Pfc. Alexander Jay Kitcheos was born in Cook County, Illinois on May 15, 1918, to Torn Kitcheos and Frances Wegsyzn-Kitcheos. With his sister and brother, he grew up at 1001 Dunlap Avenue in Forest Park, Illinois. At some point, his parents divorced and he lived with his mother. He graduated from Field Stevenson School, Forest Park, and Proviso Township High School, Mayood, Illinois, in 1938. At some point, he moved to Los Angeles, and gave his address as 2633 Newell Street and was self-employed. He registered with Selective Service on October 16, 1940, when the draft law took affect and named his mother as his contact person.
Alex was drafted into the US Army on February 14, 1942, in Los Angeles, at Fort MacArthur, San Pedro, California. He received the serial number of 39 019 445. It is known that he at some point he volunteered to train as a paratrooper. When he joined one of the requirements was that he had to be single or had no dependents. What is known is that he trained at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, and went to jump school at Ft, Benning, Georgia, and then went to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. It appears it was there that he became a member of Company F, 502 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Apparently, got married during this time.
The 101st arrived in England on September 4, 1943, and was stationed at Chilton Foliat and Denford near Hungerford, Berkshire, England. It spent most of the eight months training. On the night of June 5, 1944, the members of the 101st parachuted into German occupied France as part of the D-Day invasion. The division’s job was secure exits from the beaches and destroying the bridges over the Douve River.
After D-Day, the 502nd was involved on the assault on Carentan on June 10th attacking the rail hub from the northeast. Due to the damage to the bridges the division’s advance was slowed and they were shelled by artillery, fired at by snipers, machine guns, and dive bombers. To capture a farmhouse just beyond the fourth bridge, they made a bayonet charge, captured the farmhouse, which allowed the 506th Parachute Regiment to take Carentan on the 14th. The 101st repelled a German counter-attack to retake the town.
What is known was the 101st was involved in fighting Outside of St-Saveur-le-Vicomte – Manche, France, where on June 27, 1944, Pfc. Alexander Kitcheros was hit by enemy fire and killed. That same day at Blosville, France, Alex was buried in the cemetery in Plot D, Row 2, Grave 24. His grave was marked with a peg.
His wife received a telegram from the War Department on July 20, 1944.
MRS KITCHEROS
THE SECREATRY OF WAR DESIRES ME TO EXPRESS HIS DEEPEST REGREAT THAT YOUR HUSBAND PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ALEXANDER KITCHEROS WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON TWENTY SEVEN JUNE IN FRANCE LETTER FOLLOWS
ULIO THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
Apparently the confirmation letter, dated July 23, 1944, was sent to his wife, but she apparently never received it. It also appears his wife may have remarried because in 1947, Alex’s mother became his contact person. His mother received a letter, dated November 13, 1947, that provided her with information on her options for Alex’s final burial. She was asked to fill-out and return an enclosed form to the Office of Quartermaster General, Washington DC, indicating where she wanted him buried. The form was received by the OQMG on October 3, 1947, indicating his mother wanted his remains returned to Illinois.
Alex’s remains were exhumed from United States Military Cemetery, Blosville, France, and by truck transported to Casketing Point B, Cherbourg, France, on February 18, 1948, where they remained until the casket was placed on the USAT Lawrence Victory which sailed on April 26, 1948, and arrived in the New York Point of Entry on May 7, 1948. His remains were sent by train and arrived at the Quartermaster Corps Distribution Center, Chicago, on May 12th. On June 9, 1948, his casket – in a military hearse with an escort – was taken to the Zimmerman & Son Funeral Home in Forest Park. Pfc. Alexander J. Kitcheos was buried in Section 54, Lot 425, in the Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois
