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Earl Franklin Chmela
d.1944
Facts and Events
| Name |
Earl Franklin Chmela |
| Gender |
Male |
| Birth? |
13 Oct 1913 |
Canada |
| Death? |
1944 |
Cause: At War Y |
| Other? |
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Earl F. Chmela was born on October 13, 1913 in Stettler, Alberta, Canada. His father was Frank Chmela Jr. and his mother died at an early age. He was raised by his grandparents, Mary and Frank Chmela, Sr. Earl worked on the family farm at Kimball, South Dakota. He attended Wolbert School, and then he enlisted in the Army. He entered the service on January 25, 1941 and was trained at Fort Meade, where he became a member of Troop E, 4th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. They were usually assigned to corps, but were occasionally attached, by squadron, to divisions. Cavalry was primarily intended for reconnaissance missions. However, during the war, they were usually employed in defensive, security, or screening missions. Armored field artillery, engineer, and tank destroyer units reinforced the Cavalry groups for most missions.Earl was killed in action in Germany on December 20, 1944. He was buried at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial at Margraten, Holland. He received numerous awards in his honor including the WWII Victory Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the Purple Heart Medal. He was survived by his Uncle Charles Chmela of Kimball, South Dakota. He was 31 years old. Misc |
_PARENTRIN: MH:P501391
_PERSONALPHOTO: Y
_PARENTPHOTO: Y
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