Service Number 35702561
Unit 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division
Rank Private First Class U.S. Army
∼PFC Willie Shields was born 15 May 1924 in Boston, Kentucky to Willie Henson and Bessie Mae (Hughes) Shields. He was the 2nd of their 5 children and his father supported the family by farming for others in Nelson County, Kentucky. Bessie Mae caught pneumonia and died in November 1931 at the age of 29 leaving 5 children aged 9 to 9-months. Dude's dad married widow, Alice Mae (Comely)Dezern on December 23, 1933, and her 2 daughters joined the family. The family was not living together in 1940. Dude's education didn't progress past the eighth grade, and he also worked as a farm hand. He was working for and living with Roy Barnes of Bardstown, Kentucky in 1942. Dude was drafted in May 1943. After approximately 5-months of basic training he would have been sent to an infantry unit, but I don't know when he went to England. PFC Shields was transferred from the replacement depot to C Company 116th Infantry on 17 July 1944 while the unit was in the vicinity of Saint-Lo, France. Very soon after that he was reassigned to A Company 116th Infantry on 23 July 1944. He then fought with the unit in the operation to liberate Vire, France and as the regiment moved towards Brest, France PFC Shields and was wounded in Guilers, France on 27 August 1944 and evacuated to a hospital where he died on 30 August 1944.
PFC Shields rests forever in the Brittany American Cemetery.
His Awards:
Bronze Star
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal (He did not receive this medal)
European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Unit 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division
Rank Private First Class U.S. Army
∼PFC Willie Shields was born 15 May 1924 in Boston, Kentucky to Willie Henson and Bessie Mae (Hughes) Shields. He was the 2nd of their 5 children and his father supported the family by farming for others in Nelson County, Kentucky. Bessie Mae caught pneumonia and died in November 1931 at the age of 29 leaving 5 children aged 9 to 9-months. Dude's dad married widow, Alice Mae (Comely)Dezern on December 23, 1933, and her 2 daughters joined the family. The family was not living together in 1940. Dude's education didn't progress past the eighth grade, and he also worked as a farm hand. He was working for and living with Roy Barnes of Bardstown, Kentucky in 1942. Dude was drafted in May 1943. After approximately 5-months of basic training he would have been sent to an infantry unit, but I don't know when he went to England. PFC Shields was transferred from the replacement depot to C Company 116th Infantry on 17 July 1944 while the unit was in the vicinity of Saint-Lo, France. Very soon after that he was reassigned to A Company 116th Infantry on 23 July 1944. He then fought with the unit in the operation to liberate Vire, France and as the regiment moved towards Brest, France PFC Shields and was wounded in Guilers, France on 27 August 1944 and evacuated to a hospital where he died on 30 August 1944.
PFC Shields rests forever in the Brittany American Cemetery.
His Awards:
Bronze Star
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal (He did not receive this medal)
European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Service Number 35702561
Unit 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division
Rank Private First Class U.S. Army
∼PFC Willie Shields was born 15 May 1924 in Boston, Kentucky to Willie Henson and Bessie Mae (Hughes) Shields. He was the 2nd of their 5 children and his father supported the family by farming for others in Nelson County, Kentucky. Bessie Mae caught pneumonia and died in November 1931 at the age of 29 leaving 5 children aged 9 to 9-months. Dude's dad married widow, Alice Mae (Comely)Dezern on December 23, 1933, and her 2 daughters joined the family. The family was not living together in 1940. Dude's education didn't progress past the eighth grade, and he also worked as a farm hand. He was working for and living with Roy Barnes of Bardstown, Kentucky in 1942. Dude was drafted in May 1943. After approximately 5-months of basic training he would have been sent to an infantry unit, but I don't know when he went to England. PFC Shields was transferred from the replacement depot to C Company 116th Infantry on 17 July 1944 while the unit was in the vicinity of Saint-Lo, France. Very soon after that he was reassigned to A Company 116th Infantry on 23 July 1944. He then fought with the unit in the operation to liberate Vire, France and as the regiment moved towards Brest, France PFC Shields and was wounded in Guilers, France on 27 August 1944 and evacuated to a hospital where he died on 30 August 1944.
PFC Shields rests forever in the Brittany American Cemetery.
His Awards:
Bronze Star
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal (He did not receive this medal)
European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Unit 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division
Rank Private First Class U.S. Army
∼PFC Willie Shields was born 15 May 1924 in Boston, Kentucky to Willie Henson and Bessie Mae (Hughes) Shields. He was the 2nd of their 5 children and his father supported the family by farming for others in Nelson County, Kentucky. Bessie Mae caught pneumonia and died in November 1931 at the age of 29 leaving 5 children aged 9 to 9-months. Dude's dad married widow, Alice Mae (Comely)Dezern on December 23, 1933, and her 2 daughters joined the family. The family was not living together in 1940. Dude's education didn't progress past the eighth grade, and he also worked as a farm hand. He was working for and living with Roy Barnes of Bardstown, Kentucky in 1942. Dude was drafted in May 1943. After approximately 5-months of basic training he would have been sent to an infantry unit, but I don't know when he went to England. PFC Shields was transferred from the replacement depot to C Company 116th Infantry on 17 July 1944 while the unit was in the vicinity of Saint-Lo, France. Very soon after that he was reassigned to A Company 116th Infantry on 23 July 1944. He then fought with the unit in the operation to liberate Vire, France and as the regiment moved towards Brest, France PFC Shields and was wounded in Guilers, France on 27 August 1944 and evacuated to a hospital where he died on 30 August 1944.
PFC Shields rests forever in the Brittany American Cemetery.
His Awards:
Bronze Star
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal (He did not receive this medal)
European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Inscription
PFC 116 INF 29 DIV KENTUCKY
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