In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, Private First
Class Clairus L. Riggs of Company B, First Battalion, One Hundred Sixteenth
Infantry of the Twenty-Ninth Infantry Division was being transported across the
English Channel aboard the troop transport S.S. Empire Javelin. He was from Coalport, Clearfield County,
Pennsylvania.
At 0330 hours, the landing craft containing Boat Team One of
Company B was heading toward Omaha Beach.
Riggs carried a Browning Automatic Rifle which is a light machine gun
that was deployed in a squad of men. At
0640 hours the ramp of the landing craft was lowered in the surf off of Dog
Green Sector. As the six foot two inch
soldier stepped on the ramp he was hit by enemy gunfire and fell into the
water, dead.
PFC Riggs was originally buried in an American cemetery in
Normandy but his body was one of many that were requested to be re-interred in
the United States. On November 26, 1947,
the U.S.S. Robert Burns arrived in New York harbor with its blessed cargo. Since Clairus was from Pennsylvania he was
selected for a U.S. cemetery in this state.
On December 16, 1947, at about 2:00PM, PFC Riggs was buried
in Plot 2, Site 308 at the Gettysburg National Cemetery. He is one of twelve D-Day KIAs buried
there. He rests peacefully with all his
comrades from the other wars America has fought.
Rest in peace Clairus L. Riggs.
In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, Private First
Class Clairus L. Riggs of Company B, First Battalion, One Hundred Sixteenth
Infantry of the Twenty-Ninth Infantry Division was being transported across the
English Channel aboard the troop transport S.S. Empire Javelin. He was from Coalport, Clearfield County,
Pennsylvania.
At 0330 hours, the landing craft containing Boat Team One of
Company B was heading toward Omaha Beach.
Riggs carried a Browning Automatic Rifle which is a light machine gun
that was deployed in a squad of men. At
0640 hours the ramp of the landing craft was lowered in the surf off of Dog
Green Sector. As the six foot two inch
soldier stepped on the ramp he was hit by enemy gunfire and fell into the
water, dead. 
PFC Riggs was originally buried in an American cemetery in
Normandy but his body was one of many that were requested to be re-interred in
the United States. On November 26, 1947,
the U.S.S. Robert Burns arrived in New York harbor with its blessed cargo. Since Clairus was from Pennsylvania he was
selected for a U.S. cemetery in this state.
On December 16, 1947, at about 2:00PM, PFC Riggs was buried
in Plot 2, Site 308 at the Gettysburg National Cemetery. He is one of twelve D-Day KIAs buried
there. He rests peacefully with all his
comrades from the other wars America has fought.
Thank you for the written Memorial to Clairus; he was my wife's uncle/ and mother-in-law's brother - she is the last surviving sibling; she had told me of the day when the Western Union man showed up at their home on a bicycle with the telegram. She now lives in Florida. I printed this Memorial and mailed to her.
ReplyDeleteThanks again.