Vern E. Mury
Biography: Vern Edgar Mury was born on June 13, 1911, in Seward, Nebraska. He was the son of Emil Mury and Sophia Ruther. The family was living in Harrison, NE by 1920. His enlistment record indicates he completed grammar school and was working as a farm hand when he entered the military. On December 29, 1942, he married the former Louise A. Spears in Billings, Montana. She was born in White River, South Dakota, and was the daughter of Burley D. Spears and Leona F. Stafford. The new couple made their home in Jordan, MT.
Service Time: Vern entered the Army on January 6, 1943, at Butte, MT. At some point, he was assigned to Company B of the 821st Tank Destroyer Battalion. The unit was activated at Camp Carson, Colorado on July 25, 1942. They trained at a number of locations in the U.S. including Camp Bowie and Camp Hood, Texas, the Tennessee Maneuvers and Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky.
The unit shipped out from the Boston port on April 6, 1944, arriving in England on the 17th. After a few months of additional training and final preparations, they boarded transports, crossed the English Channel and disembarked at Omaha Beach on June 26th with towed 3-inch anti-tank guns. They supported the capture of St. Lô and subsequent breakout, entering Brittany in August. They then supported the capture of Brest by September 18th and moved east, in late September, to Holland. The 821st conducted operations against the Siegfried Line in October near Aachen, Germany, and then transferred to Ubach, Germany, in November, supporting the drive toward the Roer River.
On November 26 th , the 1st and 3rd Platoons of Company B were in direct fire positions near Bourheim, Germany. At approximately 0745 in the morning, the Germans counterattacked these positions. The attack was preceded by a heavy concentration of artillery and mortar fire. All but one of the 1st Platoons guns were knocked out by the enemy fire. The counter-attack, tanks supported by infantry, was heaviest in the 1st Platoon’s sector. Together, five enlisted men were killed and two others died of wounds from shell fragments from the artillery and mortar fire. We believe Vern was one of the seven men who died from this action.
Private First-Class Vern E. Mury was buried in Plot M Row 14 Grave 14 at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands. We would like to thank PFC Mury for making the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Thank you also to FindaGrave contributor “ET” for use of the photo of Vern, Serge Lemaire for use of the photo of Vern and Louise and Des Phillippet for use of the grave marker photo.
