PFC Bill W. Clark 34979070 KIA US Army
PFC Bill Wilburn Clark 34979070 KIA US Army. He was born on November 19, 1916, the son of Eva Searey Clark. He had 6 brothers and 4 sisters. He was married to Marguerite Elizabeth Pitts Clark of Route 2, Box 207 Dothan Alabama. They had one son Larry Wilburn Clark. Before the war he worked for the Coca Cola Bottling Company in Dothan Alabama. He entered the US army on April 10, 1944 at the age of 27 at Fort McPherson in Atlanta Georgia. At the time of his enlistment he was 5 foot 6 inches tall had Black hair and brown Eyes. He entered H Company on September 21, 1944, at Camp Van Dorn. He served as a Machine Gunner in 4th Platoon, H Company, 253rd Infantry regiment, 63rd Infantry Division during his entire time in Combat.
On the evening of April 5 at 1645 hours A Company led the attack on a hill directly east of Untergriesheim… A Company’s attack was not the only hill that was under attack in the late afternoon of April 5. At around 1600 hours, F Company 253rd decided to attempt to take a hill southwest of its position in the direction of E Company 253rd …. This attack also resulted in the H/253 to have “All hell broke loose again with increased enemy artillery, rockets, mortars and 20mm antiaircraft fire to counter the attack.” Tech Sgt. Boyd R. Hollis was caught out of his hole and immediately, on instinct, jumped into the nearest hole. The hole was occupied by Pfc. Bill W. Clark and Pfc. Robert L. Shular two machine gunners from H Company. The space was limited as the hole was only 2 feet by 4 feet by 5 feet deep. Because the foxhole was only about 10 yards from Staff Sergeant John J. R. Kinney foxhole Sergeant Kinney called to Sergeant Hollis to come over and join Kinney, as there was plenty of room in Kinney’s foxhole since no one else was in the foxhole. According to Kinney “Frankly, I appreciated having company under these frightening circumstances. T/Sgt. Boyd R. Hollis, dashed over, jumped in, and waited out the barrage with me… Shortly, a large explosion occurred in the foxhole Hollis had just left.” A large projectile most likely a 105mm round landed directly into the foxhole and instantly killed Pfc. Bill W. Clark and severely wounding Pfc Robert L. Shular. When the incoming barrage died down, Sergeant Hollis and Sergeant Kinney went to investigate the hole that had been demolished. They found Pfc. Bill W. Clark was dead. Pfc Robert L. Shular was wounded by shrapnel in all parts of his anatomy, but particularly in his torso. Sergeant Kinney joined three other GIs to help carry the stretcher out with Pfc Robert L. Shular. When Kinney was carrying the stretcher down the hill to the battalion aid station. “The thing that moved (Kinney) the most about this event was when he noticed the near mortally wounded soldier trying to speak. (Kinney) leaned down close to Shular’s face and heard him faintly say, “I’m just glad to be alive.”-very emotional for (Kinney). From the numerous wounds he suffered.”
https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=all&tf=F&q=34979070&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=5348938
U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963
Alabama, World War II Military Dead and Wounded, 1944-1946
