John Brewer

ASN:6991557

John Harvey Brewer registered for the draft on June 30,1942. Born March 20, 1922 he was a native of Piqua, Ohio. At the time of his registration he was employed at Ideal Electric and Manufacturing Company in Mansfield, Ohio. 

This twenty-year-old was 5-7, 140 pounds with a light complexion, blue colored eyes and brown hair. Listed under obvious physical characteristics is a scar on his left arm.

PVT Brewer became a member of the 319th Field Artillery, A-Battery of the 82nd Airborne Division and traveled with the battalion to North Africa, arriving in Casablanca May 10, 1943.

Company Morning Reports (CMR) were produced every morning by the individual Army units to record personnel matters.  The following events (see below) were reported: 

• Stationed in Camp Ballyscullion, Northern Ireland, from duty to furlough 7 days on January 20, 1944.

• From furlough to duty on January 27, 1944.

• On January 28, 1944, from duty to sick quarters.

• From sick quarters to duty on February 5, 1944.

• On February 8, 1944, reduced in grade to Private from Sergeant, MOS 531. (Anti-tank Gun Crewman)

• June 15, 1944, reported killed in action on June 7, 1944.

SGT John Brewer fought in the campaigns of Sicily, Naples-Foggia and Normandy.

He glided into Normandy the evening of June 6, 1944, with A-Battery of the 319th Glider Field Artillery, and was killed in action the following day at the age of 22.

Chaplain William Reid of the 82nd Airborne division came upon a battlefield (June 7, 1944) and recalled the death of SGT Brewer, as well as PFC Lloyd Olson and PVT Alton Davis. “We Went to the 319th located near Chef du Pont. Capt. Connelly, Nagorka and I went to a road (alone) just a short way from St. Mere Eglise, where we were told 3 bodies of 319th men were lying. Arrived there. It was scene of a furious battle which had just been fought. Bodies and equipment were all over the lane. In a distance of about 100 yds., I counted bodies of 21 E.D. (enemy dead) and 4 American.  2 of the American soldiers of 319th had obviously been PWs of Germans when the battle was furious. And it seemed obvious that they had been killed by Germans as they were being forced to retreat. Brewer was shot thru heart; another thru head. Neither had firearms near them. Both were lying in ditch. Another, Olson, was dead in road, a short distance away. We took the 3 bodies to the cemetery. Left the bodies there. Then we came back toward Ste Mere Eglise and turned off to a small cemetery established by 319th on LZ where Connelly and others had landed. Gliders were everywhere and parachutes were flopping and blowing from trees and on ground over all of area. An Air Corps Engineer Unit was already working on a landing strip near the cemetery there.”

For his service SGT Brewer was awarded 3 Bronze Battle Stars, Bronze Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Badge, Victory Ribbon, Purple Heart and the European-African-Middle Eastern Theatre Ribbon.

John Brewer was laid to rest in the Normandy American Cemetery. God Bless this hero.

STL archive records & misc.

IDPF file (see below)