Ernest Lee Oats, Jr

Husband of Della P. Oats who resided in Mena, Arkansas.

Ernest served as a Private, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army during World War II.

He resided in Lawrence County, Illinois prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on September 2, 1942 at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Cabinetmaker and also as Married.

Ernest was a passenger on C-47A #42-93095 which was part of the 91st Troop Carrier Squadron, 439th Troop Carrier, Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

Ernest was "Killed In Action" when this C-47A was believed to have been shot down by German anti-aircraft fire during the Normandy invasion and crashed at Beuzeville-au-Plain, Manche, France during the war.

He was awarded the Purple Heart.

He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on March 27, 1951.

Service # 15331144

The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 14 2018, 1:53:05 UTC
• Residence: Lawrence, Illinois, USA
  • Reference: U.S. World War II Army Enlistment - SmartCopy: Apr 14 2018, 1:54:55 UTC
• Residence: 1940 - Denison Twp, Lawrence, Illinois, USA
• Race: White
  • Reference: 1940 United States Federal Census - SmartCopy: Apr 14 2018, 1:57:14 UTC
• Residence: 1930 - Simpsonville, Shelby, Kentucky, USA
• Race: White
  • Reference: 1930 United States Federal Census - SmartCopy: Apr 14 2018, 1:59:17 UTC