Cletus J Connolly

Cleatus J Connolly, Jr.  (Spelled "Cletus" in NARA/Official Records) was born to Cleatus and Lela Mae (Fortner) Connolly in 1922, in Springfield, Ill. 

  Cleatus arrived on Normandy Beach D-Day plus 6 and died in the battle of St LO on 16 July, 1944.

The Battle of St. Lo

The 30th Infantry Division was not involved in the initial onslaught of D-Day as were the 1st, 29th & 4th Infantry Divisions and the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions, but as time went on, the 30th received their full share of unexpected wartime disasters.

The 30th Division was committed to its baptism of fire on 15 June 1944, in a sector previously occupied by the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, with its first headquarters being established at a point just one mile south of Isigny, after leaving Omaha Beach.

A few small communities were liberated, the Vire et Taute Canal crossed, and the first town, St. Jean-de-Daye, was liberated on 7 July. The Battle for St. LO had begun seriously on 3 July, continuing on for the next few days with fierce hedgerow fighting. In preparation for this great decisive battle, the 30th Infantry Division was assigned the formidable task of taking the high ground, a ridge, just to the west of St. LO.

This was accomplished by 20 July, and thus denied the Germans of their prime observation positions overlooking St. LO, which had been the major deterrent for the 29th Division to enter and liberate the City of St. LO.

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Although the 30th Infantry Division was not involved in the actual invasion of Normandy, the 30th served valiantly at St. LO and at Mortain in France; it was the first infantry division to enter Belgium and The Netherlands. The 30th was also instrumental in breaching the Siegfried Line in October 1944, and the capture of Aachen, Germany, the 1st large German city to be captured by the Allies in WWII.
(Barbi Ennis Connolly, Paul's wife.  Paul is Cleatus youngest brother)