Fredrick B Wentsler

Pfc Fredrick Wentsler was killed in action on 06 June 1944, serving with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment. On D-Day, the 3rd Battalion, 18th Infantry came ashore near Colleville-sur-Mer and, like the rest of the regiment, endured heavy losses from enemy artillery and mortar fire, compounded by the danger of moving through a minefield that had not yet been cleared. Despite these losses, the battalion pressed inland and had reached a position at grid 678895 by 3:25 in the afternoon, holding there in readiness to support the other battalions if they were needed. By midnight, the regiment had succeeded in cutting the Vierville-Colleville road and dug in for the night, having secured a foothold inland from the beach on this first day of the invasion. Pfc Wentsler was killed in action that day; the report does not specify the individual circumstances.