Medals Pvt. Pugh probably won

Cecil G. Pugh was born in 1919, in North Carolina. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. O. G. Pugh of Pleasant Garden. Cecil Pugh was a graduate of Pleasant Garden High School. His wife is former Miss Sarah Blalock of Guilford College. Cecil Pugh’s civilian occupation was engineering aide (designated field) or sales clerk.

On August 12, 1943, Cecil Pugh enlisted at Fort Bragg, NC. He entered the service from Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina.

Pvt. Pugh was in March 1944 a member of Company A of the 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Division, stationed at Camp Van Dorn Miss. Somewhere in the period following he must have been reassigned or switched to the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division. While serving in the 116th he was training very hard for the Normandy invasion.

On June 6, 1944, the 116th Infantry Regiment landed at “Bloody” Omaha Beach, and fought their way inland with heavy casualties. In the time after the D-day landings there was no time to recover for the men, and were active the entire Normandy Campaign. Pvt. Cecil Pugh was reported Missing in Action since August 25, 1944, in France (Normandy).


29th Infantry Landing in Normandy (Dragon Models 1:35)

Pvt. Pugh’s wife received a letter in September 1945, saying that the Army received evidence of death on her husband on July 7, 1945.


Pvt. Pugh’s Purple Heart