World War II Honoree

Amon Adkins

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

McComas, West Virginia

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. Inducted into the United States Army July 29, 1942 at Huntington, West Virginia. Following recruit and advanced infantry training, he was deployed to England, Great Britain. He served as a Rifleman with Bravo Company, First Battalion, 264th Infantry Regiment, an element of the 66th Army ‘Black Panther’ Division. Sunday, December 24, 1944 elements of the division were en-route from South Hampton, England to France, crossing the English Channel aboard the SS Leopoldville. The transport was sunk off the coastal shore-line of Cherbourg by the German submarine, U-486. The division was moving to the French Brittany-Loire area. Monday, December 25, 1944 after his rescue, he died of injuries suffered from the sinking. Personnel from a Grave Registration Company buried him in the Blosville Battlefield Cemetery Carentan, France. In the post-war era, this Soldiers’ family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at the Oaklawn Cemetery Huntington, West Virginia. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.