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Seeking information on 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Division

Patricia Francoeur

I am looking for information or other personnel that may have served with my Uncle, Leonard Charles Francoeur, from February - March 1945. He served in the 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. He was from Genoa City, Wisconsin. I have some information stating he was with antiaircraft artillery. He is buried in Henri Chapelle Cemetery, Belgium. He entered the service 2/17/1943, trained at Fort Bliss, Texas; Camp Davis, North Carolina; Camp Haan, California; Camp Livingston, Louisiana; and Fort Meade, Maryland. He went overseas on 2/10/1945. His last letter home was dated 3/11/1945 somewhere in Germany. He died of his wounds on March 18, 1945.  Thank You

  • 0

    Dear Ms. Francoeur,

    Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

    We searched the World War II Operations Reports, 1940-1948 in the Records of the Adjutant General’s Office (Record Group 407) and located regimental histories for 1940 - December 1945; history of campaigns (Maknassy & Sedjenane) for March 22 - April 9, 1943 and April 16 - May 19, 1943 respectively; and after action reports for June 11, 1944 - September 1945 of the 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. For access to and/or copies of these records, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov.

    In addition, the information you seek may be contained in his Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF). IDPFs from 1940 - 1976 for personnel with surnames that begin with A-L are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis (RL-SL), P.O. Box 38757, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. For access to these records, please contact RL-SL via email at stl.archives@nara.gov.

    We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!

  • 0

    Patricia,

    might want to try reaching out to the 9th Division Association, you might be able to connect with other members or possibly even find someone that was in his unit. https://9thinfantry.org/

    Elliot Schneider

  • 0

    Patricia:

    My great uncle was in the 60th Infantry Regiment (he was killed just a few weeks after your uncle died).  He was originally an ambulance driver but, from the Battle of the Bulge until his death, he was a common infantryman (1st Battalion, Company C).  He was from Mauston, WI which isn't too far from Genoa City.  It would not be inconceivable that two boys from Wisconsin would gravitate toward each other and possibly become friends. 

    I found a great website that shows the order of battle for the 9th Infantry Division (which the 60th Infantry Regiment was assigned) ( 9th INFANTRY DIVISION - Order of Battle of the United States Army - WWII - ETO | U.S. Army Center of Military History).  The reason I mention this is because it shows the dates and locations of the divisional headquarters - meaning our uncles were between 0 to 20 miles from those locations.  If we could find the locations for the regimental HQ for the 60th we could pinpoint their whereabouts even better.

    I notice that the date of your uncle's death is the day after the Remagen Bridge collapsed.  I don't know if you know anything about military history but the capture and battle of the Remagen Bridge is considered to be one of the top five battles of the European campaign.  The Germans threw everything they had at that bridge (an excellent account is at Battle of Remagen - Wikipedia).  Your uncle, being an antiaircraft gunner was probably in the 376th AAA Battalion (see Composition | 9th Infantry Division in WWII). There is almost no doubt that he would have been right at the bridge in the very bullseye of the German effort. 

    I have some some light hearted and some heartbreaking letters from my uncle.  I wouldn't mind sharing them with you so you should contact me.

  • 0 in reply to John Attewell

    Hi John.

    I hope you don't mind me jumping in here.

    I was excited to see another person with a relative in the same unit as my grandfather. My grandfather, Pvt. Wallace Pelkey was in the 9th Infantry Division, 60th Infantry, Company C. I wonder if their paths crossed during the war. Pvt. Pelkey was injured the first time on October 12, 1944. He was in the hospital until December 1944. They sent him back to the frontlines. He was injured a second time on Feb. 1, 1944. He was from Little Falls, Minnesota. He was physically and emotionally disabled from the war. He was in the St. Cloud Veteran's Hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota for many years.

    I'll check the sources you list to see if I can learn more about him. I'm always looking for more information about his service. I have a letter my grandfather sent home the day before he was injured the first time.

    I would love to find out more about his service from the archives. I have tried to get more information on him from the St. Louis Archives. I received his Honorable Discharge, which was great, but I still have so many questions about his military service. I know they had a fire there in 1973, but some of the records were destroyed. I feel there has to be more government sources of records out there for him. I just don't know where to look.

    Some of my questions are:

    1. Since he was injured twice, was he in a different unit before his first injury? It sounds like this was possible based on your uncle's experience.

    2.He told a couple of his children the most terrifying experience he had was when he had to parachute out of a plane with very little training. I'm wondering when and where might this have happened? Were they so desperate for men that they parachuted men to the frontline instead of going through France?

    3. He was awarded a Bronze Star. I'm wondering when he received it and for what reason.

    4. Should he have been awarded a second Purple Heart?

    Thanks.

  • 0 in reply to Cindy Meyer

    Hello Cindy Meyer:

    My father also was in Company C, 60th Infantry, Notorious 9th in WW2.

    He received a Bronze Star as well. One of my nephews found his original award form card dated 1/6/1960! Fifteen years after his honorable discharge!

    He never talked much about his war experience, similar to many vets, but we knew he was in North Africa, France, and Germany at the least. He also discussed non-violent interactions with the German soldiers during one of the rare times he did discuss his service. They may have been POWs.

    It's really hard to find information concerning his award and battle experience, as you alluded to in your post.

    I have no idea how large these units and company's were, but I have to wonder if he knew your granddad.

    Best of luck finding more info - if I do, I will post it here.

  • 0

    Dear Ms.  Francoeur,  My uncle, PVT Oscar Sikes Jr, was in Co A, 60th Inf Regt.  He was KIA on 10 October 1944 somewhere in Belgium or Germany and buried at Henri Chapelle Cemetery.  His body was disinterred and returned to his hometown in December 1947.  At the time, his family were told that he had been killed in the Battle of the Bulge.  However, that battle took place December 1944-January 1945, well after he was killed in October 1944.  I have been trying to find out more information on the whereabouts of his unit during that time.  I have sent a request in for his OMPF.  I hope you find more information on your uncle.    

  • 0

    This is a long shot as I am replying 4 years later.  I am a volunteer with the organization, Stories Behind the Stars.  Our goal is to write a story about all WW2 fallen.  I am working on a story now about your uncle Leonard C Francoeur, and would very much like to write a story which honors the service of your uncle.   If you were able to find any additional information about his service, could you share?  Also anything about his early life.  See link below regarding our organization.  https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/

    Cindy Nelson

    Writer/Researcher Stories Behind the Stars

  • 0 in reply to cindy nelson

    Cindy, I just registered on this forum and my uncle, S/Sgt Georglas George was in the 60th Infantry (I Company/3rd Bn/60th of the 9th ID) in WWII.  He died of wounds on 14 July 1944.  I do not know if anyone is working on his story, but, as fate would have it, I have a good amount of information on him.  I even have personal info on how he died, as the family, in a weird coincidence of war, knew a doctor who was with him in the field hospital.  I will, sometime early next year after we get back from Europe (including Normandy), attempt to get more info from NARA.  Let me know if you or anyone wants infomation about him.

  • 0 in reply to StevenGeorge

    Steven

    I would be honored to write a story about your uncle as it does not appear one has been written.  I see that you have already added some information to Fold3!    The most difficult details to gather are usually early family life, schools attended; achievements before going into service....etc.  Sounds like you have a gold mine of information to share.  HistoryHub doesn't allow personal emails so will have to find a way for you to share your information.

    Enjoy your trip to Normandy...and Europe.  I was in Normandy a few years ago; an incredibly moving experience.

    Cindy.