Killed In Action (KIA)

In the six months that the 103rd Infantry Division was engaged in combat, the division lost approximately 848 soldiers. These soldiers were lost through various means from being Killed in Action, to those who succumbed to their wounds either hours or days after initially being wounded, to those who died by illness or accidents. For the 103rd Infantry Division however, a majority of the men who died while in Europe were lost due to combat operations. For the soldiers who were killed or that died while the division was deployed, an extensive procedure was carried out to ensure their identity, notify their next of kin back home, and properly inter the individual soldier with respect and dignity. After each engagement with the enemy, commanders of each platoon worked diligently to get an accurate count of their soldiers and find out the fates of those not present. This, as one might imagine, was not always an easy task due to the constant movement of the various units of the division, as well as the natural confusion that reigns in a combat zone, which is sometimes dubbed the “fog of war.”

After commanders completed their count and confirmed who was dead and wounded, a detailed list would be passed up the chain of command to maintain the records of the specific unit, as well as the division. For soldiers who were Killed in Action or Died of their Wounds after the battle, the commanders of the deceased often times would attempt to write a letter of condolence or notification to the deceased’s next of kin. At the same time, the Army would work to officially notice the next kin of the man who died, and if possible a brief description of what happened and where the individual was killed or died. Depending on the location of the next of kin in the United States, and due to the limits of technology of the day, notification would sometimes take days or weeks before a family knew that their son would never be coming back home. Overwhelmingly, the families of the dead would only be notified via a telegram that was delivered by a messenger.

Graves Registration Units

During the Second World War, Graves Registration Units were responsible for the identification and burial of soldiers who were killed in action. The soldier’s personal effects were very carefully collected, cataloged, and returned to their loved ones back home. More often than not, soldiers of the Graves Registration Unit had to work close to the front line.

Commissioned and senior non-commissioned officers required experience in civil engineering and topographical drafting to provide them with the essential expertise to locate and lay out cemeteries. The remaining members of the Graves Registration Unit were trained to supervise the collection and burial of the dead. The units did not have sufficient personnel to dig graves or transport the dead. These tasks were performed by quartermaster service and transportation units. Upon burial, the location was registered on a report of interment and forwarded through channels to the Quartermaster General. The Graves Registration Unit was responsible for supervising the burial of the dead, recording the grave location, and marking the graves. As part of their duties, the Graves Registration Unit personnel collected, prepared receipts, and ensured personal effects of deceased soldiers were sent back to family members.

As soon as the battlefield was declared free from extreme danger, the units were allowed to enter the battle area and recover those who were pronounced dead by the Medical Corps. The bodies were moved to cemeteries designated by the division commander. Due to the potential for disease and to preserve morale, often it was necessary to perform hasty burials. In those cases, the Graves Registration leaders would provide a sketch of the grave location so that the body could be retrieved after the cessation of hostilities.

Every effort was made to identify the dead. Identification tags, or dog tags as they were commonly referred to, made this task easy. Otherwise, identification was made from items that might be present on the body, such as letters. Other methods of identification included dental work, fingerprints, and sometimes just the process of elimination, such as who was declared MIA. This was particularly the case where the body was badly mutilated.

The first thing that was done with battlefield deaths was referred to as the “stripping line.” This was where any munitions were removed. Also, great care was necessary due to enemy booby-traps that were placed under the bodies of dead soldiers. Personal effects were removed just before burial. They were placed in a bag or other container and tagged with the soldier’s name. These were then sent to headquarters, Grave Registration Services with a complete inventory of everything taken from the body.

Great care was taken to ensure reverent and full respect for the dead, including burial. To this end, the services of a chaplain could be obtained.

After the war, the next of kin of those buried in foreign cemeteries, were given the option of having the soldier’s remains returned to the United States for internment at a national or private cemetery. The option also included leaving the soldier buried in the American military cemetery in the region where the death occurred. Today, however, those interred in American military cemeteries overseas are permanent as a provision of law terminated the authority of next of kin to have the remains repatriated. The ability to make the decision was terminated effective December 31, 1951.

American Battle Monuments Commission’s (ABMC)

Established by Congress in 1923, the American Battle Monuments Commission’s (ABMC) purpose is to commemorate the service, achievements, and sacrifice of the United States Armed Forces. There are 24 overseas military cemeteries, and 25 memorials, monuments, and markers. Nearly all the cemeteries and memorials specifically honor those who served in World War I or World War II.

The sacrifice of more than 218,000 U.S. servicemen and women is memorialized at these locations. There are close to 125,000 American war dead buried at these overseas cemeteries. There are an additional 94,000 individuals commemorated on the Tablets of the Missing. The Tablets of the Missing are war dead who are listed as missing in action, lost or buried at sea. Also listed on the Tablets of the Missing are those whose bodies were non-recoverable or unidentifiable. All of the Tablets of the Missing are commemorated individually at the overseas cemetery closest to the region where the death occurred. There are also three Tablets of the Missing memorials in the United States.

American Military Cemeteries in Europe

Lorraine American: St. Avold, France 103rd Division KIA Interred: 190

Ardennes American: Neupre', Belgium 103rd Division KIA Interred: 9

Netherlands American: Margraten, Netherlands 103rd Division KIA Interred: 2

Luxembourg American: Luxembourg, Luxembourg 103rd Division KIA Interred: 1

Henri-Chapelle American: Henri-Chappelle, Belgium 103rd Division KIA Interred: 2

Epinal American: Epinal (Vosges), France 103rd Division KIA Interred: 168

Rhone American: Draguignan (Var), France 103rd Division KIA Interred: 1

Cambridge American: Cambridge, England 103rd Division KIA Interred: 1