World War II Honoree

Kenneth Irving Fancher

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Springfield, Massachusetts

Honored By

Daughter

ELEVEN MONTHS OF CONTINUAL COMBAT COVERING OPERATIONS IN FRANCE, BELGIUM, HOLLAND AND GERMANY, AN ADVANCE FROM NORMANDY TO THE ELBE RIVER. FOUR MAJOR BATTLES WERE NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, THE RHINELAND AND CENTRAL GERMANY. CROSSED A LARGE NUMBER OF RIVERS, BREACHED THE SIEGFRIED LINE, LAID MINEFIELDS AND REMOVED THEM, FOUGHT AS INFANTRY BOTH DEFENSIVELY AND OFFENSIVELY. AS INFANTRY, DEFENDED POSITION DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE AGAINST HEAVY ODDS; MANY CASUALTIES. ASSIGNED TO THE FOLLOWING OUTFITS FROM NORMANDY, ST. LO AND ON THE THE ELBE RIVER WHERE HE MET THE RUSSIANS: 30TH, 29TH, 79TH, 35TH, 83RD, 2ND ARMORED AND 113TH CAVALRY GROUP. RECONNED A SITE FOR THE INFANTRY FOOT BRIDGE ON THE ROER RIVER AND THE HUERTGEN FOREST (ALSO TOUGH DUTY).