Sergeant William Sedic Rine 13200554 US Army. He was born on December 10, 1925, in Snyder, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Sedic Sherman Rine and Agnes Laura Kocher Rine. He entered the US Army on January 14, 1944 in New Cumberland Pennsylvania at the age of 18. He served at Camp Van Dorn Mississippi in M Company 253rd Infantry Regiment63rdInfantry Division. He also Served in Headquarters Company as part of the Battle Patrol 253rd Infantry Regiment63rdInfantry Division and he served in  Company F. He served in combat with First Platoons, Company F253rd Infantry Regiment63rdInfantry Division. He earned his first Bronze Star for Valor on February 24, 1945 when first platoons leader 1st Lt Francis J. Spiessbach was wounded when trying to take out a German advancing tanks. Sgt. Rine remains in his possession fighting the Germans despite the fact the many of the other men believed that they had been ordered to retreat  followed the Commanding officer of F company ran from the battlefield when the American artillery that was called in on the advancing tanks started landing on the men of F company. Lt. Castleberry of forth platoon had to get the retreating men turned around and back in the fight. He earned his 2nd bronze star for Valor When F company took Heidelburg  Germany, on on March 29, 1945.

On April 6, 1945 outside of the town of Buchhof PFC Bane and Sergeant William Rine of First Platoon, were both wounded, they were giving as much medical attention to the large group of wounded men as they could. The medical assistance that he gave saved the lives of many of the men. Sergeant William Rine continued giving medical aid while PFC Bane joined the other men from First Platoon and advanced with them to take the town of buchhof.

Rine was discharged on January 9, 1946. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, 4 Bronze Star Medalthe Purple Heart MedalThe American Theater of operationsthe European Theater of Operations Medal ETO with 2 battle star, and the World War Two Victory Medal

He married Elizabeth Ellen Smith on March 17, 1956, in Pinellas, Florida. He died on May 3, 1999, in St Petersburg, Florida, at the age of 73.

 

1- The Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher

2- the 1940 United States Federal Census

3 – Pennsylvania, Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966

4- the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index,

5- the Florida, Marriage Indexes, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001

6 – U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014