World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
John C. Pappas
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Glendale, California
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
RANK: LIEUTENANT COLONEL. SERVED AS COMMANDER OF THE U.S. ARMY 326TH AIRBORNE ENGINEER BATTALION, 101ST AIRBORNE ‘SCREAMING EAGLES’ DIVISION. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE VAST ARMADA THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF GERMANY’S FORTRESS EUROPE, WHO FLEW INTO FRANCE BY GLIDER ON JUNE 6, 1944, D-DAY ‘OPERATION OVERLORD’. KILLED IN ACTION JUNE 13, 1944 AND IS BURIED AT THE NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY, COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL, ALSO HIS UNIT WAS AWARDED 2 DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATIONS FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION AGAINST THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES, THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH PALM, THE NETHERLANDS ORANGE LANYARD, AND THE BELGIAN FOURRAGERE.