Grave marker for Pvt John E. Payet in Cedar Lawn Cemetery, Section 2, Lot 985, Division  Block-A,, Paterson, NJ.  He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Pvt Payet was killed in action on December 25, 1944 although his grave marker records the date as January 3 1945.  

Payet's nephew, John Payet Valandingham, writes; "I had the fortunate opportunity to find and meet [my uncle's] Sgt. who knew all the details of the incident. He gave the assignment to my uncle who had to go and get supplies with another trooper, as they came through a clearing the Germans opened fire with 88mm artillery and he was killed. He was sure it was Christmas day, as it is something he would never forget. He told me they sometimes give latitude on Christmas dates so that the families will not spend the rest of there lives associating the holiday with the death."

It should also be noted that Graves Registration often listed the date that a body was recovered if no eyewitness reports were available at the time to clarify the actual date of death.