22/05/2026
Visite pour la seconde fois de Joe Wallace, neveu de Louis Joseph Koch tombé à Lonlay -L'abbaye. voici son histoire! Né à Philadelphie, en Pennsylvanie, en février 1923, il est le fils de deux vétérans de la PremiÚre Guerre mondiale.
Il interrompt ses Ă©tudes pour sâengager en 1942, Ă lâĂąge de 19 ans. Rapidement nommĂ© sous-lieutenant, il est affectĂ© au 702nd Battalion de chars de la 2nd DB US.
Le 12 fĂ©vrier 1944, il dĂ©barque en Angleterre puis, le 6 juin, Ă Omaha Beach. Il rejoint ensuite les lignes anglaises puis participe Ă la libĂ©ration de Saint-LĂŽ et Ă lâopĂ©ration Cobra. Sa derniĂšre lettre Ă sa mĂšre relate sa joie de prendre une premiĂšre do**he depuis un mois.
Sa compagnie est appelĂ©e dâurgence le 6 aoĂ»t dans le secteur de Gathemo pour lutter contre les Ă©lĂ©ments de la 84e Division dâinfanterie et de la 116e PZ Division.
Il participe Ă la libĂ©ration des communes de Vengeons et de Sourdeval, avant dâarriver Ă Lonlay-lâAbbaye le 14 aoĂ»t. Conscient du re**rd pris sur les Allemands, il se porte volontaire pour ouvrir la voie Ă ses compagnons dâarmes. Sa jeep est touchĂ©e et il meurt instantanĂ©ment, Ă lâĂąge de 21 ans.
Sa mĂšre recevra par simple tĂ©lĂ©gramme lâavis de dĂ©cĂšs de son fils. Il sera inhumĂ© en premiĂšre terre Ă Tessy-sur-Vire, puis, selon la volontĂ© de ses parents, au cimetiĂšre amĂ©ricain de Saint-James, proche de ses compagnons dâarmes.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in February 1923, he was the son of two veterans of the First World War.
He interrupted his studies to enlist in 1942 at the age of 19. Quickly promoted to second lieutenant, he was assigned to the 702nd Tank Battalion of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division.
On February 12, 1944, he landed in England and then, on June 6, at Omaha Beach. He later joined the British lines and took part in the liberation of Saint-LĂŽ and in Operation Cobra. His last letter to his mother expressed his joy at taking his first shower in a month.
On August 6, his company was urgently deployed to the Gathemo area to fight elements of the 84th Infantry Division and the 116th Panzer Division.
He took part in the liberation of the communes of Vengeons and Sourdeval, before reaching Lonlay-lâAbbaye on August 14. Aware of the delay taken on the German forces, he volunteered to clear the way for his fellow soldiers. His jeep was hit, and he was killed instantly at the age of 21.
His mother received the notification of his death by a simple telegram. He was first buried in temporary ground at Tessy-sur-Vire, and later, according to his parentsâ wishes, laid to rest in the Saint-James American Cemetery, close to his brothers-in-arms. Association « Victory at Mortain »30th Infantry Division Association Voir moins