Sheets, William E.

WILLIAM EUGENE "BILLY" SHEETS

PRIVATE
U.S. ARMY

William Eugene Sheets was born to Don Milson Sheets and Ethel C Sheets on December 27, 1925, in Decatur Indiana. The Sheets family lived at 619 Kekionga St. (and later, as the family grew to 919 Winchester St) with his family and seven siblings; Robert J Sheets, Mrs. Kathryn Warren, Richard, Buddie, Betty, Elizabeth, and Glenn. He attended Monroeville High School during his teenage years and worked at Schafer Wholesale Company in Decatur.    

On March 23, 1943,  "Billy" Sheets was drafted into the U.S. Army at Fort Benjamin Harrison near Indianapolis, Indiana. Upon induction, he took basic training at Camp Fannin, Tex, and Fort Bragg, N.C. By October of 1944 Private Sheets completed his training and was sent overseas to France with the 397th Infantry Regiment, 100th Infantry Division. 

The 100th Infantry "Century" Division was activated November 15, 1942 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The division began training and reached full combat readiness by the late summer of 1944 before shipping overseas and arriving in the European Theatre through Marseille France on October 20, 1944. The 100th participated in combat operations in the European Theatre for six months from November 1944 to May 1945. Over this time they advanced 186 miles, liberated dozens of towns and cities, captured over 13,000 enemy soldiers, and destroyed five German divisions. The cost of this advance was 916 killed in action, 3,656 wounded, and 180 declared missing in action. 

On December 6, 1944 The Berne Witness published a story that Private William Sheets had been declared missing in action in France since November 15. His parents received a telegram announcing the news. One week later, on December 13, a follow-up article in The Berne Witness announced that Private First Class Sheets was now officially reported as killed in action.  

Upon arriving at Marseilles, France, the 100th was sent to the Vosges Mountains in eastern France near the German border. The 397th Infantry Regiment was sent to take Raon-L Etape, ultimately liberating it by November 16. The 100th  then launched attacks on Bitche all throughout December and the early months of 1945. On March 16, 1945 Bitche was liberated, and they earned the nickname “Sons of Bitche”

On the third day of their advance on Raon-L Etape, William E Sheets was killed in action. Private Sheets had bene in France less than a month before being killed on November 15, 1944. He was buried in a  U.S. Military Cemetery at Epinal, France for a short time until he was transferred to Decatur Cemetery. 

A funeral with full military rites was held April 18, 1948, when his remains were returned to the United States at the conclusion of the war. He is interred at Decatur Cemetery in Decatur Indiana.

Robert J Sheets, William’s brother, survived the war and returned home to Decatur, Indiana. His brother Glenn, also served in the U.S. Army and served in post-war Germany. Deborah McCullough, his niece, became a strong veterans advocate locally and was quoted in the Times Bulletin as saying, “… realize that he had a life ahead of him that was taken from him…” “It gives me real concern that younger people today understand the meaning of war and the price our veterans paid for our nation.”

For his service and sacrifice, Private Sheets earned the Purple Heart, American Theatre Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. 

Information researched and collected by Gabe Lopez, 2021. 

SOURCES

           “Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records.” Ancestry.com, 2014, Ancestry.com.

           "Co. Soldier Dead, Another Wounded." The Berne Witness. 13 Dec 1944.

           "Decatur Soldier Missing." The Berne Witness. 06 Dec 1944.

           “Decatur Daily Democrat 11 December 1944 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana’s Digital Historic Newspaper Program.” Newspapers.library.in.gov, newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19441211.1.1&srpos=10&e=------194-en-20-DCDD-1--txt-txIN-william+sheets----1944--. Accessed 10 May 2024.

           “Decatur Daily Democrat 15 April 1948 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana’s Digital Historic Newspaper Program.” Newspapers.library.in.gov, newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19480415.1.1&srpos=27&e=------194-en-20-DCDD-21--txt-txIN-william+sheets------. Accessed 10 May 2024.

            “Home - the George C. Marshall Foundation.” Www.marshallfoundation.org, www.marshallfoundation.org/100th-infantry/397th-infantry-regiment/. Accessed 10 May 2024.

Indiana Historical Bureau, comp. Gold Star Honor Roll: Adams County. Bloomington: Indiana War History Commission, 1949. Print. Vol. 1 of Indiana in World War II.

           “Pvt William E “Billy” Sheets (1925-1944) - Find A...” Www.findagrave.com, www.findagrave.com/memorial/32449790/william-e-sheets. Accessed 10 May 2024.

           “World War II Divisional Combat Chronicles.” History.army.mil, history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/100id.htm. Accessed 10 May 2024.

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