World War II Honoree

John W. Graves

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Kingston, Ohio

Honored By

Bonnie Sabine

Relationship

Sister

PFC. GRAVES PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE AFTER FIRST LANDING IN ITALY ON JUNE 29, 1944. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON OCTOBER 26, 1944 NEAR BELMONT, FRANCE. HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE SILVER STAR. PFC. GRAVES WAS SENT FORWARD TO FILL A GAP IN THE LINE AND OCCUPY A POSITION WHICH THE HOSTILE TROOPS HAD PREVIOUSLY KNOCKED OUT. ALTHOUGH HIS WAS THE MOST ADVANCED POSITION, HE DETERMINED TO MOVE FURTHER FORWARD TO A SPOT FROM WHICH HE COULD DIRECT EFFECTIVE FIRE ON THE ATTACKERS. HIS COMRADES IN THE AREA WERE BEING HARASSED BY ENEMY SNIPERS. HE LEFT THE COMPARATIVE SAFETY OF HIS FIGHTING HOLE SO THAT HE COULD LOCATE THE SNIPERS AND ELIMINATE THEM. WHILE MOVING ACROSS EXPOSED TERRAIN, HE WAS KILLED BY A SNIPER BULLET.