Hancock County (Georgia) Cemeteries

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William L. Turner

Jun 18, 1916 - Jun 7, 1944

Cemetery: Sparta City Cemetery
Section A, Lot 3, Grave 18
-- See section's Lot Layout map on the Sparta Cemetery website.

Inscription and Notes:

Buried in Blosville, France

Military Service: World War II
Lt. Col. 506 Pcht. Inf. 101 Airb'rn Div

William Leroy Turner

William Leroy Turner was born in Sparta, Georgia, on June 18, 1916.  His family moved to Milledgeville in 1926.  There he graduated from Georgia Military College and later went to West Point where he graduated as a 2nd Lt., on June 12, 1939.  He was first in the Horse Cavalry, then moved to tanks, and eventually became a paratrooper.  As Lt. Colonel he commanded a battalion in the 101st Airborne Division that landed in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.  His battalion was scattered so he got on a tank and led them to their first assignment to take one of the French towns, a mission they accomplished.  On the way to the next town he saw that one of his men was wounded and raised up to call the medic.  He was killed by a shot in the head on June 7, 1944.  He is buried in the U.S. Military Cemetery, St. Laurent, France.

Source:  Frances Turner Thornton, daughter of Dennis T. Turner, Sr. and Eloise Rozier Turner and sister of William L. Turner, Dennis T. Turner, Jr., and Edward Rozier Turner.


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