SSG John S. DuQoin, A Co 743rd Tank BN

This is a photo of S/Sgt John S. DuQuoin, Company A, 743 Tk Bn, receiving the Silver Star from General Leonard Gerow on June 21, 1944 - this for his actions during the beach head operations on June 6.

John DuQuoin (at age 36) was part of the initial cadre forming the 743rd at Fort Lewis, Washington in 1942.  In late 1942 he completed radio school at Fort Knox, Kentucky and then rejoined the Battalion just in time for the desert training that occupied most of 1943.  He made the Normandy landing (at age 38!), served with the Battalion in the fighting across France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, participated in the Battle of the Bulge and was sent stateside on furlough in late January 1945.  Just before returning to the ETO he flunked an Army physical and consequently remained stateside until war's end.  He spent the last six months of his service doing office work at Jefferson Barracks - the processing, transferring and discharging of high point GI's from every theater. 

In September 1944 my uncle, John DuQuoin, sent a letter and photo to his sister (my Mom) as follows:

 "I'm enclosing a photo of a section of the Beach head, found in a magazine in Holland.  It is right in the section we operated in, and gives a good idea of the way debris was littered everywhere.  The tank is one of our own company's which was knocked out."

John was discharged in August of 1945 and resumed civilian life.
Submitted by John Warner