PFC Richard Leroy Ankney
Richard L. Ankney, born April 21, 1924, was the second son of Charles and Anna Rebecca Wheeler Ankney. He was one of seven children who lived on Ayersville Avenue in 1940. His education ended in sixth grade at the Fourth Ward School.
The Crescent-News reported on July 24, 1942:
"Charging her 18 year old husband, Richard L. Ankney of Defiance with gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty, Berneice Ankney today filed a petition in common pleas court for divorce and permanent alimony. The petition recited that they were married May 6, 1941, and have no children. Shaw, Weaner and Clemens represent the plaintiff.
On July 10, 1943, he went to Toledo and enlisted into the Army. He gave his occupation as a welder on the enlistment paper. He trained at Camp Carson, Colorado and Camp Haan, California, before being sent to France.
In June, 1944, he was hospitalized for pyelonephritis (urinary tract, kidney infection), but and was released back to duty.
"Our Men in Service.
The 399th Infantry Regiment of the 100th (Century) Division set some kind of record for the speed with which it said good-bye to the East River and hello to the Rhine. Some of the men in the regiment marched down Fifth Avenue in New York City to help inauguarate the 5th War Bond Drive, and they were in action on the U.S 7th Army front in eastern France when they read about the results of the same drive.
Arriving in France on October 20, they spent several days assembling equipment, then for three days and nights rolled toward the front and the next morning, they were on one of the toughest sectors along the entire front. Five men from the Defiance area in this regiment are: Pfc James L. Hasselshwert, rt. 1, Pfc Richard L. Ankney, 513 Martin Street, Pfc Robert J. Rosebrock, 23 Jackson Ave., Defiance; Pfc William Brown, 408 S. Bryan St., Hicksville, and Pfc. Leonard A. Jesse, rt. 1 Ney." Crescent-News, Dec. 18, 1944.
Richard was in the hospital one last time in December, 1944, injured in the line of duty, his thorax riddled with artillery shells. There he died on December 9, 1944, in Killem, Dept. du Nord, Nord- Pas-de Calais, France.
"BUDDY'S LETTER TELLS OF DEATH
Official Telegram Confirms Richard Ankney
Killed in France
Official notification by telegram of the death in action of Pfc. Richard L. Ankney, 20, in France on December 9, came to his wife here Thursday night, but she already had known of his death for 24 hours through a letter from a buddy who saw the victim fall.
The victim previously had been reported missing in a War Department telegram received here Dec. 21.
"When Richard got killed, I lost one of my best buddies," wrote Pvt. Winfred H. Edwards in the letter received by Mrs. Ankney Wednesday.
"It's a long story and hard for me to tell," said the soldier.
"I saw it, but I could not get to him in time. He was trying to say something, but he never did get to finish it. All I can say is that when we lost Richard, we lost one of the best men that we had."
Mrs. Ankney, 513 Martin Street, the former Berneice Groh, was married to Pfc. Ankney, May 6, 1941. They have no children.
The victim was the son of Mr and Mrs. Charles Ankney,
1400 Ayersville Avenue. His father is now in the hospital here. His brother, Pvt. Donald E. Ankney is home on furlough from an Army hospital in Louisville, Ky., where he has been recovering from wounds received in action in Italy last March 14.
Other survivors are Mrs Mildred Hill and Violet Ankney, sisters, and William, Charles, and Garrison Ankney, brothers, all in Defiance.
Pfc Ankney entered service July 10, 1943, trained at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana; Camp Haan, California; Camp Carson, Colorado; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina before going overseas last October. He served with the Seventh Army. Formerly, he was employee at Haviland Stamping Company."
He missed the birth of his only child, born April 4, 1945, a daughter that Bernice named Rickie Lee. The announcement in the newspaper added "(Father Richard L. Ankney was killed in action in France, Dec. 9, 1944.)
Richard was transported home and buried in Riverside Cemetery
Dianne Kline, Researcher
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