Technical Sergeant Gerthie Edward Kennedy 07000271 US Army. He was born on March 2, 1919, the son of John and Susan Kennedy, of 104 Wagon Ford Road Limestone, North Carolina. He married Vertie Mae Williams on September 23, 1943. He enlisted in the US army on November 08, 1939 at the age of 20. In 1945 he was 5 foot 5 inches, weighed 120 Pounds, he had gray eyes and Brown Hair. He served in combat with Forth Platoons, Company F, 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division.
On April 6, 1945, Fourth Platoon was trying to make the advance continue in to the town of Buchhof Germany because they were being delayed by massive enemy fire. T/Sgt Gerthie Kennedy, the platoon sergeant of Fourth Platoon, was leading the machine gun section when the sniper from the church seriously wounded him in the leg. At this point, PFC Gerald B. Stegemeyer unhesitatingly went to aid T/Sgt Kennedy. Stegemeyer noticed that the sniper was still firing at T/Sgt Kennedy. However, before PFC Stegemeyer reached Sergeant Kennedy, the sniper hit Kennedy again. Stegemeyer quickly applied first aid, picked up Sergeant Kennedy and began to carry him four hundred yards to safety. PFC Stegemeyer started up the hill and had carried him only a few yards before he was hit in the leg by a sniper. However, he continued carrying the wounded man up the hill until he was hit in the leg again. By this time, Stegemeyer was unable to walk, so he started crawling across the remaining three hundred yards of open ground. When Stegemeyer stopped to fix Sergeant Kennedy’s tourniquet, the sniper hit Stegemeyer again. Stegemeyer was extremely weak by this time from loss of blood; he kept on with the heavy man only to be struck a fourth time by the sniper, this time through the foot. Despite his painful wounds, PFC Stegemeyer finally succeeded in getting Sergeant Kennedy to safety and medical care in time to save his life.
PFC Robert Bane eliminate the sniper that wounded T/Sgt Kennedy, PFC Stegemeyer as well as many other men. Private Frank H. Myrick was able to get the his machine gun to action.
T/Sgt Kennedy was discharged from the US Army on August 21, 1945 at the age of 26. He was awarded the He died on September 17, 1974, in Richlands, North Carolina, at the age of 55, and was buried in Beulaville, North Carolina. He was awarded the Bronze Stare Medal, Purple Heart Medal, American Defense Medal, The American Theater of operations Medal, The European African Middle Eastern Theater of operations Medal with two battle stars. the World War Two Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, and the Combat Infantry Badge,
1- The Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher
2- https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=all&tf=F&q=Gerthie+Kennedy&bc=sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=313332 – it states he was born in 1899 that is a typo
3- 1920 United States Federal Census
4- 1930 United States Federal Census
5- U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
6- North Carolina, Marriage Records, 1741-2011
7- the U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
8- the U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs Death File, 1850-2010