PFC Marshall G. Cole, 37744867
PFC Marshall G. Cole, 37744867 US Army. He was born on Aug. 22, 1923 in Graham Missouri he was the son of Marshall H. Cole, and Lula Marguerite Cole of Weatherby, Missouri. He moved to Dekalb County in 1938 he graduated from Maysville High school. He entered the US Army on June 1, 1944 at the age of 20, at fort Leavenworth, Kansas. At the time of his enlistment he was 5 foot 9 inches tall weighed 142 pounds had Hazel eyes and brown hair.
He entered Company B, 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division on Feb 21, 1945 along with 10 other men from the 71st Reinforcement. He would fight with B Company in both France and Germany. The last battle that he fought in was a 10 day battle fighting the battle between the Jagst and Kocher rivers. He was wounded on the 6th day of fighting. On April 6,1945 his company was pulled from the reserves and detached from 1st Battalion and attached to 2nd Battalion and sent to Buchhof to push back a very large counter attack from the 17th SS Division. B Company remained attached to 2nd Battalion until April 7th when they were reattached to 1st battalion. On April 8, 1945 his company was fighting for Kressbach Germany and the area around it.
On April 8, 1945 he was wounded in action from rifle wound to wrist and fingers and was lost to the 51st evac hosp. He had amputation to fingers due to this wound and remained in the hospital until discharge. He was discharged on October 16, 1945 at Camp Carson, Colorado. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, The American Theater of operations Medal, the European Theater of Operations Medal ETO, and the World War Two Victory Medal. After the war he was a dairy farmer. He married Rosanna Hutson on October 10, 1948 and they had 5 children. Rosanna died on October 29, 1991. After Rosanna death he remarried he married Mildred Irene Stokes Utz-Cole. Marshall died on November 12, 2003 at a hospital in St. Joseph at the age of 80.
1- 63rd Infantry Division Records
2- https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=2&cat=all&tf=F&q=Marshall+G.+Cole&bc=sl,sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=6910197&rlst=4895248,6910197
3- St. Joseph News-Press November 13, 2003
4- the U.S., Veterans’ Gravesites, ca.1775-2019
5- St. Joseph News-Press/Gazette page 11 on October 31, 1991
6- the Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002
7- the U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010
8- the U.S., World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954