Harold I Hess

Pvt Harold Hess was killed in action on 06 June 1944, serving with Company B, 121st Engineer Combat Battalion. On the morning of 6 June 1944, two platoons of Company B went ashore at Omaha Beach's Dog Green/Dog White sector at 0710 hours, landing directly into heavy mortar, artillery, and machine-gun fire since no infantry had yet cleared the way for them. A third platoon followed about ten minutes later alongside a platoon of Company C, and together the survivors of both companies pushed toward Exit D-1, clearing out sniper positions and taking roughly 30 prisoners along the way. Using an 1,100-pound external charge of TNT, they blew open the wall blocking the beach exit, and Company B stayed on through the day to finish opening the route and clear the road into Vierville-sur-Mer, completing the work by 2100 hours. That night, the company dug in just south of Vierville alongside the battalion's headquarters and service company, having secured one of the first working exits off Omaha Beach. Pvt Hess was killed in action that day; the report does not specify the individual circumstances.