of Private Melvin W. Johnson


Timeline

10 October 1914 - 18 November 1944

This timeline chronologically details Melvin's life, from birth through his youth, college, marriage, boot camp, and finally to fight and die in France, with Company L, 314th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division. The "Cross of Lorraine" division landed in France at Utah Beach on June 14, 1944. The division fought in Normandy, Northern France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. After VE Day, the division performed occupation duties in Czechoslovakia until returned to United States and deactivated in December 1945.

October 10, 1914
Born Melvin Wallace Johnson to Alfpha F. Johnson and Minnie Fay (Schlumbohn) Johnson of Tama, Iowa.
May 23, 1923
Mother dies of liver cancer in Omaha, Nebraska. Melvin moves to Perry with his father while Evelyn remains in Atlantic living with Gus above the Atlantic Cafe.
1923-1933
Lived with Alfred and stepmother, Allie in Perry, Iowa. Graduated from Perry High School.
1934
Attended Drake University for one year, majoring in Latin.
1934-1937
Attended Central College in Pella, Iowa. Melvin was on the Debate Team, a reporter for the campus paper, The RAY, a member of the Lambda Epsilon Phi Literary Society, Zeta Sigma Pi and Omicron Zeta.
1938
Met Dorothy Bishop at a dance.
June 24, 1939
Married Dorothy Bishop.
March 7, 1943
Elaine Kathryn Ketchum is born in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
July 12, 1943
Inducted into the United States Army at the Logan, Iowa Courthouse. Reports to Leavenworth, Kansas for processing into the Army.
August 7, 1943
Temporarily promoted to corporal.
October 29, 1943
Arrives at Camp Wolters, Texas.
November 1, 1943
Boot Camp begins at Camp Wolters, Texas, an Infantry Replacement Regiment Training Center.
March 14, 1944
Arrives Fort Meade, Maryland for processing.
June 1, 1944
Loading artillery in England prior to the D-Day Invasion.
June 6, 1944
Allied troops invade Europe.
June 22, 1944
Melvin first mentions in his letters that he is sleeping in foxholes, indicating indirectly that he is now in France. His letters still indicate that he was with Infantry Company F. While not joining the 314th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division until June 27th, it appears he is close behind.
June 26, 1944
The 79th Infantry Division secures the port city of Cherbourg after many days of intense battle.
June 27, 1944
The 314th Infantry Regiment moves southeast from Cherbourg, across a tributary of the Douve River to capture Hill 121. It is here, that the morning report indicates that Melvin joins the 314th, transferred from the 86th Replacement Battalion APO 873 US Army."        View Morning Report
July 4, 1944
Captured Hill 121. Reached Bolleville by evening.
July 8, 1944
Captured La Haye du Puits.
July 9, 1944
Captured Hill 84.
July 10, 1944
St. Nicolas de Pierre Pont.
July 11, 1944
Montgarden.
July 12, 1944
Le Mont.
July 19, 1944
Pissot
July 26, 1944
The 79th's plans of attack called for the 314 to follow the 28th across the river after the 8th Div. had secured the high ground southeast of Lessay. Driving with an intensity the enemy was powerless to withstand , corps units smashed across the Ay River, and the German rout in Normandy shifted into high gear. Lessay was captured.
July 28, 1944
Perrier. Three moves on this date.
July 30, 1944
Brehal.
July 31, 1944
La Lucerne D'Autremer.
August 1, 1944
Avrenches.
August 2, 1944
St. James.
August 3, 1944
Fougeres.
August 5, 1944
Captured Laval.
August 6, 1944
Strange.
August 8, 1944
Liberated Le Mans.
August 10, 1944
Beufay.
August 11, 1944
la Cailerie.
August 12, 1944
Lemeleson Mere.
August 13, 1944
La Mele Sur Sarthe.
August 15, 1944
Neron. The Division stayed in the area of Nogent Le Roi.
August 19, 1944
A 314th Regimental Task Force pushes into Mantes-Gassicourt, reporting the sector cleared.
August 20, 1944
The 314th Regiment crosses the River Seine.
August 21, 1944
Follianville.
August 24, 1944
The rearrangement of Army boundaries puts XV Corps and the 79th Infantry Division into the First Army.
August 27, 1944
Fontenay St. Pere.
August 30, 1944
79th Infantry Division ordered to the Belgian border. In 72 hours they traveled 180 miles to arrive in the assembly area.
August 31, 1944
Hermes.
September 1, 1944
Etalon.
September 2, 1944
Sameon (Belgian border).
September 9, 1944
Assembled in the Reims area where they learned they were now part of Patton's Third Army.
September 10, 1944
Assembled in the Joinville area.
September 12, 1944
The 314th attacks and captures Charmes.
September 13, 1944
The 1st Battalion of the 314th secures a bridgehead across the Moselle River.
September 18, 1944
Bing Crosby performs at a USO show. He is only 15 minutes into the show for the 314th Infantry when they have to move out in the direction of Luneville, in the vicinity of Moriviller.
September 19, 1944
Marviller.
September 20, 1944
Attacks and clears Gerberville.
September 21, 1944
Frambios.
September 29, 1944
Moncel (crossed the Meurthe River). The 79th Division passed to the 7th Army. By this time, the enemy sensed that his last hope rested on the natural barriers of the outer defense perimeter of Germany proper. At his back were the Meurthe River, the Forret de Parroy, the Vosges foothills and the Rhine. Those were to be sites of last-ditch stand. "We climbed fort du Roule and we crossed the Meurthe River," said Lt. Col. Ernest R. Purvis Co. of the 314th. "If we had to do one of the two over, we'd take Fort du Roule every time. Compared with this operation, Fort du Roule was a picnic." The 3rd Bn. made contact with the enemy's Meurthe River line at Frambois where a German force larger than battalion held the river proper and a comparable force was "active reserve" in a wooded strip just beyond the river valley. Emplaced machine guns and dug-in tanks bracketed the river's breast deep fords and blown bridge sites with a murderous action fire. Battalion noncom's even now refer to the Frambois action as " Little D-Day". When the smoke of battle lifted two days later, the Meurthe river line was no more in the wooded strip beyond the 3rd Bn. was mopping up.
October 1, 1944
By this date, the Division had advanced one-third of the way through the Foret de Parroy.
October 2, 1944
Vicinity of Luneville.
October 9, 1944
Forest defenses collapse and all units are able to reach the east edge.
October 10, 1944
Croismare.
October 11, 1944
Marainviller.
October 13, 1944
Thiebaumenil.
October 18, 1944
Captured the high ground east of Embermenil.
October 23, 1944
Finally relieved after 127 consecutive days of combat. Rested in and around the Luneville/Lamath area.
November 11, 1944
Benamenil.
November 13, 1944
Hablainville. Against substantially increased resistance and harassing artillery fire, the division launched its drive into the Vosges foothills. Driving in a U-shaped wedge that split the 708th Volksgrenadier Division, bridged on both flanks, the 79th was poised and waiting to exploit the 2nd French Armored Divisions magnificent penetration of the Saverne Pass. Leveling enemy defenses near Blamont and Cirey, it streamed through the pass and fanned across the face of Alsace, enveloping Hagenau and Bischwiller and blasting the first of the concentric defensive positions that constitute the Siegfried line.
November 14, 1944
The Second Battalion captures Migneville. During this time, the regiment also captured Halloville and the town of Barbas, south of Blamont.
November 16, 1944
Private Melvin Johnson mortally wounded. Morning report reads:

16 Nov 1944
Station: Pettonville, 1 mi W
WV2593, Nord de Guerre Zone

37483507 Johnson, Melvin W (504)
Fr dy to trfd SWA 51st Evac Hosp. Drpd
fr asgmt.

Translated:
From duty to transferred severely wounded in action 51st Evac Hosp. Dropped from assignment.

WV2593 roughly translates to the coordinates below:
Latitude : 48° 31' 58'' N (48.53267 °)
Longitude : 6° 43' 16'' E ( 6.72098 °)


View Larger Map

Modified British System of coordinates used on the European Theatre of Operations during WWII

View Morning Report
November 18, 1944
Private Melvin Johnson dies from his wounds. He is later buried at Epinal.