PVT Andrew Heide Fletcher, Sr. (WWII)

Remembering PVT Andrew Heide Fletcher (Farmington/Rachel)

August 2, 1918 - January 7, 1945

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Note: The West Virginia Veterans Memorial records Andrew's middle name as Heide, as does his son's findagrave profile. Andrew's draft card, however, says Hines. It's unclear at this time which one is correct.

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PVT Andrew Heide Fletcher (service number 15115975) was born in Farmington, WV on August 2, 1918, the son of (John) Russell and Bernice (Ramage) Fletcher. 

Throughout his career, Russell worked at the coal mine. In the 1920s, their family lived in the Chaltham Hill area, while Russell worked as a laborer at the coal mine (1920 Census). In the 1930s onward, they lived near "Little Mods Run Road," where Russell was first a motor repairman (1930 Census), then an electrician (1940 Census). 

Wedding bells rang on December 27, 1938, when Andrew married Martha Floyd from Mannington. 

Andrew, who according to his Army enlistment paperwork, completed three years of high school, joined Russell in working at the mine, and by the time of the 1940 Census was working as a motorman in the coal mine. He and his wife, Martha, lived with Russell, Bernice, and Andrew's siblings.

Martha and Andrew had one son, Andrew Heide Fletcher, Jr., born May 30, 1941.

Military Service:

Andrew entered the draft on October 29, 1940. Employed at Jones Collieries Mine, Andrew was 5'11" and 165 lbs, with brown eyes, black hair, and ruddy skin.

On July 11, 1942, Andrew enlisted in the Army at Fort Thomas in Newport, Kentucky. Andrew became a member of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion. Known as GOYAs for their unofficial motto, their original commander Lieutenant Colonel Wood C. Joerg's favorite expression ("Get Off Your ***"), Andrew was a part of Company C. 

The 551st initially landed in France on August 15, 1944, during Operation Dragoon. They liberated the French cities of Draguignan (August 17), Cannes (August 24) without a shot fired, and Nice (August 29). Their victories also included the first capture of a German general during WWII- General Ludwig Bieringer (Why Would Anyone Jump Out of a Perfectly Good Airplane?). From there they spent several months patrolling the French Alps, preventing Germans from crossing the mountains from Italy (September through the end of November).

The 551st in the Battle of the Bulge:

The 551st fought during the Battle of the Bulge, facing increasing casualties from the winter conditions as they had limited winter gear and artillery cover. Their final battle as the 551st began January 3, 1945, in Rochelinval, Belgium. 

Excerpt from Why Would Anyone Jump Out of a Perfectly Good Airplane? published by The American Battle Monuments Commission:

"By January 3rd, the Germans were well dug in at Rochelinval. Between 3-7 January, the 551st fought with little artillery support (which became zero artillery support after all of their forward observers had been killed). They also conducted a bayonet charge, which was one of the very few during World War II. Casualties mounted. Company A of the 551st started the fight on the 3rd with 150 paratroopers. By nightfall, only 50 men remained. Later, some men would try to find sleep when they could, never waking as they froze to death during the night.

On January 6th, Lieutenant Colonel Joerg was ordered to attack Rochelinval. He balked, as his men had not eaten in three days. No food ever came, and on the 7th, the fate of the 551st was secured. They attacked Rochelinval. Lieutenant Colonel Joerg was killed by an artillery round, shrapnel piercing his helmet. By nightfall, all that remained of the battalion was just over 100 men. The 551st had been decimated, and still somehow took the village."

From Donald Roberts' Article "Before the Battle of the Bulge: Forming the 551st “GOYAs”:
"Of the 643 officers and men of the 551st who went into battle on January 3, only 110 remained on the duty roster by the end of the day on the 7th. The others had been killed in battle or by the cold; had been wounded and were in an aid station or hospital somewhere in Belgium, France, or England; or were missing in action. The majority of the remaining men in the 551st were “walking wounded.” Taking everything into consideration, the 551st Parachute Battalion sustained a 94 percent casualty rate, “the highest rate of any battalion to fight at the Battle of the Bulge.” And yet, the men of the 551st had successfully captured every objective they had been assigned" (Before the Battle of the Bulge).

Legacy and Survivors:

Because of the insurmountable loss of life, the 551st was disbanded after the Battle of Rochelinval. The survivors were absorbed into other units. In 2001, the 551st was finally awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for their role in WWII.

It is unclear at what point PVT Andrew Hines Fletcher died during the Battle of Rochelinval. His official killed-in-action death date is recorded as January 7, 1945, but he had extensive injuries at the time of his death- a fractured humerus in his right arm, multiple fractures in his left arm, and a fractured skull. 

Initially interred at the Henri Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium, PVT Fletcher reached his final resting place at the Grafton National Cemetery in 1948. He was survived by his wife, Martha, and their son, Andrew Heide Fletcher, Jr., who passed away in 2014. Like his father, Andrew served in the military for more than 20 years before retiring. He was also survived by his parents, and a number of siblings.

He is honored on the "Marion County Veterans Killed in Action" Memorial at Veterans Square in Fairmont, WV, and at the  West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston, WV. 

Sources and More Information:

• Andrew Heide Fletcher, Jr Findagrave Profile (PVT Andrew Fletcher's son)
• Before the Battle of the Bulge: Forming the 551st “GOYAs”
• FamilySearch.org Profile: PVT Andrew Heide Fletcher, Sr
• History of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion …and their Demise at the Battle of the Bulge (551st Parachute Infantry Association)
  
• Map Overlay of the Attack on Rochelinval, drawn by CPT Bill Smith of HQs, 551st Parachute Infantry
• Presidential Unit Citation
• PVT Andrew H Fletcher Findagrave Profile
• PVT Andrew H. Fletcher's Individual Deceased Personnel File, retrieved with help from the St. Louis Archives
• Tragedy At Rochelinval (Interview with survivor Richard Durkee)
• US Census: 1920, 1930, 1940 Censuses (Accessed through FamilySearch.org)
• Why Would Anyone Jump Out of a Perfectly Good Airplane? Part 4: The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion “GOYAs”
  
• West Virginia Marriage Certificate
• West Virginia Memory Project: Andrew Heide Fletcher, Sr.
• WWII Army Enlistment Records: Andrew H. Fletcher, Sr.
• WWII Draft Card: "Andy Hines Fletcher"