Earl Richard Suman was born in Adams County on October 13 in 1920. He grew up on the outskirts of Pleasant Mills in a farmhouse on Decatur route 6. His childhood consisted greatly of work, since his father, Harry Suman, was a farmer. Harry Suman had served in World War I. When he came back, he married Bessie Drummond. Together, they had three daughters and twelve sons- six of which had ended up serving in the armed forces overseas. Earl was one of the middle children, yet was the first of all Suman boys to enlist in the military to take up arms; five of his brothers soon followed. In Adams County, the Suman family had the most members (sons) to serve in the military, sending six of their sons to join. After attending one year of school at Pleasant Mills High School and graduating, Earl enlisted into the army in Toledo, Ohio, on July 1, 1942. He officially joined the army on July 15, 1942. Along with him, three of Earl's brothers also joined the army, while another two enlisted in the marines. Together, they were stationed at numerous places- none located in the same area, and all serving overseas. Earl entered basic training in the Army at Camp Forest, Tennessee. The 80th Division was also later stationed at Camp Phillips in Yuma, Arizona. Before traveling overseas with the infantry on the Queen Mary, departing from New York, they were lastly stationed in the California-Arizona Maneuvering Area (CAMA). At the start of his service, Earl was twenty-one years old. Since he joined the forces so early, he was never married or had children while away. He measured in at 141 pounds and stood 5 feet, four inches. The job he took on at first was known as a geographer. This is defined as one who studies earth's physical features. He was attached to Company K of the 319th infantry Regiment which was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. Of this, Earl was a member of the 80th Infantry Division. Co. K was a Rifle Company in the 3d Battalion of the 319th Infantry Regiment. Earl was a Rifleman, better known in the army as MOS 745. These soldiers used a rifle to destroy enemy personnel and to assist in capturing and holding enemy positions. He earned his way to the Private First Class E1 rank. He enlisted as a Private. He was given the Service serial number of 32330189. The Queen Mary left the states on July 4, 1944. The 80th arrived a few days later in the ETO (European Theater of Operations) which was in Firth of Clyde, Scotland. After a few weeks in England, they boarded LSTs (Tank-Landing Ships) to cross the English Channel, landing on Utah Beach, better known as Normandy. The trip overseas on the Queen Mary from New York took 5 days, 7 hours, and 54 minutes. Captain Bisset was in charge of this journey. The voyage consisted of 14,533 troops, and 1,105 crewmen. The Queen Mary was a passenger ship that served from 1940-1946. It was the fastest ship in the world and went unescorted. According to an account from a crew member of the same voyage as Earl, the experiences were not easy. In order to avoid German submarine torpedoes, the ship would change directions. Out of the five day journey, one day is far worse than the others. The ship ran into a massive storm around the third or fourth day. The storm was described as the ship "meeting its match." One moment, the troops on deck could nearly dip their hand in the water, then the next they were about fifty feet above it. The food on the ship was not high quality. One meal consisted of boiled potato skins; the troop recalled never wanting to eat potato skins again. Once landed at the destination, the troops were in trucks the next day, moving toward the front. When passing through a town in France, Frenchmen gathered on the streets to cheer on the troops. The 80th was now on land and tracking the Germans. When they caught up to them, theyfound themselves in a small town called Toul. They had to cross the Moselle, using pontoons and ropes. The soldiers were scared, and some could not even swim. It was drizzling cold rain and the experience was miserable. ("319th Infantry Crossing of the Moselle River"). The date was September 4, 1944. It was a morning mission. The 319th Infantry moved from an area about 8 miles east of Commercy, France, toward Toul on the Moselle River. Part of the mission and objective was to cross the River. When September 10 rolled around, Company K was ordered to launch an attack on Ft de Villey-le-Sec. The attack was more fierce than any previous experiences by the 3d Battalion. On September 16, the Combat Team 319, 80th Infantry Division sent nightly patrols into the western edges of Fonet de Haye. On September 18, 1944, the 319th received a mission to seize and occupy line St Jure – Raucourt – Nomeny. The attack was done by the 1st and 3d Battalions (Bns). Earl was a part of the 3d Bn; the job was to "advance guard of the regiment and was given the mission of entering Toul, establishing contact with elements of the Armored Cavalry Squadron in the vicinity, ... clearing Toul of any remaining enemy troops, crossing the Moselle River and establishing a bridgehead on the east bank of the Moselle" ("319th Infantry Crossing of the Moselle River").Over all, the mission was successful, but many casualties were reported; one of which found to be Earl. On September 18, 1944, news came about: Earl was reported missing in action. He was fighting in France, according to the Decatur Daily Democrat which was written on November 18. The information that claimed he was missing was reported on October 13, 1944; almost an entire month after he was actually missing. There is a high chance that his death was greatly due to combat wounds, but the reason is unclear. On October 16, 1944, Earl Richard Suman was reported dead. He was 23 years old. When talking to Pastor Ernie Suman, great-nephew of Earl, he showed me a few things. Earl not being married or having kids, it is difficult to know details about Earl's life prior to the war. Earl and Ernie's father were best friends, according to Ernie, who is the Pastor at Pleasant Mills United Methodist Church, which is also where Earl's family attended. In this church is a plaque labeled "Roll of Honor" which exhibits soldiers who fought in WWII from the area. On it is Earl's name. Because of his service in World War II, Earl Suman earned the World War II Victory Medal , European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal, and the American Campaign Medal. Earl also earned the Purple Heart for his combat related injuries that led to his death. In addition, for service related combat, PFC Suman earned the Combat Infantryman Badge. PFC Suman died while serving in France and is interred overseas in St. Avold, France, at a place known as the Lorraine American Cemetery. This cemetery covers 113.50 acres of land, and includes 10,489 burials, and 444 of these missing in action. Information researched and collected by Grace Hunter, 2016.
"Earl R. Suman." American Battle Monuments Commission, www.abmc.gov/node/401958. Accessed 24 Nov. 2016.
"319th Infantry Crossing of the Moselle River." HEADQUARTERS 80TH INFANTRY DIVISION. 4 Sept. 1944. 80thdivision.com, www.80thdivision.com/80th-OperationalHistory/80thOperHist-Sep44_Pt2.pdf. Accessed 17 Dec. 2016.
Indiana Historical Bureau. Gold Star Honor Roll Adams County. Indiana War History Commission, 1949.
Pearce, Margie, editor. "Room & Pearce Connections." RootsWeb.com, 13 June 2012, wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mpearce&id=I23723. Accessed 27 Nov. 2016.
"Pfc. Earl E. Suman Is Reported As Missing In Action In France." Decatur Daily Democrat [Decatur], 6 Nov. 1944, pp. 1-2. Decatur Daily Democrat Newspaper. Accessed 26 Nov. 2016.
"Pfc. Earl E. Suman, One of Six Brothers In War, Reported Dead." Decatur Daily Democrat [Decatur], 18 Nov. 1944. Decatur Daily Democrat Newspaper. Accessed 2 Dec. 2016.
"The Suman Brothers . . . Six Good Reasons For Buying An Extra $100-Bond." Decatur Daily Democrat [Decatur]. Decatur Daily Democrat Newspaper. Accessed 26 Nov. 2016.
Wallesch, Shayne E., and Wendy J. Hochnadel. “Queen Mary - Record of Wartime Cruises - 1944.” Queen Mary - Record of Wartime Cruises - 1944, 2007, ww2troopships.com/ships/q/queenmary/cruiserecord1944.htm. Accessed 17 Dec. 2016.