Re: Data about Lyle H. Wilkins and Aunt "Lucille"
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In reply to:
Data about Lyle H. Wilkins and Aunt "Lucille"
Wayne Wilkins 11/28/11
That which follows is "correction" to previous comment about Uncle Lyle's circumstance:
More about Lyle H. Wilkins:
Burial: Wilkins Cemetery, Eden, Graham County, Arizona
Family comment: 2001, Donald Hugh (Duke) Smith:WWII Duke arrive repo depot Anzio, Italy, did not see Lyle but “found out” Lyle had been hospitalized for wounds then returned to his unit where he was killed by a 88 round (shrapnel?) to the upper torso. Duke was transferred to repo depot in Marseille, France.
Uncle Lyle's Military service: Enlisted 5 May 1943, Private, Army Service Number: 39296304, assigned to 351st Infantry Regiment (from headstone). Uncle Lyle was reported KIA 21 April 1944 (Eden Cemetery headstone shows “1943” in error.wvw)
Twins: Brother to Len J Wilkins
Lyle H. Wilkins was drafted to serve his country during World War II. Family comment that “he volunteered to throw a bomb to muster out the enemy and lost his own life” on April 21, 1944 (not 1945), in combat action in the Anzio Campaign (Not Po Valley) which occurred between 5 April to 8 May 1944. He was survived by his wife and two children (Aunt Lucile had four children!?wvw). Hostilities in Italy ended 03 May 1945.
NOTE for Cynthia Michalle Wilkins: War is managed chaos!! Anzio Beachhead conditions prohibited the “recovery” of 351st performance and morning report due probably because unit historian were “not available”!!
351st historical data for January thru April 1944 is not now available.
Uncle Lyle’s unit arrived in Magenta, Algeria, in December 1944, after many days aboard “liberty ships”. The brief interval in Algeria was used for mountain climbing and physical conditioning. The 351st embarked for Italy late in January, 1944.