th, 1944 in England, the division polishes up its training until December 24th In the daytime of the departure and the crossing towards France and Normandy. The division embarks on two ships of which the SS Leopoldville which receives 262th and 264th regiment Infantry and leaves Southampton in training(formation) accompanied with four escort ships. Arrived unless 5 miles from Cherbourg, a German submarine U-Boat 486 is in ambush and sends a torpedo to the ship. He is touched on the starboard beam before. 802 soldiers over the 2235 which he(it) transported are killed in this drama. Leopoldville is marine cemetery today. | |||||||
See History of Leopoldville (Click on the picture) 
| SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTO | Clive TIRLEMONT - Frédéric LAVERNHE - Leopoldville.org |
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| PROGRAMMER | Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud |