Footlocker and Patriotic photoframe
Identified to Lt. George S. Adams - 2nd Infantry Division
WW2 officer footlockers were durable, wood or metal-reinforced trunks used by military officers and NCOs to transport personal gear and uniforms. They typically featured leather handles, brass or steel locks, and stenciled names, ASN or APO addresses. This non-regulation footlocker, constructed from plywood, missed his left and right handle in leather and also his tray that rested inside the top half of the locker. Plain wood or plywood footlockers were issued by the Army, these had metal cornerpieces and were closed with a padlock.
This issue footlocker followed Lieutenant Adams all through his war service in Europe with the 2nd Infantry Division.
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Lt. George S. Adams
Lieutenant
George S. Adams
Lt. George S. Adams
George Smith Adams was born on February 10, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois to Edna W. Smith and Frank Albert Adams, a bank examiner. He was graduated from Springfield High School, Illinois in 1939 and Knox College in 1943.
George S. 'Sparky' Adams enlisted May 20, 1942 in Galesburg, Illinois (#16102101). He was one of the many thousands of American students who, after serving in the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps), was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in December 1943. George Adams married Helen Louise Wolfensperger (1922-2004) in 1944. After a few more stops at training camps including Fort Benning and Camp Blanding, he was shipped to England, where he was assigned to a Replacement Depot, awaiting a final destination. Early August 1944, First Lieutenant (O-538469) Adams was assigned to C Company of the 38th Infantry Regiment, part of the famous 2nd Infantry Division, 'Indianhead.' They had just come through a fierce battle in Normandy and were being reinforced for the coming battles. What followed for Adams were fierce battles in Brest before they moved to Belgium to defend the more quiet line around St. Vith. In this position, the 2nd Infantry Division found itself in the thick of the battle during the Battle of the Bulge, where, after fierce fighting, it succeeded in defending Elsenborn. After crossing the Rhine in March, a rapid advance through Germany followed, and the division captured Leipzig, among other places. In the final days of the war, the push toward the Czech Republic began, and the unit captured Plzen, bringing the fighting to an end. Among other decoration, he was awarded with the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart Medal. His unit was presented a presidential citation in 1944 for participation in the Battle of the Bulge, Ardennes, Belgium.
The 2nd Infantry Division was to remain in Plzen for a few more weeks, and on June 10, 1945, a little over a month after VE Day, First Lieutenant George Adams was involved in a car accident. He died that same day from his injuries. His family decided not to repatriate him, and today George Adams rests in the Lorraine American Cemetery, Saint Avold, France, Plot B, row 17, grave 23.
George S. Adams IDPF can be found here IDPF
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