83rd Infantry Division Documents

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Staff Sergeant Richard L Walsh

Name	Richard L Walsh
Rank	Staff Sergeant
Army Serial #	35557586
State	Indiana
Date of death	1945-01-04
Plot, Row, Grave	E, 2, 16
Cemetery	Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands, Google Maps
Role	MOS 745 Rifleman
Unit	K Company, 330th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division
Awards
Remarks	Staff Sergeant Richard L Walsh was a member of K Company. The morning report for July 23, 1944 on page 38 lists him as Severely Wounded in Action on July 22, 1944. The morning report for October 4, 1944 on page 4 lists him returning to his unit as of September 30, 1944. The relevant pages can be seen below. Erwin Derhaag pointed me towards three newspaper articles in the Steuben Republican on S/Sgt Walsh. The first is from January 24, 1945 which reads: S/Sgt. Richard L. Walsh, son of Mr. and Mrs. Olen Walsh, of Pleasant Lake, has been reported as missing in action in Belgium since Janaury 4, according to a message received Monday from the war department by his parents. [...] S/Sgt. Walsh was wounded on July 22, 1944, in the Normandy campaign and the award of the Purple Heart was given him, his parents having received the medal. The second article, from October 17, 1944, reads: S/Sgt. Richard L. Walsh, 20, has been reported as killed in action in Belgium on January 4, 1945. Word of their son's death was received by Mr. and Mrs. Olen Walsh, of Route 1, Angola, in a telegram from the war department last week. [...] Still in high school, Walsh enlisted in military service in July 1943, going to Ft. Benjamin Harrison for special training for three months. From there he was sent to Camp Van Dorn, Miss. assigned to the infantry, and finished his basic training there. He later was put in Company K, 330th Infantry, with the 83rd Division at Camp Breckenridge, Ky. from where he left for overseas duty in April, 1944. Landing in Normandy on D-Day, June 1944, Walsh was wounded on July 22nd, and later received the Purple Heart medal. He returned to his company in October, 1944. S/Sgt Walsh, was home on a 10-day leave about a month before being sent overseas. Besides the parents, he is survived by three brothers. Floyd Walsh, serving at Fort Knox, Ky, with the US Army, and Lawrence and Donald at home. The third article, from October 24, 1944, is on two letter from his K Company buddies and reads: Mr. and Mrs. Olen Walsh have received two letters from S/Sgt. Richard Walsh's buddies, telling how he was killed. The first was from Pfc. E. Wallers of Co. K, 330th Inf, 83rd and reads as follows: Dear Mrs. Walsh: As i am sitting here with nothing to do i decided to read the September 8th Army Tines. I got a glimpse of K Co. 330th Inf. to see what was going on and I well remember your son, Walsh. I thought I would drop you a line in case someone else hasn't. On January 3, we jumped off. That night we slept in a small town in Belgium. The next day we contacted the Germans which, which wasn't but 300 yards from the town. We left the road and while going down a hill, covered with thick pine trees and snow a German '88' came in and exploded and killed Walsh. It also blew another guy's leg off and at 12 o'clock that night he died. These were the most miserable days I ever spent. I was fighting until January 17 when there were only seven of us left. I'm lucky I guess. I also was fighting in the same squad with Walsh Christmas night, which was also a rugged night, and I can never forget it; and also Walsh will also be remembered. Best of luck. Pfc. James E. Wallers. Co. K. 330th Inf. 83rd. The other letter was from Glenn Robinson and reads in part: The best friend I ever had was killed over there the day after Richard. It was really though. There was another boy killed by the same shell that got Richard. We were attacking a machine gun that the Germans were firing at us, which we captured with four Germans, and they died for what happened to your son, plus many more. Some day I hope to see you and tell you all about it. [...] The articles can be seen below.
Documents	- Newspaper article Steuben Republican, January 24, 1945, Page 1 - Newspaper article Steuben Republican, October 17, 1945, Page 1 - Newspaper article Steuben Republican, October 24, 1945, Page 7 - Morning report July 23, 1944. K Company, 330th IR. - Morning report October 4, 1944. K Company, 330th IR.

Grave	Soldier

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