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Contact Info
Home Town Detroit
Last Address Hemet, CA
Date of Passing Sep 04, 2011
Location of Interment Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (VA) - San Diego, California
Duke Ashton was born on February 14, 1923, in Detroit, Michigan. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 2, 1943, at Fort Custer, Michigan, and after completing basic training and infantry training, he served with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 71st Infantry Regiment of the 44th Infantry Division during combat training in the United States before deploying to France with his unit in September 1944.
PFC Ashton fought with his unit through France and Germany, and was wounded in action in France on December 13, 1944, and on February 15, 1945; and in Germany on March 29, 1945. After the war ended he served on Occupation Duty in Germany until returning to the United States in July 1945, and he received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army on October 17, 1945. Duke Ashton died on September 4, 2011, and his ashes were placed in the columbarium wall at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.
WWII - European Theater of Operations/Central Europe Campaign (1945)
From Month/Year
March / 1945
To Month/Year
May / 1945
Description (Central Europe Campaign 22 March to 11 May 1945) Following the Battle of the Bulge the Allies had pushed through to the Rhine. On 22 March 1945 they began their assault across the river, and by I April the Ruhr was encircled. Armored columns raced across Germany and into Austria and Czechoslovakia. On 25 April, the day American and Russian forces met on the Elbe, strategic bombing operations came to an end. Germany surrendered on 7 May 1945 and operations officially came to an end the following day, although sporadic actions continued on the European front until 11 May.
