Awards:  Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, 19 August 1944,  Bronze Star.  Was also entitled for a “Good Conduct Medal”

BIOGRAPHY

Otis Beliles was born on 18th November 1914 in Quality, Kentucky.

He did two years of elementary school and after that he rented a farm and worked for his own account as a farmer and married Ollie Mae Morgan.

On 27th September 1943 his daughter Lois was born and he was home for 7 days to see her, from 30th September till 6th October 1943, and he got the chance to be home 4 more times.

In October 1943 he was qualified as an ammunition handler and automatic rifleman. 

On 28th July 1944 he joined Co “B” 60th Infantry Regiment in Northern France until 4th August 1944. Otis got wounded in action, a gunshot wound (rifle) perforated his W L lumbar region, at 4th August 1944, at 21.30h due to enemy action in vicinity of Catigny, (Oise) France. He was hospitalised from 5th August 1944 till 18th September 1944 in the 128th EVAC France.  While hospitalized he was evacuated with the 128th Evac Hosp on 15th August 1944 to a few miles south of Argentan, in the southern opening of the Falaise Pocket.

He rejoined Co “B” 60th Infantry in Germany on 1st October 1944. On a mission he got MIA on 21st October 1944 in the vicinity of Germeter, Hürtgen Forest, Germany.  His MIA statement was submitted in January 1945 = Death Finding: Presumed date of death Oct 21, 1945.  The American Graves Registration Command of the European Zone investigated the area and all missing men from his regiment, but four, were recovered. His remains were declared “non recoverable”.

His wife Ollie Mae never remarried and died in October 2013 at the age of 91.

Newspaper article published in August 2014 - Beechtree News - USA

http://beechtreenews.com/articles/otis-e-h-beliles-connects-netherlands-and-butler-county