Blain Staley Eskelson

Blain registered for World War II on Jan 11, 19431 and enlisted on Nov 27, 19432 and was placed in the 5th Infantry Division.3

"...the 5th [Infantry Division] landed in Normandy on Utah Beach, on 9 July 1944, over a month after the initial D-Day landings, and four days later took up defensive positions in the vicinity of Caumont-l'Éventé. Launching a successful attack at Vidouville 26 July, the division drove on southeast of Saint-Lô, attacked and captured Angers, 9–10 August, captured Chartres, (assisted by the 7th Armored Division), 18 August, pushed to Fontainebleau, crossed the Seine at Montereau, 24 August, crossed the Marne and seized Reims, 30 August, and positions east of Verdun. The division then prepared for the assault on Metz, 7 September.4

Blain Staley Eskelson died Sep 9, 1944 in France. He was buried in the Richmond Cemetery. Blain was the first citizen of Cove to die in action in World War II, and the first Cove citizen to die in action during a war.

1. "Utah, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WP-JSGR : Tue Apr 29 01:24:13 UTC 2025), Entry for Blain Staley Eskelson and Roy Eskelson, 11 Jan 1943. 

2. "United States, World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K85Z-4SL : Wed Oct 01 01:56:57 UTC 2025), Entry for , 27 Nov 1943. 

3. "Utah, Veterans with Federal Service Buried in Utah, Territorial to 1966", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FL5Y-5N5 : Sun Mar 10 03:22:43 UTC 2024), Entry for Blain S Eskelson, 09 Sep 1944.

4. Wikipedia contributors, "5th Infantry Division (United States)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=5th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)&oldid=1293975917 (accessed October 10, 2025).