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Submit- Full
name
DIERS, Martin Carl - Date of
birth
16 August 1914 -
Age
30 - Place of
birth
Blaine County, Montana -
Hometown
Stevens, Stevens County, Minnesota
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
37164276 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
C Company,
68th Armored Infantry Battalion,
14th Armored Division
-
Awards
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
14 January 1945 - Place of
death
Rittershoffen, France
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Epinal
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 24 | 16 |
Immediate family
-
Members
William F. Diers (father)
Clara J. (Vogt) Diers (mother)
Otto J. Diers (brother)
Loraine A. Diers (sister)
Leroy M. Diers (brother)
More information
After Sgt Diers and two other sergeants had spotted a tank they grabbed a bazooka and a small amount of ammo to knock out the tank but then decided to go back and get more rounds for the bazooka. Sgt Rutz described what happened next: “Sgt Diers was the lead guy going back, and as he jumped up and had taken three or four steps to cross the alley, the tank had moved and had visibility at that point and fired a direct hit on him. It must have been only 30 or 40 yards away. He was so close to the muzzle of the gun that he was covered with the black gun powder and did not make a move.”
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Reich Family Tree / 1930 Census / U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, www.findagrave.com, http://14thad.org
Photo source: www.findagrave.com – Andy, www.ancestry.com – Darlys Vogt