 Courtesy Leon Armentrout |
Remember...Forrest William Armentrout
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Army Pfc. Forrest William Armentrout was born June 21, 1919, near Glady, Randolph County, West Virginia. His parents were Sherman Odith and Ethyl Lena Vance Armentrout. He was the oldest of seven sons and two daughters, five of whom lived to adulthood: Forrest, Elwood, Ruby, Keith, and James (Jimmie). In addition to Forrest, Elwood would also serve in Europe in World War II.
Forrest graduated from Harman High School in 1939. Prior to his entry into military service he was employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps as an assistant supervisor at the Camp Tygart, West Virginia, facility.
He was accepted into military service on June 5, 1942. Following basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he joined with the Airborne Division and received his wings at Fort Benning, Georgia. Assigned to Company E, 502nd Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, Forrest's unit participated in the invasion and subsequent battles of the European Theater of operations: Operation Overlord (D-Day), Operation Market Garden, the liberation of the Netherlands, and the Battle of the Bulge (Bastogne).
Pfc. Armentrout was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action during a major assault on the enemy in Holland. Following his recovery, he returned to the Airborne Division and was killed in Belgium on January 4, 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge.
| In 1948 his remains were returned to his native state, and his body was laid to rest in the Laurel Hill Cemetery at Whitmer, Randolph County, West Virginia. |  Grave marker for Pfc. Forrest Armentrout in Laurel Hill Cemetery. |
Biography submitted Forrest Armentrout's cousin, Leon Armentrout
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
