Remember...
Henry Vernon Roach
1912-1945
"The world must know what happened, and never forget."
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Remember...Henry Vernon Roach
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Henry Vernon Roach was born in Cabell County, West Virginia, on November 20, 1912, to William M. Roach and Savannah A. Donahue Roach. His many siblings included brothers Covington (b. 1895), William Burrell (b. 1903), George B. (b. 1908), Herman (b. 1910), and Elijah Wilson Roach (b. 1915). The family also included his sisters Launa (b. 1897; married name: Clark), Nancy A. (b. 1899; married name: Wells), Tina (b. 1901; married name: Dick), and Stella Jane (b. 1906; married name: Farley). According to the 1940 Federal Census listing, Henry had completed "elementary school, 6th grade" and was employed as an "unpaid family worker." Corroborating that information is his 1940 draft registration, which indicates that his residence is at Aberdeen, West Virginia, and he is a farm worker. There are several communities in West Virginia named Aberdeen, but Henry's residence most likely is the one near Ona since he indicated his hometown was Barboursville.
Henry was a private first class in the 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, when he met his death on June 25, 1945. Although some sources list him as being killed in action, it is more likely that he died non-battle, as hostilities in Europe had concluded in May of that year. He had been overseas for two years and served as a truck driver.
The 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, began in 1929 as the 2nd Tank Regiment (Heavy). It was redesignated in 1932 as the 67th Infantry Regiment. It entered World War II service as the 67th Armored Regiment of the 2nd Armored Division, having been renamed on July 15, 1940. Having trained in Georgia, Louisiana, and the Carolinas, the regiment went to North Africa (Casablanca) in 1942. After participating in the invasion of Sicily in 1943, it went to England, where it trained for the D-Day invasion. It landed in Normandy on June 9, 1944. After Normandy, the division (which included the 67th Regiment) continued through to Paris, and then to the Rhine. It attacked the Siegfried Line in October, and by December was participating in the Battle of the Bulge. By March 1945, the 2nd Armored Division was part of the attack across the Rhine and proceeded to the Elbe in the last weeks of the war. The 67th Armored Regiment entered Berlin in July 1945, two months after the end of the war in the European Theater. ("67th Armor Regiment," Wikipedia, last edited 13 June 2023, accessed 21 December 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/67th_armor_regiment.)
| Henry was interred in the Netherlands American Cemetery (Margraten), Plot G, Row 21, Grave 24. |  |
Article prepared by Patricia Richards McClure
December 2023
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.