World War II Honoree

Walter F. Gendron

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: TECHNICAL SERGEANT. INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS SEPTEMBER 6, 1942 AT MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. SERVED AS A C-47 ‘SKYTRAIN’ TRANSPORT CREW CHIEF ASSIGNED TO THE 91ST TROOP CARRIER SQUADRON, 439TH TROOP CARRIER GROUP, IX TROOP CARRIER COMMAND, A COMPONENT UNIT OF THE 9TH AIR FORCE STATIONED AT NORTH WITHAM ENGLAND, U.S. ARMY AIRFIELD STATION #479. KILLED IN ACTION ON D-DAY, TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1944 IN THE EARLY, DARK MORNING HOURS WHILE PARTICIPATING IN THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY, THE INVASION OF GERMANY’S FORTRESS EUROPE, CODE NAME: OPERATION OVERLORD. HE DIED ALONG WITH 3 OTHER AIR CORPS PERSONNEL AND 13 PARATROOPERS WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT CRASHED NORTHEAST OF PICAUVILLE ON THE FRENCH COTENTIN PENINSULA. HE WAS SHOT DOWN DURING HIS ATTEMPT TO ENTER THE 506TH PARACHUTE REGIMENT’S DROP ZONE-C AREA AT HIESVILLE, FRANCE AFTER ENCOUNTERING VERY HEAVY AND ACCURATE FLAK FROM GERMAN ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERIES. AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO NEW YORK FOR BURIAL FEBRUARY 1,1950, WITH INTERMENT IN THE LONG ISLAND NATIONAL CEMETERY, FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK.