World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Lonnie Eichelberger
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Waco, Texas
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
Rank: Private First Class. On November 25, 1942, he entered the United States Army, with his induction at Dallas Texas, assigned to the Ninety-Second Infantry ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ Division. He completed his boot camp training at Camp Robinson, Arkansas, and combat infantry training at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations with the division in August of 1944. Served in Company-I as a Rifleman, Third Battalion, 371st Infantry Regiment, and a subordinate unit of the division, attached to the U.S. Fifth Army. The division participated in the Italian Campaign (Battle Dates: July 10, 1943-May 2, 1945) against the German Armed forces. His regiment fought in the hills near the town of Strettoia, Italy. Reported missing in action Saturday, February 10, 1945 and later his status was amended to read, killed in action. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the Florence American Cemetery in Via Cassia, Italy. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, the American Graves Registration Command conducted recovery operations, recovering some remains, American military gear and other artifacts. The remains were interred as an unknown in the U.S. Military battlefield Cemetery at Castelfiorentino, Italy. In June of 2016, a Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command investigation team disinterred the unknown remains. The remains were transferred to the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, were he was identified. The remains of this Soldier were interred with Military Honors, January 10, 2018 at the Houston National Cemetery in Houston, Texas. He received the following awards posthumously: Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. The Bronze Star awarded for Bravery, Act of Merit and Meritorious Service in Combat. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.