Private First Class John Millard Shoemaker 34978777, US Army. He was born on April 15, 1915 the son of George M Shoemaker, and Addie Edwards Shoemaker of  Adamsville, Alabama. He married Carrie Elizabeth Hitchcock on June 19, 1936. He enlisted in the US Army on April 12, 1944, at Fort  Mcpherson Atlanta Georgia, at the age of 28. He entered G Company, 253^rd Infantry Regiment, 63^rd Infantry Division, on October 22, 1944 at Camp Van Dorn Mississippi.  He served with G Company for his entire time in combat he fought in the Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher. On April 8, 1945, PFC Shoemaker earned the Bronze Star Medal (BSM) for valor and the Purple Heart Medal (PHM). On this date Shoemaker along with 14 other men were given the task of covering G Companies withdraw from the town of Stein am Kocher, this task took 4 hours and was a success. On April 8th he received a wound to the Abdomen and was taken to the 112th Evacuation Hospital. Private First Class, Shoemaker was awarded the Bronze Star Medals  (BSM) with V for valor and oak leaf cluster, the Purple Heart Medal (PHM), The Combat Infantry Badge,  the American Theater of Operations Medal, European African Middle Eastern Theater of operations Medal, and the  World War Two Victory Medal. He died on August 1, 2002, at the age of 87.

Sources:

1 – 63rd Infantry Aivision Association Records

2 – U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007       

3- https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=all&tf=F&q=34978777&bc=sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=5348678          

4-  The Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher