William G Styron

Pvt William Styron was killed in action on 06 June 1944, serving with Battery B, 111th Field Artillery Battalion. On D-Day, the 111th Field Artillery Battalion went ashore across Omaha Beach's Dog Green, Dog White, Dog Red, and Easy Green sectors in direct support of the 116th Infantry, with the Battalion Commander and small advance parties landing within the first ninety minutes of the assault. The battalion's twelve howitzers and most of the firing battery personnel were meant to come ashore by DUKW at H+110 minutes, but heavy seas sank eleven of the thirteen craft in the transport area, and the two that reached the beach were lost to enemy fire and heavy surf soon after. Most of the remaining men and vehicles finally landed around 1700 hours aboard Rhino ferries, two of which came under heavy artillery fire while unloading, costing eleven vehicles and an observation plane; the last two ferries had to turn back out to sea and did not land until the following day. The battalion suffered heavy losses that day, including its commander, Lt. Col. Thornton L. Mullins, and several other officers and enlisted men from the Headquarters Battery. Pvt Styron was killed in action that day; the report does not specify the individual circumstances.