World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Gerald Rector Helms
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Cook County, IL, Illinois
Honored By
Pearl Thomas
He was in Company E, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army. In the fall of 1944, he was reported missing in action on October 1, 1944 near Katerbosch, Netherlands, during Operation Market Garden. In October 2019, a Dutch resident digging a trench in his front yard in Katerbosch came upon human remains and military artifacts. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency established the remains as SSGT Helms. He was buried on May 2, 2022 in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois.