Wilburn (NMN) Savage was born on December 12, 1914 in Fayette County, Alabama to Zan Thomas Savage and Minerva “Minnie” (Newman) Savage. Zan was a native of Fayette County and Minnie was born in Mississippi but moved to Tuscaloosa County, Alabama with her family as a child. The two married on December 20, 1905 in Fayette County, Alabama where they settled down to farm and raise their family. By 1930 they had moved to nearby Tuscaloosa County where they continued farming. They had six children – Dewitt, Earline, Wilburn, Milton, Oliver and Irene.

Wilburn is shown in the 1930 census at age 14, attending school. According to his obituary, he joined the U.S. Army in 1935. U.S. Army Transport Records confirm that he was in the military at least by January 1938, as he was transferred from Fort Slocum, New York to Fort McDowell, California and from there to Fort Shafter in the Hawaiian Islands aboard the USS Republic. He apparently reenlisted on May 27, 1940 as there is another enlistment record for that date with his name and service number.

All we know of Wilburn Savage’s wartime service is that he served in the infantry and rose from the rank of private to that of sergeant between 1940 and 1944. He died of wounds received in action in France on July 11, 1944.

Sergeant Savage’s remains were returned home in 1948, and he was buried at Boone Cemetery in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. He was survived by his parents, his sisters Irene Savage and Earline Savage Vintson, and his brothers Sgt. Oliver Savage and PFC Milton Savage. He was awarded a Purple Heart.

Thank you, Sergeant Savage, for your service and your sacrifice. You will not be forgotten.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story. SBTSProject/Alabama/Tuscaloosa.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at dbsmail1315@charter.net.

Sources:

· 1920 United States Federal Census

· 1930 United States Federal Census

· U.S. Army Transport Service Arriving and Departing Passenger Lists, 1910-1939

· U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946

· U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945

· Alabama, WWII Military Dead and Wounded, 1944-1946

· Newspapers.com, Alabama Journal, 27 Sep 1944

· Tuscaloosa News, 17 Aug 1944

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82258964/wilburn-savage