Leonard Joseph EKKERT

Source : Arnaud Gaté

TEMPORARY CEMETERY of Blosville - N°3508

lot	Row	Grave	D.D. Number
O	10	200	1408
See history of temporary cemetery

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

79^th INFANTRY DIVISION - CROSS OF LORRAINE

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
15 Jun 1942	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  248
	Casualties/Victimes 15 203
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
19 Jun 1944 Normandy
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Ira T. Wyche (Jun 42 - May 45) Brig. Gen. LeRoy H. Watson (May 45 - Jul 45) Maj. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe (Jul 45 - Aug 45) Brig. Gen. LeRoy H. Watson (Aug 45 - inactivation)	Campaigns/Campagnes Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44) Northern France (25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44) Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45) Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP
DIVISION CHRONICLE Après s'être entraînée au Royaume-Uni à partir du 17 avril 1944, la 79th Infantry Division débarque à Utah Beach, en Normandie, du 12 au 14 juin et entre en combat le 19 juin 1944 sur les hauteurs ouest et nord-ouest de Valognes. Cherbourg. La Division prend Fort du Roule après un engagement fort et est entrée à Cherbourg, le 25 juin. Il a tenu une ligne défensive à la rivière d'Ollonde jusqu'au 2 juillet 1944 et est ensuite retourné à l'offensive, prenant la Haye du Puits dans les combats de porte à porte, le 8 juillet. Le 26 juillet, le 79e attaqua de l'autre côté de la rivière Ay, prit Lessay, traversa la Sarthe et entra au Mans le 8 août, ne rencontrant qu'une faible résistance. L'avancée se poursuit de l'autre côté de la Seine, le 19 août. Les contre-attaques allemandes lourdes ont été repoussées du 22 au 27 août et la Division a atteint la rivière Therain le 31 août. Passant rapidement à la frontière franco-belge près de Saint-Amand, la division rencontre une forte résistance en prenant Charmes dans les combats de rue, le 12 septembre. La 79ème traversée de la Moselle et de la Meurthe, du 13 au 23 septembre, a nettoyé la Foret de Parroy dans un engagement sévère, du 28 septembre au 9 octobre, et a attaqué pour gagner des hauteurs à l'est d'Embermenil, 14-23 octobre. , 24 octobre. Après le repos et l'entraînement à Lunéville, la division est revenue au combat avec une attaque de la région de Mignevine -Montiguy, le 13 novembre 1944, qui a traversé les rivières Vezouse et Moder, du 18 novembre au 10 décembre, en passant par Haguenau malgré la résistance déterminée de l'ennemi. dans la ligne Siegfried, 17-20 décembre. La division tenait une ligne de défense le long de la Lauter, à Wissembourg du 20 décembre 1944 au 2 janvier 1945, date à laquelle elle se replia sur les défenses de la ligne Maginot. La tentative allemande d'établir une tête de pont à l'ouest du Rhin à Gambsheim a donné lieu à des combats furieux. Le 79e a battu les attaques allemandes à Hatten et Rittershoffen dans une bataille de 11 jours avant de se replier vers de nouvelles positions défensives au sud de Haguenau sur la rivière Moder, le 19 janvier 1945. La Division est restée sur la défensive le 6 février 1945. En février et mars 1945, la Division retourne au combat, le 24 mars 1945, traverse le Rhin, traverse le canal Rhin-Herne le 7 avril, sécurise la rive nord de la Ruhr et participe au dégagement de la poche de la Ruhr jusqu'au 13 avril. La division a ensuite successivement occupé des fonctions d'occupation dans les régions de Dortmund, des Sudètes et de Bavière jusqu'à son retour aux États-Unis et son inactivation.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION After training in the United Kingdom from 17 April 1944, the 79th Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach, Normandy, 12-14 June and entered combat 19 June 1944, with an attack on the high ground west and northwest of Valognes and high ground south of Cherbourg. The Division took Fort du Roule after a heavy engagement and entered Cherbourg, 25 June. It held a defensive line at the Ollonde River until 2 July 1944 and then returned to the offensive, taking La Haye du Puits in house-to-house fighting, 8 July. On 26 July, the 79th attacked across the Ay River, took Lessay, crossed the Sarthe River and entered Le Mans, 8 August, meeting only light resistance. The advance continued across the Seine, 19 August. Heavy German counterattacks were repulsed, 22-27 August, and the Division reached the Therain River, 31 August. Moving swiftly to the Franco-Belgian frontier near St. Amand, the Division encountered heavy resistance in taking Charmes in street fighting, 12 September. The 79th cut across the Moselle and Meurthe Rivers, 13-23 September, cleared the Foret de Parroy in a severe engagement, 28 September-9 October, and attacked to gain high ground east of Embermenil, 14-23 October, when it was relieved, 24 October. After rest and training at Luneville, the Division returned to combat with an attack from the MignevineMontiguy area, 13 November 1944, which carried it across the Vezouse and Moder Rivers, 18 November-10 December, through Haguenau in spite of determined enemy resistance, and into the Siegfried Line, 17-20 December. The Division held a defensive line along the Lauter River, at Wissembourg from 20 December 1944 until 2 January 1945, when it withdrew to Maginot Line defenses. The German attempt to establish a bridgehead west of the Rhine at Gambsheim resulted in furious fighting. The 79th beat off German attacks at Hatten and Rittershoffen in an 11-day battle before withdrawing to new defensive positions south of Haguenau on the Moder River, 19 January 1945. The Division remained on the defensive along the Moder until 6 February 1945. After resting in February and March 1945, the Division returned to combat, 24 March 1945, crossed the Rhine, drove across the Rhine-Herne Canal, 7 April, secured the north bank of the Ruhr and took part in clearing the Ruhr Pocket until 13 April. The Division then went on occupation duty, in the Dortmund, Sudetenland, and Bavarian areas successively, until its return to the United States and inactivation.

CHERBOURG: The Star and Stripes flew over the Fort du Roule, a June 25, 2015

Photos: P. Dalibard ( Club Souvenir Militaire )

On June 25, 2015, at 10 a.m., members of the organization Nord Cotentin Mémoire 44, who came by jeeps and GMC, and all in period dress, paid tribute to the liberators by raising the coours on top of the Roule.

« A symbolic gesture to pay tribute to the American soldiers from the 79^th Infantry Division who gallantly fought to take the fort. »

« The American flag flew over the Roule mountain, June 25, 1944, before even being on the front of the City Hall. It was important for us to remember today. The municipality allowed us to raise the Stars and Stripes for hours. It is an honor for all of us. »

Norbert, Régisseur du musée de la libération

Historic reminder

June 1944. While the British’s goal is « the Caen’ hinge », the Americans fight in Cotentin. Their goal is to take the Cherbourg harbour. The Roule Fortress was the last obstacle before taking Cherbourg, essential to deliver supplies to the Allied landed troops. Despite an intense aerial bombardment, the German opposition was a stubborn one, due to the Fort’s strategic position. The honor of his clearance, accomplished on June 25, will go to the 313^rd and 314^th Infantry Regiments of the 79th Infantry Division, this American Division, at the end of 36 hours of fights which end with grenades and cold weapons.

The permanent liberation of Cherbourg is confirmed on the next day, in the morning, making of the city the first harbour liberated in France. After a month of repairs by the American and French Engineers, the harbour, completely demolished by the Germans and the bombardments, welcome the first Liberty ships. Cherbourg, bridgehead for the Allied trops in France, became for a while, the world first harbour, ahead of New York, with 25 000 tons of material unloaded every day !

Ludovic AMELINE "La presse de la manche"

La 79^th Infantry Division

La 79^th Infantry Division was raised in August 1917.

It was sent to France, arriving in July 1918.

In September, il took part in the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

Back in the United States in May-June 1919, it was demobilized shortly afterwards.

The division was brought back into active service on June 15^th 1942. Assigned to VI Corps at Camp Pickett (Virginia).it remained in that sector until August 1942. In April 1944, the 79th Infantry Division left the United States for the UK where it continued training.

The Division landed on Utah Beach from June 12-14^th 1944. Starting on June 18^th, it took part with VII Corps in the attack on Cherbourg. Starting out from a Golleville-Urville line, it was stopped south-west of Valognes on June 19^th. On June 20^th, it resumed its advance, reching Brix and St Martin le Greard, and mopped up the area west of Valognes.

On the21st, it was reorganized prior to the attack on Cherbourg, and captured it on the evening of June 25th. On June 26th, it linked up with elements of the 4th Infantry Division arriving from the east.

Between June 6^th and June 30^th, the division lost 2,376 men killed, wounded or missing.

Allocated to VIII Corps, from July 3^rd the 79^th Infantry Division took part in the offensive on La Haye du Puits, Portbail Lessay and the Ay valley.

Still with VIII Corps, the division took part in Operation "Cobra". It took Lessay on July 26^th. It advanced towards the Seine, reaching Dreux.

The division will continue its forward march through France and then Belgium, Holland and Germany in May 1944

The 79^th Infantry Division was among the American Units committed most often during the Second World War. In the course of its advance through France and Germany, it lost 20,000 men, including 2,000 killed.

The germans described this division as one of the most "combative in the American Army".

The division was disbanded shortly after its return to the United States in December 1945.