World War II Honoree

John Gordon Winters

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Newport, Rhode Island

Honored By

Catherine Winters

Relationship

Daughter

SERVED IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE. DIVISION: FOURTH PORT OF EMBARKATION. HELPED SECURE UTAH BEACH AFTER D-DAY. ON CHRISTMAS EVE 1944, WHILE STATIONED IN CHERBOURG, FRANCE HE ASSISTED IN THE RESCUE AND RECOVERY OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS WHO WERE ABOARD THE LEOPOLDVILLE, THE BELGIUM LINER THAT WAS TORPEDOED BY GERMAN U-BOATS IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. THE LEOPOLDVILLE WAS TRANSPORTING 2200 FRESH, YOUNG U.S. SOLDIERS (OF THE BLACK PANTHER DIVISION) TO FRANCE TO JOIN THE WAR EFFORT. ABOUT 1400 SOLDIERS SURVIVED THAT HORRIFIC NIGHT.