Vernon Blank

ASN:0-328168

Vernon Louis Blank registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. Born August 13, 1913 in Beardstown, Illinois, his listed address at the time of his registration was Daytona Beach, Florida. His place of employment was Daytona Sheet Metal Works in Daytona Beach, Florida. This twenty-seven-year-old was 5-8, 160 pounds with a light complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. Physical characteristics listed on his registration card was that he wore glasses

Enlisted in the Army in 1942, LT Blank received his training at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana with B-Battery of the 319th before they were an airborne unit. In August 1942 he was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he continued his training with B-Battery, 319th Field Artillery Group, 82nd Airborne Division. 

Along with fellow glidermen, LT Blank traveled to North Africa in May 1943. He fought in four (4) battles and campaigns; Sicilian, Naples-Foggia, D-Day Normandy, Operation Holland/Rhineland. Upon his glider landing in Holland on September 18, 1944, with B-Battery CPT Blank was taken prisoner and remained a POW for four months and four days. During that period CPT Blank also escaped from his German captors.

Many of the 82nd Airborne soldiers captured in Operation Holland, were sent to an SS camp near Limburg, Germany for processing. CPT Vernon Blank was eventually moved to Stalag 3B near Brandenburg, Germany, and held prisoner there.

The Tampa Morning Tribune (February 26, 1945) reported, “ The war department announced today that the following American prisoner of war had been liberated by the advance of Soviet armies: Blank, Vernon L., Capt. - Mrs. Virginia D. Blank, wife, 41 N. Pennsylvania Dr., Daytona Beach, Florida.” Another news article reported CPT Blank was liberated from the Oflag 64, a prisoner-of-war camp for American officers located at Szubin, Poland.

Following his repatriation CPT Blank departed the European Theater of Operation (ETO) on April 1, 1945, arriving in the USA on April 9, 1945. He separated from his military service on November 26, 1945, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Company Morning Reports

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

• Promoted to grade of 1st Lt. effective August 20, 1942. Station: Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.

• Assumed command during Capt. Cargile’s leave, August 28, 1942. Station: Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.

• September 3, 1942, from duty leave 10 days at 0600 hours. Station: Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.

• September 10, 1942, relieved from assignment to B-Battery and assigned to A-Battery, 319th Glider Field Artillery. Station: Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.

• September 15, 1942, from leave to duty. Station: Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.

• October 3, 1942, assumed command 1400 hours of 66 EM from HQ-Battery, 319th Glider Field Artillery. Station: Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.

• October 7, 1942, relieved of command. Enroute to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

• From duty to leave 5 days, March 29, 1944.

• On April 3, 1944, from leave to duty at 2000 hours.

• Relieved from assignment and joined HQ Battery, duty Ln O-1.

• July 4, 1944, reported wounded in action from duty to the hospital.

• Assigned and joined HQ Battery from 10th replacement depot, July 27, 1944. Duty Ln O-1, Battle Casualty.

• Promoted to Captain, duty Combat Liaison Officer, effective September 1, 1944.

• Reported Missing in Action, September, 18, 1944.

CPT Blank was a valued officer during the 319th’s campaigns in Italy and Normandy. He was mentioned several times in the combat “unit journals” performing his duties. (see excerpts below)

Maiori, Italy

• On September 15, 1943, then LT Blank, Ex, reported that “A-Battery had been fired on by enemy artillery, but the shots landed to the left in the rear with no casualties.”

• On September 19, 1943, he called for “A-Battery to fire on an enemy aircraft gun at 0955 hours.”

• On September 20, 1943, LT Blank “ordered a fire mission that evening on the same targets to offset interception at 2235 hours.”

• On September 27, 1943, LT Blank “observed and called for a fire on two large tanks and about 30 Germans seen moving north into Sarno near the position of the 325th’s 1st Battalion, at 0852.”

Normandy, France

• On June 8, 1944, “LT Blank, Ln O-1, established contact with the 508th parachute infantry at 1350 hours.”

• On June 24, 1944, LT Blank arrived at the CP from the 507th Parachute Infantry CP at 0630.

• On June 28, 1944, while fighting in Normandy the battalion observation post was shelled. LT Poole and a first sergeant (Keith Cormany) were killed in action, LT Blank, Liaison Officer, was wounded in action as were four members of his section. HQ radio operator Private Ed Ryan, remembered, “We had such intense artillery fire that day. I never saw the cows get down and crawl before, but they did there, it was so bad.”

Certificate of Service and Military Record

CPT Vernon Blank was awarded 4 Bronze Battle Stars & Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, the Belgian Fourragere, Presidential Unit Citation Badge, Victory Ribbon, Purple Heart with 1 OakLeaf Cluster (wounded more than once) and the European-African-Middle Eastern Theatre Ribbon.

Vernon Louis Blank, 60, died July 16, 1974

God Bless this hero.

(Photos - Images courtesy of Marie De Zerne)