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name
CHAVES, William Medeiros - Date of
birth
5 February 1917 -
Age
28 -
Place of birth
Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts -
Hometown
Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
31428188 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
D Company,
1st Battalion,
7th Infantry Regiment,
3rd Infantry Division
-
Awards
Silver Star,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
15 March 1945 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Medelsheim-Utweiler, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 30 | 33 |
Immediate family
-
Members
William M. Chaves (father)
Maria (Dos Reis) Chaves (mother)
Frank M. Chaves (brother)
Olivia M. Chaves (sister)
Edward M. Chaves (brother)
Peter M. Chaves (brother)
Antonio M. Chaves (brother)
Sylvia G. Chaves (wife)
More information
Sgt William M. Chaves was an electric operator employed at the Howard Arthur Mill before he enlisted in January 1944.He was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his actions in Nayemont-les-Fosses, France on 22 November 1944. During this action he was wounded by artillery shell fragments in the thorax and he was hospitalized until January 1945. The citation reads: For gallantry in action, on 22 November 1944, Sgt Chaves abandoned the cover of a house in Nayemont, France, and carried a heavy machine gun through hostile machine gun fire at 125 yards range, to a low wall about 25 yards to the left. Setting up his weapon in his partitially exposed position Sgt Chaves engaged the enemy machine gun and knocked it out. Meanwhile he drew the fire of a 20 millimeter flakwagon about 400 yards distant, which wounded him in the back. Disregarding his injury, Sgt Chaves shifted his fire to the flakwagon. His stream of bullets guided friendly mortar fire and the flakwagon was silenced. Sgt Chaves was killed in a subsequent action.
He was killed by artillery shell fragments in his head.
Source of information: Leo Minne, Carla Mans, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / 1930/1940 Census / U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men / U.S. WWII Hospital Admission Cards, History 3rd Infantry Division WWII, www.newspapers.com - The Herald News - 1 January 1946
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Denise Kellam, www.newspapers.com - The Herald News 1 January 1946