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Posts Tagged ‘753rd Tank Battalion’

Lancaster, Ohio Obituary – Charles Richard “Dick” Waits

February 4th, 2010 1 comment

This obituary is of my great grand uncle, Charles Richard “Dick” Waits. At the time, he was the 90th Fairfield County, Ohio serviceman killed in action, and the 109th war death from that county since Pearl Harbor. The article was featured in the 4/20/1945 edition of the Lancaster Eagle Gazette:

Three Lancastrians Lose Lives At War

… T-5 Corporal Charles Richard (Dick) Waits, 25, husband of Mrs. Margaret Ann Waits, 111 North Pearl-av, and only son of Mr. and Mrs. Harmon C. Waits, 702 Eastwood-av. A tank gunner in an armored division of the Seventh Army, Cpl. Waits was reported by the War Department as killed in action April 6 in Germany.

T-5 Corporal Waits, who would have been 26 years old on April 27, has been reported by the War Department as killed in action April 6, somewhere in Germany. His wife is the former Margaret Ann Phillips, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ross Phillips of the Pearl-av address. For the past year, Mrs. Waits has been helping her sister, Mrs. Paul Hang (Betty Phillips) operate the Isaly Company store in Circleville during the absence of Paul Hang, formerly of Lancaster, who has been serving overseas. Twice wounded, Pvt. Hang has been returned to the States and is now visiting his family in Circleville.

Cpl. Waits entered the Army here December 9, 1941, received training at Fort Knox, Ky. and Camp Polk, La., in the Armored Force, then was at Temple, Texas, Camp Hood, Texas, receiving further instruction in tank and tank destroyer operation and maintenance, and also at Camp Pickett, Va. He sailed overseas in April, 1943, two years ago; arriving in North Africa where he served in the North African campaign.

Waits took part in the invasion of Sicily in July, 1943 and also in the invasion of Italy at Salerno in September, 1943, attached to a unit of the 45th Division, then a part of the U.S. 5th Army.

He also saw service at Cassino, Gela, Palermo and during the drive on Rome with the armored force. Last August Waits participated in the invasion of Southern France. He was in maintenance, then a half-track crew member, then a tank driver, and at the time of his death was a tank gunner attached to the 753rd Tank battalion of an armored division in the 7th Army, possibly in the Nuermberg (sic) sector of Germany.

Battalion Honored

Cpl. Waits and other members of the battalion had received the French Croix de Guerre, and the Vermillion Star recently for their outstanding operations with French units during a phase of the Italian campaign last year.

Prior to his induction T/5 Cpl. Waits was employed at the Sohio filling station, corner Broad and Chestnut-sts. He was a graduate of Lancaster High School, where he played football.

In addition to his wife and parents, Cpl. Waits leaves three sisters, Miss May Waits, chief telephone operator here, Mrs. Ernest Miller, Muskegon, Mich., and Mrs. Ralph Williams, Columbus.

The last letter Mrs. Waits received from her husband was dated March 30, from somewhere inside Germany.

I’d also like to mention the other two servicemen mentioned in the article:

First Lieutenant William S. Massey (5/9/1917 – 3/26/1945), 187th Glider Infantry, 11th Airborne, United States Army, died of battle wounds in the Philippines. He is buried in the Manila American Cemetery.

Corporal Kenneth Kinney Metcalf (8/15/1922 – 4/5/1945), 6th Division, United States Marine Corps, was KIA at Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands, 350 miles from Japan. He is buried in Forest Rose Cemetery in Lancaster, Ohio.

Through my many internet wanderings and various Ohio contacts, I had never been able to locate this newspaper article. Many, many thanks to Jane Mason (Miller) for locating and mailing a copy!

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits/sister of Charles Richard Waits)

Categories: Military, Williams

Dick Waits KIA Documents – Update

October 28th, 2009 No comments

Chris Bradford, the website administrator for the 753rd Tank Battalion, emailed today that his government contact in Washington D.C. will be sending the KIA documents on my great grand uncle, Charles Richard “Dick” Waits, on Friday or Monday.  Hopefully, they will shed more light on the events surrounding his death.  Be sure to check back for more updates.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits/ sister of Charles Richard Waits)

Categories: Military, Williams

Research Update – Charles Richard “Dick” Waits

October 16th, 2009 No comments
Charles Richard Waits and Margaret Ann Phillips Portrait

Charles Richard Waits and Margaret Anne Phillips Portrait

My research this morning has centered around my great grand uncle, Charles Richard “Dick” Waits.  Dick was born in 1919 in Lancaster, Ohio. He attended Lancaster High School and married Margaret Anne “Peggy” Phillips on 6/16/1941. Dick enlisted with the United States Army on 12/9/1941. He was KIA on 4/6/1945 in Mockmuhl, Germany as a corporal in Company C of the 753rd Tank Battalion. He is buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery in St. Avold, France. Dick was 25 years-old when he was killed. The picture above is of Dick and Peggy Waits. I believe his sleeve patch signifies United States Army ground forces. If you look closely, you can see the tank pin on his hat.

Peggy remarried a few years after his death. I have recently contacted her nephew, Paul, niece, Sue, and daughter, Lisa. After I compile all of their contributions, I will post them here. 

This morning, I have sent requests to the American Battle Monuments Commission for a floral arrangement to be placed at his grave marker. They also provide a photo of the marker after placement, along with a lithograph of the cemetery. I will post the picture after I receive it (probably in several weeks.) Chris Bradford, who runs a website dedicated to the 735rd Tank Battalion (Dick’s picture is in the KIA Gallery Two), has requested Dick’s Deceased Persons File on my behalf. The file should include how he died, where he was buried, reburial details, communication with his kin, etc. I hope to receive this in the near future as well.

Thank you to everyone who has helped with my research on this fallen hero.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits/ sister of Charles Richard Waits)

Categories: Military, Williams