James Albert KANE

Parents : Bryan & Marie KANE

Sisters : Mary C, Margaret E, Helen T, Joan M & Gertrude A.

 CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  Ruquet N°3500

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

 CEMTERY TEMPORARY of St Laurent N°3505 

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

James lived in Pennsylvania with his parents and his five sisters. He was a superb American football defensive tackle in the Easton school team from which he graduated in 1940. He entered the military academy of New York where he remained for a term only; 

in 1941 he found a job as a security agent in a large steel company.

The day after 7 December, he volunteered for the Marines where he was turned away, then he tried the Navy where he was also rejected, James was too tall! He had to wait until July 1942 to finally find his way with the infantry; after passing through Washington DC, he joined Fort Benning.

At the end of the year, he volunteered for the Rangers, joining Camp Forrest in 1943.

The training that began for James and all the volunteers would be of outstanding harshness (training with live ammunition, intense rhythm of physical exercises, fighting, etc.), the men who came out of it were true elite warriors.

In September 1943 James received his ranger badge and then completed his training with a full-on time, physically speaking, at Camp Ritchie.

23 November, departure for the old continent on board the Queen Elisabeth with an arrival in Scotland on 1 December; James and his battalion settled in Bude (on the West Coast of England).

Training continued until the end of May 1944 (exercises with British commandos, amphibious training, climbing techniques, taking fortified points, etc.). At the end of May the rangers were moved to a gathering area; on 1 June they reached Weymouth harbour where they joined their mother ships, for James it was the H.M.S. Charles.

Compagny  C deuxième section avec James

The mission is now known: Company C will land at Omaha Beach in the Charlie sector and will have to follow Company A of 116^th RCT through the valley of Vierville, take and destroy the German fortified point located on the cliffs named WN73, then later reach the Pointe de la Percée and destroy the radar station.

The ships leave their base on June 5, the sea crossing is rough on that night.

The rangers join their LCA. It’s 06:20 am, James is in LCA 1038 and heading for the beach. The first wave is going through hell, Company A of 116^th RCT is wiped out.

Villa fortifié dans la falaise à proximité du WN73

06:45 am, James' LCA is approaching, all hell breaks loose on the barges. An enemy machine gun focuses its fire on James' LCA; the ramp lowers and the rangers jump into the water up to their necks and attempt to reach the shore.

Several rangers are killed, wounded, the sand is strewn with bodies; wounded soldiers scream and get up before being hit again. There are only 29 rangers left to reach the goal. James will never reach the bottom of the cliff; he gets killed on the beach.

The human cost of the Company on the evening of this day is 19 killed and 18 wounded out of its 65 men.

The initial objective will be silenced at the end of the afternoon with the help of B company of the 116^th RCT.

Point fortifié allemand WN73