Gerald Edwin Fenner

Rank: Private First Class, U.S. Army

Unit: Litter Platoon, Company B, 110th Medical Battalion, 35th Infantry Division

Born: October 5, 1921, Jasper, Missouri

Died: January 4, 1945, near Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, Belgium

Awards: Silver Star (posthumous)

On January 4, 1945, the 137th Infantry Regiment, a part of the 35th Infantry Division, was engaged in fighting in and about the village of Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, Belgium. The American and German armies had been engaged in combat here and at the neighboring village of Lutrebois since December 29th, as the Battle of the Bulge reached its climax.

Despite instructions not to go forward in the face of heavy fire to retrieve casualties, a four-man litter team from Company B of the 110th Medical Battalion led by Technician 5th Class James Gollinger of Massena, NY, went forth to aid wounded soldiers. The team was hit by a mortar round, killing Gollinger, Private Gerald Fenner of Carthage, MO, and Private Louis Beauchaine of Warwick, RI, and seriously wounding the fourth, Private First Class Ferdinand Bronzell of Chicago, IL. All members of the litter team were awarded the Silver Star.

Private First Class Gerald Edwin Fenner was born October 5, 1921, in Jasper, Missouri. He lived in nearby Carthage, Missouri. The father of two children, he went overseas as a member of the 110th Medical Battalion in May of 1941. As a member of the litter platoon, he served with honor and distinction until his death on January 4, 1945, near Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, Belgium.