Grave marker for Sgt W. Vance Turner in the Union Cemetery, Tallapoosa county, Alabama.

Walter or Vance as he apparently preferred to be known, enlisted in the Army at Fort McClellan, AL on 29 October 1942.

Pvt Turner was assigned to Company D, 508th PIR and later was transferred to Company F.  He participated in the jump into Normandy on D-Day and according to Tom Gintjee, broke both legs on landing.  He was initially listed as MIA.  On 6 July 1944 that was changed to KIA as of 6 June 1944 although other records state it to have been on 7 June..

If Gintjee's statement that Turner had broken both legs in the jump is accurate it makes one wonder what may have happened for him to be listed as KIA a day later.