Henson, Ruben Otis (b. 6 Apr 1922 - d. 23 Jul 1944): Carl Wayne Gray Genealogies

1922 - 1944 (22 years)

Name	Henson, Ruben Otis
Birth	6 Apr 1922
Gender	Male
Reference Number	HENS.R005
_FGRAVE	32481974
Military Service	World War II, Private, Company F, 358th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division, United States Army [1, 2]
	Drafted into the service on August 5, 1943. After basic training was assigned briefly to the 71st Infantry Division where he trained and was qualified as an infantry rifleman. Shipped to the European Theater of Operations in June 1944, as a replacement. Joined Company F, 358th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division and was reported missing in action on July 23, 1944 during the Normandy campaign. Several months later, the family received a telegram informing them that Private Henson's status had changed to killed in action on an unreported date in the European Theater of Operations. It was later determined that he died supporting Operation Overlord objectives in the vicinity of the Seine River in France. Awarded a Purple Heart Medal posthumously and was entitled to The American Campaign Medal, The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one bronze battle star, and the WWII Victory Medal. Buried with honors at Elmwood Cemetery in Flora, Illinois. Also honored for his service at the WWII Memorial of that city. Source: https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1779200
		United States of America Flag, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959,…
		Ruben Otis Henson (1922-1944)
		United States Army
		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
		Military Service Ribbons, Henson, Ruben Otis (1922-1944) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
		Purple Heart Medal, United States Military
		Purple Heart Medal, United States Military
		American Campaign Medal, United States Military
		American Campaign Medal, United States
		European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, United States
		European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, United States
		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
		World War II (1939-1945)
		71st Infantry Division, United States Army
		71st Infantry Division, United States Army
		90th Infantry Division ("Tough 'Ombres"), United States Army
		90th Infantry Division ("Tough 'Ombres"), United States Army
		European Theater of World War II
		Operation Overlord, World War II
		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007 On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …
		World War II Honoree, Henson, Ruben Otis (1922-1944)
		World War II Casualties, Clay County Illinois
Death	23 Jul 1944 [3]
Death	Cause: Killed in Action
Burial	Elmwood Cemetery, Flora, Clay County, Illinois
		Headstone, Henson, Ruben Otis Displayed with permission of Lady in Black
		Headstone, Henson, Otis Reuben, Rebecca, and Otto Reuben Displayed with permission of Lady in Black
Person ID	I42998	Carl Wayne Gray Research
Last Modified	24 May 2023

Father	Henson, Otto Reuben, b. 12 Feb 1899 d. 14 Apr 1978 (Age 79 years)
Mother	Coil, Rebecca, b. 10 Nov 1901 d. 11 Sep 1986 (Age 84 years)
Family ID	F16671	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Event Map

Burial - - Elmwood Cemetery, Flora, Clay County, Illinois

= Link to Google Earth

Sources

[S15404] Robert Medley Gatewood, Brochure, Flora, Illinois, World War II Veterans Memorial, page #4, (https://genealogy.carlwgray.com/showmedia.php?mediaID=18791) (Reliability: 2).
[S14919] World War II Honoree, Ruben Otis Henson, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1779200) (Reliability: 2).
[S14918] http://www.wwiimemorial.com, National Archives & Records Administration War Department Files, PVT Ruben O. Henson, (https://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque_wardept.aspx?honoreeID=1040633) (Reliability: 2).