210025 Tech4 Edward William Gruss United States Army 46th Tank Battalion from:Baltimore, Md. USA (d.18th Apr 1945) This is the story of my great uncle Edward W. Gruss who died of wounds and is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery at Margraten. He served with the 46th Tank Battalion, 13th Armored Division
I've spent the past few weeks honoring both his sacrifice and memory by telling his story to historians and people dedicated to making certain, the soldiers lost will never be forgotten. If we forget our mistakes, history is bound to repeat itself.
Edward lost his father at a very early age, 6 years old. Edward had an older brother, James. They were very close. James died at 14 of complications due to rheumatic fever, Edward was about 10. This was about 4 years after losing his father. His mother tried to give him extra attention during this time and because of this, she became extremely close to him.
Edward was dating a woman named, Betty, before he joined the service in 1941 and would most likely have married after his discharge.
When Edward was killed, Betty was pregnant with his child. Upon learning of his death, she lost the child.
To quote from my family history:
"He lost his father when he was 6 years old, his big brother when he was 10, fathers a child, who he may not even have known about, serves heroically in the was which goes unnoticed, his child is miscarried, he is killed in battle in Germany, his body remains buried in Holland and his family members cannot mention his name."
It further mentions that the family should recognize his sacrifice for his country and his rightful place in our family. He died for me and for America. He doesn't deserve to have given his life without at least some acknowledgement. Please, if you can help me I would be most appreciative. Thank you.
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