William Grande

T/Sgt William Grande was killed in action on 07 June 1944, serving with H&S Co, 37th Engineer Combat Battalion. On 7 June 1944 the battalion remained dug in near its command post above Exit E-1, still exposed to intermittent German artillery and small-arms fire a day after the landings. A lone enemy fighter strafed the beach and dropped bombs before dawn, and through the day men continued improving their foxholes while Exit E-1 carried a steady stream of troops and vehicles inland. In the early afternoon a burst of mortar fire struck the battalion command post and the H&S Company bivouac area, killing several men outright and wounding others, including an officer of Company C; the wounded were treated on the spot before the command post was hastily relocated to safer ground. By late afternoon, after infantry located the German gun harassing the area, Exit E-3 was also opened, easing the pressure on the battalion's position. T/Sgt Grande was killed in action that day; the report does not specify the individual circumstances.