Edward C. Bond
Biography: Edward C. Bond was born in 1924 and was the son of Charles and Amelia Bond. He attended East Tech High School in Cleveland, Ohio, graduating in 1943. Prior to entering the service, Edward worked at Truck Engineering Company with his father.
Service Time: Edward entered the service on July 17, 1943, at Cleveland, OH, and received his basic training at Camp Butler, North Carolina. He was assigned to a tank destroyer unit and would have been trained accordingly. He was home on leave, in April of 1944, and was transferred to Company I, 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division. The unit shipped from the New York port on May 11, 1944, arriving in England on May 25th. They landed on Omaha beach on July 5th and saw action at the Battle of St. Lo later that month before moving to Mortain in early August. Edward had been promoted to Sergeant on July 20th. On August 3, Edward was lightly wounded in action with a shrapnel laceration to the lower abdomen, which earned him a Purple Heart. He was treated at the 3rd Battalion Aid Station on Aug. 5, 1944, but was sent back for duty. At the time he held the rank of Sergeant.
Medical Report – 3rd Battalion Aid Station
After returning to duty, on August 9, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant. The unit’s journal indicates that on Sept. 17, they were ordered to attack and seize high ground northeast of Nancy, France. On Sept. 18th, Company I encountered heavy fire on the left of an airfield. Morning Reports for the 23rd identified Edward as MIA (Missing in Action) along with two other soldiers. It was not until the 24th that Edward was identified as KIA (Killed in Action) on September 18, 1944, during actions near the Meurthe River. During the month of September, After Action Reports indicate that a total of 82 soldiers from the unit were killed.
Edward’s family was notified of his death via Western Union on October 5, 1944. Subsequent letters to the family, from the Adjutant General, do not provide any information other than the date and country of his death. On April 7, 1949, the family was notified by the Department of the Army that his remains were permanently interred at the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial, St Avold, France, Plot C, Row 29, Grave 86.
I want to thank Edward for making the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I also want to thank Roberta Russo, Webmaster for the 134th Infantry Regiment website (http://www.coulthart.com/134/), Valerie Muller of the Lorraine Cemetery and Ben Savelkoul, for their assistance with this tribute.