Editor’s note: The following story is published courtesy of author Gretchen Dahlen and the Stories Behind the Stars project, which is seeking to write an account of the more than 421,000 American service members who died during World War II.

William Kennerson Wilson—known as “Kennerson”—was the youngest of five children known to be born to Pattie (Yancey) and Hugh Augustus Wilson, Sr. He was born on November 7, 1918, in Lake City, Florida (Columbia County).

His father, Hugh, was an undertaker, using the language of the day. In the early 1930s he also founded Wilson National Insurance and later built a significant funeral home business. Kennerson had two sisters, Lovelyn and Eva.

He also had two older brothers, Hugh Augustus, Jr. and James Young. The three young men would all enter ROTC programs and serve overseas during World War II.

The Wilson family lived in Lake City throughout Kennerson’s life. When he registered for the draft in October 1940, he was a few weeks shy of his 22nd birthday. He lived with his parents at 17 West DeSoto in Lake City and was employed by his father. He stood 5’ 11”, weighed 165 pounds, had brown eyes, brown hair and a light complexion.

Kennerson attended the University of Florida, where he was listed as a member of Delta Sigma Pi, the Presbyterian Student Session and Advanced Military. He was in the ROTC program—Reserve Officers Training Corps. In August 1942, he commanded Co. “B” and in Nov. had a temporary rank as Captain, commanding Co. “G.”

Military

The War Department appointed and commissioned Kennerson as a 2nd Lt. in the Infantry Reserve, United States Army, on February 4, 1943. His enlistment in the regular Army was reported as February 1943. His service number as an officer was O-507555.

Ultimately, Lt. William K. Wilson was assigned to the 88th Infantry Division, specifically the 350th Infantry Regiment. The 350th trained at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma. According to members of the 350th, they also had training at Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas.

The division went overseas in December 1943 (a month after the invasion at North Africa), arriving Casablanca, French Morocco, on Dec. 15. According to the division combat chronicle, the men moved to Magenta, Algeria, on Dec. 28 for intensive training. They moved to Naples, Italy, in early February 1944 for combat training.

In early March, they relieved the British along the Garigliano River in the Minturno area north of Naples. They conducted defensive patrols and continued training. It was said that the 88th was the first All-Selective Service Division in combat in World War II.

By early May, the 350th Infantry Regiment held front line positions in the vicinity of Lorenzo, Italy. (Likely, this is San Lorenzo, Lazio region, west of the Garigliano River.) Orders came to begin the spring offensive to capture Rome and to tie down German forces in Italy during operation OVERLORD (D-Day). Code name: DIADEM.

The H-hour and D-Day attack was set for 2300 on May 11, 1944. It went off as planned for the 350th. The History Narrative stated the 1st and 2nd battalions led in a “carefully planned night attack against the most formidable obstacle on the entire Army Front”—the crest of Cianelli: “It was well understood by officers and men of all ranks that without the capture of Cianelli the advance of the corps was impossible. All objectives were captured on schedule to the everlasting credit of the officers and men who stepped off in darkness under and against an unprecedented barrage.”

Lt. Wilson was in Company “B,” part of the 1st Battalion. The 1st Battalion took Mt. Cianelli in just 45 to 51 minutes (accounts vary). “A” company suffered severe casualties, and “K” Company was brought in to fill the gap. The 2nd Battalion went to Hill 316 and captured it before daylight. These “hills” were among those comprising Monte (Mt.) Damiano, formally known as “Santi Cosma e Damiano.” It has also been described as a small hill mass just west of the town of Castelforte.

As the men continued their offensive past Cianelli, they faced immediate fire “from the village of Ventosa on the northern slope of the hill. It took repeated attacks, plus commitment of the battalion reserve company, to gain Ventosa by dawn” on May 12.

As an aside, Company F, in the 2nd Battalion worked to capture Hill 316—during which time 2nd Lt. Charles W. Shea risked his life and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

The 88th Infantry Division history wrote: “Capture of Damiano, or Cianelli, passed almost unnoticed in news dispatches at the time, but it was described later as one of the most outstanding operations in the initial assault on the Gustav Line. Its seizure covered the flank of the French Corps on the right and enabled the French to crack through the bottleneck that was Castelforte.”

By the night of May 12th and the morning of the 13th, “the Regiment continued to hold its positions against light enemy opposition waiting for units on left [US 351st Regiment] and right [French forces] to take their objectives.”

Death and Burial

Lt. William Kennerson Wilson was killed in action in May 1944. He was 25 years old. He was temporarily laid to rest in Carano Cemetery in Carano, Italy (Latina province) (code 5215) and awarded the Purple Heart.

Two dates have been given for 2nd Lt. Wilson’s death—May 11 and May 13. The headstone application decided upon “May 11, 1945,” which clearly is the wrong year. If the day is correct, further information suggests his death just before midnight on the night of the attack. However, on the back side of the headstone application form, a handwritten note said: “DD Shown on AGO Death Rpt as 13 May 44.” (AGO = Adjutant General’s Office).

Kennerson’s oldest brother, Hugh, Sr. was also serving the Army in Europe when Kennerson died. At the end of the war, he was in the Bavarian area of Germany, south of Munich. He requested and received permission to visit Kennerson’s grave in Italy. 

In 1995, he recalled that visit where he was fortunate to connect with men of Lt. Wilson’s unit. They told him their “platoon accomplished its mission and Kennerson was posting guards around the area to protect against counterattack when he stepped on a German land mine which exploded and killed him instantly.” 

They shared further memories: “We will always remember Lt. Wilson. At night he crawled from fox hole to fox hole visiting us, even during heavy German artillery raids. He encouraged us to write letters home—and he even wrote the letters for some of us. He read us parts from his New Testament Bible. He led us in prayer just as he had led us in battle.”

Kennerson’s final resting place is Oaklawn Cemetery in Lake City. He is buried with other Wilson family members. In addition, there is a memorial marker erected and donated by his parents on a small lot in Fort White, a half-hour’s drive south of Lake City.

The tall monument with the inscription “Welcome to William Kennerson Wilson Memorial Park” has four steps depicting the four freedoms: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear. It also pays tribute to all those who served defending the freedom of the United States: “Their sacrifice has not been in vain if the free world remains faithful to the causes for which they have so nobly fought.”

We honor your life and leadership and grieve your sacrifice.

Major Sources (See Gallery at Fold3.com also):

1. War Dept. letter 4 Feb 1943, from Adjutant General’s Office
2. Penny Wilson Weber, and Jim Wilson, niece and nephew of Kennerson. Appreciation is expressed fortheir photos and information. The Kennerson monument is located at 122 SW Monument Lane in FortWhite, FL.
3. University of Florida-Gainesville Yearbook, 1943, available at ancestry.com
4. US, Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945 (cemetery code 5215)
5. Headstone Application 29 Dec 1948, signed by Hugh A. Wilson, Jr.
6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10025336/william-kennerson-wilson
7. https://mtmestas.com/350th-infantryregiment.html#files
8. “Cassino to the Alps”, by Ernest F. Fisher, Jr., https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-MTO-Cassino/USA-MTO-Cassino-3.html
9. 88th Infantry Division Combat Chronicle:https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/088id.htm
10. US Federal Census for 1920 (Lake City, Columbia County, FL)
11. US Federal Census for 1930 (Lake City, Columbia County, FL)
12. US Federal Census for 1940 (Lake City, Columbia County, FL)
13. Florida Newspapers: Lake City Reporter, 14 Oct 1938 and 14 Nov 1995; Tampa Times, 25 Jul and 28 Sep1944; Tampa Tribune, 29 Nov 1942; Miami Herald, 5 Aug 1942. OK newspaper: “Glowing Chapter Written by 350th Infantry in Fifth Army Successes”, by Sgt. Jack Delaney, in Muskogee Daily Phoenix, 15 Oct 1944; available at newspapers.com or at Univ. of FL Digital Collection (ufdc.uflib.edu)
14. Note: Additional records for the 350th Infantry Regiment may be available in Boxes 1488-1490 and in the 88th Infantry Division boxes 1148-1151, at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, KS.