Private First Class Walter Clifford Maier was born 10 Jun 1922 in Waldo, Russell County, Kansas to John (1895-1966) and Lydia nee Lehman (1890-1982) Maier. The family farmed. Walter was the oldest of seven children: Luella, Marvin, Lucille, Elmer, Elzina, and Sidney. Walter only completed eight grades, no doubt his hands were needed on the farm.

Walter register for the draft 30 June 1942 in Galatia, Barton County, Kansas. It is unclear when he entered active duty with the Army. He was a member of the 51st Infantry Regiment, 4th Armored Division.

Flames of War:

“In mid-November 1942 the 4th Armored Division moved to the Mojave Desert training center. After six months of rugged desert training, the 4th arrived at Camp Bowie, Texas in June 1943, and maneuvered during a broiling summer and fall until alerted for overseas duty in November. The main body of troops sailed for England from Boston harbor in Dec 1943and finally landed in Normandy on Utah Beach on 11 July 1944.

“Once all the division’s assets were off loaded on the beach and organized, the units of the 4th Armored Division moved into the line and were bloodied in battle on 18 July. On 1 Aug, General Patton’s Third Army, classified top secret to that point, became operational. VIII Corps and 4th Armored Division became part of the Third Army as the division roared into Brittany…the division plunged 54 miles to Rennes…smashing nests of emplaced anti-tank and aircraft guns to the north of the city, tanks wheeled wide to the west and south.”

It was in this heavy fighting in the Brittany area of France that PFC Maier was killed in action on 4 Aug 1944, at age 22. He is buried in Brittany American Cemetery, St James, France, Plot H, Row 9, Grave 17. Sources identify he was awarded the Purple Heart.

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 421,000+ US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find a Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of the WWII fallen. SBTSProject/Kansas/Barton

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please email feedback@storiesbehindthestars.org.

Sources:

Find a grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56350501/walter-clifford-maier

Draft card: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/24931405:2238?tid=&pid=&queryId=12366c4f100a25a153a9a79693f8ff63&_phsrc=hSK7&_phstart=successSource

Headstone application: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/90924:9170?tid=&pid=&queryId=12366c4f100a25a153a9a79693f8ff63&_phsrc=hSK9&_phstart=successSource

1930 census: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/33641181:6224?tid=&pid=&queryId=12366c4f100a25a153a9a79693f8ff63&_phsrc=hSK10&_phstart=successSource

1940 census: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/61276986:2442?tid=&pid=&queryId=ca9a7ab35b4fe21ef53e1f7893ca5ad7&_phsrc=hSK13&_phstart=successSource

Headstone internment on foreign soil: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/30424382:9170?tid=&pid=&queryId=9c73e1811b87ac3a684077162fa4aaca&_phsrc=hSK18&_phstart=successSource

American battle monument: https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/maier%3Dwalter

Maier, Walter Clifford