Wendell Young, a World War II veteran and beloved member of the Hoke County community, died Tuesday, January 25 at the age of 99. Besides serving his country, he continued to serve the community where he lived throughout his life in countless ways. His obituary is published here: https://news-journaldeaths.blogspot.com/2022/01/wendell-young.html
In 2011, Young shared his story of serving in World War II with historians at Fort Bragg, and with the News-Journal. Here is a brief excerpt from that story:
Young got his draft notice when he was 21 years old. His unit arrived in London shortly before D-Day and took their first steps onto mainland Europe six days after the beach landing at Normandy. The 2nd Cavalry was tasked with setting up and providing security for the generals’ headquarters established there.
Afterward, his unit pushed into the field and fought hard battles against German patrols. Later in the war, he and the soldiers in his unit took part in General Patton’s overnight push to get his troops to the fierce fighting that became known as the Battle of the Bulge.
Young was wounded in action, shot in the hand by a sniper. He received two Silver Star medals and a Russian medal awarded for his role in liberating a prison camp in Germany, freeing soldiers who were captured during the fighting.
Leave a Reply