The Story
S Sgt James O'Hearn, Jr was killed in action on 08 June 1944, serving with HQ Company, 2nd Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment. On the evening of 8 June 1944, 2nd Battalion, 175th Infantry pushed through the lines held by 1st Battalion to strike a heavily fortified German position near Cardonville, where the enemy had built a radar station into thick concrete emplacements. Beginning at 1800 hours, the battalion advanced under fire from machine guns, mortars, and 88mm guns, a defense stubborn enough that naval gunfire from the British cruiser HMS Glasgow was called in to help break it down. Despite the resistance, the battalion succeeded in capturing the strongpoint that evening, securing a position that had posed a serious obstacle to the advance inland from the Normandy beaches. S Sgt O'Hearn was killed in action that day; the report does not specify the individual circumstances.
Source: NARA