Willard Calvin Nelson was a son of Henry Everett Nelson and Edith Ella Barington. He was born in Niobrara, Knox County, Nebraska on Jan. 25, 1919. He was the fifth of seven children, and the younger of two sons.
Willard was married at O'Neill, Nebraska in January of 1942 to the former Elma Mary Larson, two months before he was sent overseas to serve his country during World War II.
Elma was born in Niobrara, Nebraska and was the daughter of Louie and Helen (Longfellow) Larson. The famed Poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was the great-uncle of Elma's mother, Helen Longfellolw.
On Mar. 11, 1942 Willard was inducted into the U.S. Army and served in France and the Rhineland with the 975th Field Artillelry Unit. He was wounded twice in Germany and received the Purple Heart.
Willard was with the 3rd Army under General Patton in the invasion of Normandy Beach on June 6, 1944. The exact number of men on both sides who died that day will probably never be known. The U.S. Army Center of Military History cites total casualties for the U.S. forces at 6,036. This number combines dead and wounded in the D-Day battles. Willard was one of the lucky ones. After another sixteen months he was finally mustered out of the service on Oct. 18, 1945 in the rank of Corporal.
Meanwhile, three months after Willard was inducted into the service and while he was overseas Elma gave birth to their son, Rodger Dean Nelson. When the child was eleven months old Elma abandoned the child and left him with Willard's parents, Henry and Edith Nelson, who raised him as their own. Rodger was three years old before he saw his father and he was eight years old when his father died.
After Willard got out of the service he was employed as a mechanic until his untimely death just one month short of his thirty-third birthday. After being missing for several days he was found, in a car near the depot, with a head injury caused by a blunt instrument. He was taken to the hospital in Plainview, Nebraska where he died on Dec. 27, 1951 from exposure to the cold weather. His companion was dead at the time of discovery. This apparent homicide is still unsolved. Willard was buried with full military honors in Niobrara. Nebraska.
Willard was married at O'Neill, Nebraska in January of 1942 to the former Elma Mary Larson, two months before he was sent overseas to serve his country during World War II.
Elma was born in Niobrara, Nebraska and was the daughter of Louie and Helen (Longfellow) Larson. The famed Poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was the great-uncle of Elma's mother, Helen Longfellolw.
On Mar. 11, 1942 Willard was inducted into the U.S. Army and served in France and the Rhineland with the 975th Field Artillelry Unit. He was wounded twice in Germany and received the Purple Heart.
Willard was with the 3rd Army under General Patton in the invasion of Normandy Beach on June 6, 1944. The exact number of men on both sides who died that day will probably never be known. The U.S. Army Center of Military History cites total casualties for the U.S. forces at 6,036. This number combines dead and wounded in the D-Day battles. Willard was one of the lucky ones. After another sixteen months he was finally mustered out of the service on Oct. 18, 1945 in the rank of Corporal.
Meanwhile, three months after Willard was inducted into the service and while he was overseas Elma gave birth to their son, Rodger Dean Nelson. When the child was eleven months old Elma abandoned the child and left him with Willard's parents, Henry and Edith Nelson, who raised him as their own. Rodger was three years old before he saw his father and he was eight years old when his father died.
After Willard got out of the service he was employed as a mechanic until his untimely death just one month short of his thirty-third birthday. After being missing for several days he was found, in a car near the depot, with a head injury caused by a blunt instrument. He was taken to the hospital in Plainview, Nebraska where he died on Dec. 27, 1951 from exposure to the cold weather. His companion was dead at the time of discovery. This apparent homicide is still unsolved. Willard was buried with full military honors in Niobrara. Nebraska.
Willard Calvin Nelson was a son of Henry Everett Nelson and Edith Ella Barington. He was born in Niobrara, Knox County, Nebraska on Jan. 25, 1919. He was the fifth of seven children, and the younger of two sons.
Willard was married at O'Neill, Nebraska in January of 1942 to the former Elma Mary Larson, two months before he was sent overseas to serve his country during World War II.
Elma was born in Niobrara, Nebraska and was the daughter of Louie and Helen (Longfellow) Larson. The famed Poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was the great-uncle of Elma's mother, Helen Longfellolw.
On Mar. 11, 1942 Willard was inducted into the U.S. Army and served in France and the Rhineland with the 975th Field Artillelry Unit. He was wounded twice in Germany and received the Purple Heart.
Willard was with the 3rd Army under General Patton in the invasion of Normandy Beach on June 6, 1944. The exact number of men on both sides who died that day will probably never be known. The U.S. Army Center of Military History cites total casualties for the U.S. forces at 6,036. This number combines dead and wounded in the D-Day battles. Willard was one of the lucky ones. After another sixteen months he was finally mustered out of the service on Oct. 18, 1945 in the rank of Corporal.
Meanwhile, three months after Willard was inducted into the service and while he was overseas Elma gave birth to their son, Rodger Dean Nelson. When the child was eleven months old Elma abandoned the child and left him with Willard's parents, Henry and Edith Nelson, who raised him as their own. Rodger was three years old before he saw his father and he was eight years old when his father died.
After Willard got out of the service he was employed as a mechanic until his untimely death just one month short of his thirty-third birthday. After being missing for several days he was found, in a car near the depot, with a head injury caused by a blunt instrument. He was taken to the hospital in Plainview, Nebraska where he died on Dec. 27, 1951 from exposure to the cold weather. His companion was dead at the time of discovery. This apparent homicide is still unsolved. Willard was buried with full military honors in Niobrara. Nebraska.
Willard was married at O'Neill, Nebraska in January of 1942 to the former Elma Mary Larson, two months before he was sent overseas to serve his country during World War II.
Elma was born in Niobrara, Nebraska and was the daughter of Louie and Helen (Longfellow) Larson. The famed Poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was the great-uncle of Elma's mother, Helen Longfellolw.
On Mar. 11, 1942 Willard was inducted into the U.S. Army and served in France and the Rhineland with the 975th Field Artillelry Unit. He was wounded twice in Germany and received the Purple Heart.
Willard was with the 3rd Army under General Patton in the invasion of Normandy Beach on June 6, 1944. The exact number of men on both sides who died that day will probably never be known. The U.S. Army Center of Military History cites total casualties for the U.S. forces at 6,036. This number combines dead and wounded in the D-Day battles. Willard was one of the lucky ones. After another sixteen months he was finally mustered out of the service on Oct. 18, 1945 in the rank of Corporal.
Meanwhile, three months after Willard was inducted into the service and while he was overseas Elma gave birth to their son, Rodger Dean Nelson. When the child was eleven months old Elma abandoned the child and left him with Willard's parents, Henry and Edith Nelson, who raised him as their own. Rodger was three years old before he saw his father and he was eight years old when his father died.
After Willard got out of the service he was employed as a mechanic until his untimely death just one month short of his thirty-third birthday. After being missing for several days he was found, in a car near the depot, with a head injury caused by a blunt instrument. He was taken to the hospital in Plainview, Nebraska where he died on Dec. 27, 1951 from exposure to the cold weather. His companion was dead at the time of discovery. This apparent homicide is still unsolved. Willard was buried with full military honors in Niobrara. Nebraska.
Inscription
WILLARD C NELSON/Nebraska/CPL 975 FIELD ARTY BN/World War II/Jan 25 1919-Dec 27 1951
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