SHEPARD, HAROLD V. Nov 7, 1943 age 22 KIA Italy

HAROLD V. SHEPARD  b. July 18, 1921 d. Nov 7, 1943 Killed in Action Italy

Pvt 36590607 Army 15^th Inf Reg 3^rd Inf Div

Buried Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Lazio, Italy

Parents: Sueddon (Sueton) Ferris & Sadie Blanche (MacDaniel)

Siblings: Samuel F., Margaret , Louise L., Henry C., Mary E., William ‘Billie’ A., Helen B., Fred E.
Spouse: Kathleen Stock  

The parents were born in Tennessee, came to Michigan after the birth of their first two children. Sadie was pregnant nearly every year over 11 years, a short gap and the last child as of the 1940 census. The family moved a lot but around 1940 lived at 18413 Burgess which put Harold close to Redford. House another empty, overgrown lot now. Suetton worked long term as a die setter for Holley Carburetor Co.

Harold worked for the same carburetor company when registered for the draft Feb 12, 1942. He was 145 lbs at 5’7” with blue eyes and blonde hair. He married Kathleen Stock Oct 3, 1942 in Detroit.

Port at Casablanca

On 8 November 1942, the 15th landed at Fedela, Morocco, and participated in the capture of Casablanca against strong Vichy French resistance on 11 November. The regiment remained on duty in Morocco until March 1943, serving with other divisional units as the honor guard for President Roosevelt during the Casablanca Conference. In March 1943, the 15th moved to Tunisia, where it trained for further amphibious operations until July.

The 15th was part of the 3rd Inf Div's Task Force Joss in the invasion of Sicily on July 1943. The regiment fought with distinction at Palermo, Messina, and elsewhere in the Sicilian Campaign. At the close of the campaign, the 3ID (including the 15th) conducted a month of training before crossing onto the Italian mainland in September. The 3rd Inf Div and the 15th fought on the Volturno River and farther north on the Italian peninsula, breaching the German Winter Line in November 1943.