World War II Honoree

Cletus J. Connolly, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Peoria, Illinois

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

HE JOINED THE U.S. ARMY ON 23 OCTOBER 1942 FROM PEORIA, ILLINOIS AS A PRIVATE. HE LANDED ON NORMANDY BEACH D-DAY PLUS 6 IN JUNE 1944. HE SERVED WITH THE 30TH INFANTRY DIVISION WHICH WAS MADE UP OF THE EXISTING NATIONAL GUARD UNITS FROM THE STATES OF NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA AND TENNESSEE AT THE BEGINNING OF WWII. THE 30TH INFANTRY DIVISION WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE INITIAL ONSLAUGHT OF D-DAY BUT SERVED IN EUROPE WITH DISTINCTION AND WAS COMMITTED TO ITS BAPTISM OF FIRE ON 15 JUNE 1944, IN A SECTOR PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED BY THE 501ST PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT OF THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION. THE 30TH SERVED VALIANTLY AT ST. LO AND AT MORTAIN IN FRANCE; IT WAS THE FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION TO ENTER BELGIUM AND THE NETHERLANDS. THE 30TH WAS ALSO INSTRUMENTAL IN BREACHING THE SIEGFRIED LINE AND THE CAPTURE OF AACHEN, GERMANY, THE 1ST LARGE GERMAN CITY TO BE CAPTURED BY THE ALLIES IN WWII. A FEW SMALL COMMUNITIES WERE LIBERATED, THE VIRE ET TAUTE CANAL CROSSED, AND THE FIRST TOWN, ST. JEAN-DE-DAYE, WAS LIBERATED ON 7 JULY. THE BATTLE FOR ST. LO HAD BEGUN SERIOUSLY ON 3 JULY, CONTINUING ON FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH FIERCE HEDGEROW FIGHTING. THE 30TH INFANTRY DIVISION WAS ASSIGNED THE FORMIDABLE TASK OF TAKING THE HIGH GROUND, A RIDGE, JUST TO THE WEST OF ST. LO. HE DIED IN THE BATTLE OF ST LO ON 16 JULY, 1944.