Memorial Day - my namesake

I did this research in 2013 and posted it; then repeated it several times in the last few years and decided to post it again today. Above is the insignia of the 29th infantry division and this is the first time I thought to add it. 

Memorial Day research on my namesake

My namesake is Thomas C. Faranda, a cousin (first? second?, not sure) of my dad's.

I was an adult when he mentioned to me that I was named for a cousin who died on D-Day, at the age of 21. Evidently in one of those supposedly amphibious tanks that weren't so amphibious. I think he told me that he was never found.

Anyway, he was a member of the 29th infantry division, and he was killed in action, but not on D-Day.

According to this website The 29th Infantry Division Historical Society, Thomas was born in 1911, lived in New York, and enlisted in 1943. He did not land on D-Day but on July 22, 1944 reported from the Replacement Depot to the 116th infantry regiment, 2nd battalion, H company.

On August 11th he was promoted from private to private first class (PFC).

On August 30th he was killed in action in Brittany. No other details. His death was recorded in the division "morning report". The 29th was trying to take the French City of Brest at that time.

He is buried at the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial along with 4,409 other young Americans. Evidently in gravesite L-16-3.

That's all the information I've been able to find about Thomas C. Faranda. Killed in France at 33 years of age. There's some historical data online about the 116th infantry regiment. I'll probably have a look at it one of these days.

in reading a little bit about the cemetery, it's mentioned that there are 4,410 buried there, but only 4,408 gravesites. In two instances, two unknowns could not be separated.

War is Hell.

 

My namesake is Thomas C. Faranda, a cousin (first? second?, not sure) of my dad's.

I was an adult when he mentioned to me that I was named for a cousin who died on D-Day, at the age of 21. Evidently in one of those supposedly amphibious tanks that weren't so amphibious. I think he told me that he was never found.

Anyway, he was a member of the 29th infantry division, and he was killed in action, but not on D-Day.

According to this website The 29th Infantry Division Historical Society, Thomas was born in 1911, lived in New York, and enlisted in 1943. He did not land on D-Day but on July 22, 1944 reported from the Replacement Depot to the 116th infantry regiment, 2nd battalion, H company.

On August 11th he was promoted from private to private first class (PFC).

On August 30th he was killed in action in Brittany. No other details. His death was recorded in the division "morning report". The 29th was trying to take the French City of Brest at that time.

He is buried at the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial along with 4,409 other young Americans. Evidently in gravesite L-16-3.

That's all the information I've been able to find about Thomas C. Faranda. Killed in France at 33 years of age. There's some historical data online about the 116th infantry regiment. I'll probably have a look at it one of these days.

in reading a little bit about the cemetery, it's mentioned that there are 4,410 buried there, but only 4,408 gravesites. In two instances, two unknowns could not be separated.

War is Hell.

Comments

[Regina Montana]

May he rest in peace, Tom. It's so nice that you're keeping his memory alive. He will greet you with open arms one day.