John L. Bennett was born November 16, 1922 in Utica NY to Lawrence D. Bennett and Gertrude Quirk (1895-1946). His parents were married on June 4, 1916 in Utica. His dad was originally from Wyoming and his mom was from Utica. His dad was a Foreman in a Laundry. He had an older sister Florence (1918-2005). He graduated from St. Francis de Sales Catholic School circa 1940 and was employed by the Bossert Corporation. Bossert turned out cartridges cases, steel reinforced oxygen cylinders and axles for tanks during World War II.

John registered for the draft on June 30, 1942 in Utica, NY. He was 6' tall and weighed 160 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair. He was drafted into the service on February 19, 1943 through Utica, NY. His service number was 32749146. He reported being single and having completed four years of high school. He did his basic training at Camp Upton, NY and Camp Wheeler, Georgia. He was assigned to a Replacement Battalion for the 1st Army and went overseas in July 1943. In World War II, except for those soldiers who arrived as a unit at the beginning of the war, men were sent individually to units to replace casualties. He was assigned to the 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division which was part of the 1st Army. At the time he was sent overseas they were fighting it out in Sicily, Italy.

Rather than moving directly into Italy after the Sicily campaign, the 9th Infantry Division was withdrawn from Sicily and redeployed to England, arriving mainly in November 1943. While in England they rested, refitted, trained and absorbed replacements. The 9th Infantry Division landed in Normandy 4 days after D-Day on June 10, 1944. They fought in the Normandy Campaign and in late July, when Pfc. Bennett joined them, were part of the Normandy "breakout" and advancement across France. By late August 1944 they pushed toward the Marne River and captured town like Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Woods. By early September 1944 the 47th Infantry Regiment was fighting in the advance across northern France and into Belgium, moving toward or across the Meuse River.

Pfc. Bennett is killed in action on September 6, 1944 in Belgium. Hospital Admission records list the cause of death as an artillery shell. He was treated with Penicillin therapy but to no avail. He was buried in the Fosse #1 Cemetery on September 8, 1944. This was the date the cemetery was inaugurated on the hill "Campagne du Chene". This cemetery was closed in July 1948 with the remains of American soldiers either sent home or sent to the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neuville-en-Condroz or the American War Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle. Pfc. Bennett's remains were returned home aboard the U.S. Army Transport Haiti Victory in May 1949 and buried in th eSt. Agnes' Cemetery, Utica, NY.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1847-1849, 1907-1936 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175984488/john_l-bennett: accessed January 4, 2026), memorial page for PFC John L Bennett (16 Nov 1922–6 Sep 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 175984488, citing Saint Agnes Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Eric Ackerman (contributor 48445240).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183682114/gertrude-bennett: accessed January 4, 2026), memorial page for Mrs Gertrude Quirk Bennett (11 Jun 1895–17 Mar 1946), Find a Grave Memorial ID 183682114, citing Saint Agnes Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by C_Miller (contributor 49372394).

Fold3, US, WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954 (https://www.fold3.com/publication/1088/us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954 : accessed Jan 5, 2026), database and images, https://www.fold3.com/publication/1088/us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954

"Hero's Body Due Monday", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, April 30, 1949, pg. 10.

National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, 20740-6001; Record Group 92: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; Series: General Correspondence Relating to Organizations; File Unit: 314.6 T/O (European) Weekly Burial Reports 105: 1944; Report No. 105: October 08, 1944, pg. 113.

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri;Morning Reports for September 1944: Roll 740; NAID: 570353929; Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Morning Reports, pgs. 1736, 1749.

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri;Morning Reports for March 1944: Roll 630; NAID: 466769160; Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Morning Reports, pgs. 779, 797.

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri;Morning Reports for January 1944: Roll 623; NAID: 462086571; Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Morning Reports, pg. 389.

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri;Morning Reports for October 1943: Roll 614; NAID: 454439085; Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Morning Reports, pg. 65.

National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 05592; Reel: 222

Tomaino, Frank, "Leading during time of war, peace", Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY, accessed on Jan. 4, 2025 at https://www.uticaod.com/story/news/2019/11/21/leading-during-time-war-peace/2246229007/

Bento, Carol Schultz, The U.S. World War II Troop Replacement Policy, April 21, 2012, accessed at https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-u-s-world-war-ii-troop-replacement-policy/ on January 8, 2025.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0123; FHL microfilm: 2341356

Year: 1940; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02861; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 67-60

Supporting Documents