The Story
Pvt Franklin Pelster was killed in action on 06 June 1944, serving with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment. On 6 June 1944, the 116th Infantry Regiment came ashore near Exit D-1 on Omaha Beach and pushed inland toward St. Laurent-sur-Mer, working to secure the beach exit before turning west to help clear out German defenses along the shoreline. While no specific record survives detailing the actions of this particular company or battery that day, the regiment as a whole advanced with one battalion reaching as far as Vierville-sur-Mer. By nightfall the regiment's battalions had dug in at separate positions: one along the road west of Vierville-sur-Mer, one about 100 meters west of St. Laurent-sur-Mer, and one just north of that village, as the division worked to consolidate its foothold above the beach. Pvt Pelster was killed in action that day; the report does not specify the individual circumstances.
This location is an estimated position — the most specific place recorded in the source — not an exact spot.
Source: NARA