Many men decided to dedicate their lives to fighting for freedom. Not just their freedom, but also the freedom of the oppressed. William T. Lemon of Loudoun county Virginia was one of these brave men who decided to enlist during World War II. He enlisted on May 6, 1941 in Richmond Virginia at the early age of 23. He was not yet married, had a job as a plumber, gas fitter and steam fitter and had not yet finished high school. Lemon served in the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division as a Technical Sergeant and was one of the first waves of men to attack on the beaches of Normandy France. Many know this group of men as the "Bedford Boys," mainly because many of them had come from Bedford Virginia.
Unfortunately there is not much to be said about his career in the army or as a civilian. He died Saturday, June 17, 1944 in the 29th combat area due to shrapnel to the head. This was eleven days after the initial D-Day invasion. It wasn't until 1947 (nearly three years later) that his father, Walter Lemon and his sister, Laura Margaret Lemon from Purcellville Virginia were notified that he was "interred... side by side with comrades who also gave their lives for their country", and funeral arrangements were made. His body had undergone extreme decomposition when he was finally buried in plot G, row 13, and grave 10, alongside his comrades at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. He was later awarded the Silver Star Award, and a Purple Heart for his bravery and honorable actions while in service.