PFC Otis Richard Luomala 31460073 US Army KIA. He was born on July 23, 1917 in Quincy, Massachusetts the son of Richard Luomala and Ellen Luomala. He married Isabelle Josephine Kittila on April 2, 1941 in Yarmouth, Massachusetts. He entered the US Army on March 30, 1944 at the age of 26. At the time of his enlistment he was living in West Barnstable, Massachusetts he was working at John Huickley & Son Co. At the time of his enlistment he was 6 foot tall weighed 168 pounds had brown hair and hazel eyes. He entered H Company 255th Infantry, 63rd Infantry Division, on April 8, 1944. He transferred to E Company, 253rd Infantry regiment, 63rd Infantry Division on May 19, 1944. He served with E Company at Camp Van Dorn and overseas. He was wounded in action on February 21, 1945 and was not hospitalized for 24 hours. He died on April 4, 1945, on hill 233 near the town of Untergriesheim Germany at the age of 27. At the time of his death E Company was holding back a strong close quarter combat counterattack by the 17th SS of Infantry and Tanks. Had E Company not been able to hold back this attack the SS would have pushed 2nd Battalion, 253rd Infantry, in to the Jagst River. His body was interred at Lorraine Military Cemetery France. He was awarded the Bronze Stare Medal, Purple Heart Medal with oak leaf cluster, The American Theater of operations Medal, The European African Middle Eastern Theater of operations Medal, the World War Two Victory Medal, and the Combat Infantry Badge.
1- The Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher
2- 63rd Infantry Division Records (some reports show him as Iuomala)
3- U.S. WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954
4- U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
6- Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
7- the Massachusetts, Birth Index, 1860-1970
8- Massachusetts, Marriage Index, 1901-1955