Cecil was my Great Uncle, my maternal Grandfather's younger brother. Although his Silver Star Citation says his home town is in Pike County Ga., that's incorrect. He was born and raised in Sylvania, GA, and is buried there in Double Heads Baptist Church Cemetery next to my Great grandparents. He was originally buried in Margraten Cemetery in Holland. My great grandparents had him moved back home a year later. The cemetery photo was taken May 31, 1946.

Cecil was a 1st Lt. in the 8th Armored Division, 7th Armored Infantry Battalion, Company C. He is mentioned twice in the book, "In Tornado's wake" by Capt. Charles Leach. Sometime on the morning of April 4, 1945, my uncle was leading his unit in an assault on some German anti-aircraft guns in a wooded area in the town of Erwitte Germany in the Ruhr Pocket . The Germans, I believe it was elements of the 116th Panzer Division, were using the guns (20mm and 50mm) to fire directly at the advancing allied troops. It was there that he was mortally wounded and died the next day. Uncle Cecil was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions that day in taking out those guns. Although I never got to know him, his story of courage has always been an inspiration to me and to my family. All gave some. Some gave all. God bless our troops and the greatest generation. To them we owe our freedom.

John McGuire