- SURNAME
Whitley
- FORENAME
Charles Vaiden
- UNIT
517 Parachute Infantry Regiment (Company E)
- RANK
First Lieutenant
- NUMBER
0-520914
- DATE OF DEATH
3rd January 1945
- AGE
- GRAVESITE
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium Plot B Row 17 Grave 37
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
from Zebulon,Wake County, North Carolina
graduated Wakelon High School, Zebulon
graduated Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg
08.04.1942 entered service
26.07.1943 commissioned as 2nd Lt.
03.09.1943 Parachute Trained
award Bronze Star
Next of kin - Mr. Colon V. Whitley, Vance Street, Zebulon, North Carolina
KIA Belgium
DATE OF DEATH:
03-Jan-1945AWARD:
https://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?threads/whitley-charles-vaiden.39613/CITATION:
Bronze Star : For heroic achievement in action in Belgium on January 3, 1945, Co. E. 517th Parachute Infantry was assigned the mission of attacking the enemy held town of Mont De Fosse, Belgium. On reaching a point close to the enemy lines, the platoon was subjected to a severe concentration of fire. Observing that his platoon leader was wounded, Lieutenant Whitley immediately took command and ordered his greatly-outnumbered force to fall back. Aware that the withdrawal order would have to be passed on to forward scouts. Lieutenant Whitely, rather than jeopardize the lives of any of his men, set out on the mission himself. Alternately dashing and crawling through the withering hail of enemy machine gun bullets, he courageously moved forward until he was mortally wounded. Lieutenant Whitley's noble and inspiring devotion to duty, enabling his platoon to reach a covered position, exemplifies the finest tradition of military service.
FINDAGRAVE:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56278897/charles-v-whitley
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