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name
SIERKS, Frederick Verne - Date of
birth
29 September 1922 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Broken Bow, Custer County, Nebraska -
Hometown
Dunning, Blaine County, Nebraska
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
37484421 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
M Company,
3rd Battalion,
313th Infantry Regiment,
79th Infantry Division
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Died non-Battle - Date of
death
7 May 1945 - Place of
death
Schwerte, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| J | 10 | 1 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Charles Sierks (father)
Ivy (Shannon) Sierks (mother)
Charles H. Sierks (brother)
Louis E. Sierks (brother)
Elsie E. Sierks (sister)
William J. Sierks (brother)
Tommy Sierks (brother)
Gene Sierks (brother)
More information
Frederick Sierks enlisted on 20 August 1943 and was sent overseas in April 1944.He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal for burn wounds, suffered when mortar shells being transported by him accidentally exploded during the battle of Cherbourg, France. He was evacuated to an army hospital in England and later returned to his unit in September 1944.
While on security duty, he was invited to join Russian soldiers for a celebratory drink to toast the end of hostilities. This toast to victory and freedom tragically ended the life of Sgt Sierks, his buddies Pvt Gilbert Bush and T/4 Chester Yates and a number of Russians.
Source of information: André Koch, Carla Mans, Custer County Chief Newspaper, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - Hopkins-Fuller DMS Tree, www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com
Photo source: www.tombstone.nesgs.org, www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, Carla Mans / Custer County Historical Society