As we remember D-Day, I would also like to highlight and honor several brave East Texans who fought on that day.
Tech Sergeant Gerald M Henderson
Gerald M. Henderson volunteered for the Army in 1938, serving in the Anti-Tank Company, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. He earned two Purple Hearts and was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery on D-Day.
At Omaha Beach, while supervising unloading, Henderson noticed a stalled vehicle. Under fire, he towed it to safety, carried two wounded occupants to cover, and provided first aid. He then returned to rescue another soldier but was fatally wounded by a shell. He was 25.
Henderson is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, Texarkana, Texas.
Private First-Class Lawrence W. Kirby Jr.
Known for his bright smile and friendly nature, Lawrence W. Kirby Jr. was born in Bowie County, Texas, and later lived in Tyler, Texas.
Kirby served in HQ Company, 101st Airborne Division, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion. The 3rd Battalion was scheduled to drop into Normandy before the seaborne landing, but few survived the intense Nazi resistance. Some surviving paratroopers joined a force that captured a causeway from Utah Beach at Pouppeville. Kirby was killed in action during the invasion.
He is buried at the Tyler Memorial Park and Cemetery in Tyler, Texas.
2nd Lieutenant Lewis Alvin Duncan
7th Bomber Squadron of the Army Air Forces.
On D-Day, Duncan was the co-pilot of the B-24 Liberator "Misery Agent." During Operation Overlord, they were sent to Caen, France, to support the landings. Due to low cloud cover, they couldn't drop their bombs and were ordered to return. Heavy air traffic prevented them from taking the shortest route back, and they ran out of fuel over Corfe Castle near the English coast. The plane crashed and burned, killing all nine crew members on board, who were still carrying twelve 500lb bombs. Duncan was 21.
He is buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery in England.
1st Lieutenant Charles Eugene Stone
1st Lt. Charles Eugene Stone of Linden, Texas, served in the Army Air Forces 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron.
On June 6, his p-45 Mustang took off with the 109th on a mission to gather photographic reconnaissance over the Vire region. Stone’s plane crashed around 5:20 p.m. He was 19.
He is buried at Linden Cemetery #1 in Linden, Texas
Staff Sergeant Grover Lee Buchanan
SSgt. Grover Lee Buchanan, born in Beaver Dam, Texas, served on the crew of the B-24 Liberator "Lucky Penny."
Although not part of the initial D-Day invasion, his plane took off from Metfield, England, on June 7 to support the forces in Normandy. Shortly after takeoff, their No. 1 engine failed, and they attempted to abort the mission.
The plane returned to the airfield but lost control while attempting to land. When they crashed, two of the four 1000-pound bombs aboard exploded. The entire crew died in the crash, except for Reese.
Buchanan was 22. He is buried at the Gravel Hill Cemetery in Avery, TX.
