Walter Danchak's Death
The exact time and location of Walter Danchak's death are unknown, but there are a few different places where G Company took casualties on June 6th, 1944:
-The first place Walter Danchak could have died was the beach- mortar and small arms fire claimed the majority of the 63 casualties suffered by G Company on June 6th. (HyperWar 53) -After advancing off of the beach, G Company encountered much resistance. After a two hour firefight starting around 9:30, the company successfully fought off their attackers for the timebeing. The company took 12 casualties. (HyperWar 98) -Finally, at around 3:00, the Company was relived by the 18th Infantry Regiment. However, while they were holding their position in the town of Colleville, the navy bombarded the town with naval artillery. The company took eight casualties as a result of this friendly fire. (HyperWar 98) |
Documents from the Freedom of Information Act Office did not have Danchak's Silver Star citation, nor did it have any information regarding the specific circumstances of Danchak's death. At the time of his death, Walter Danchak had the equivalent of $8.30 in his pocket, as well as a pen, a lighter, a wedding ring (even though Danchak was not married), as well as other items. The documents did give a hint that Danchak's death may have been very violent in nature; they indicate that his watch was "badly damaged" and "not running". One can only speculate as to how his watch ended up in that condition.
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