Company F, 116th Infantry Regiment

Company F, 116th Infantry Regiment. . Activated in South Boston, Virginia, Company F, under the command of Captain William R. Callahan, was one of four infantry companies to land at H-Hour, 0630, in the 116th Infantry's first-wave assault on Omaha Beach. Its mission was to secure the Les Moulins beach exit and penetrate inland through the enemy's defenses before turning west in an attack towards Vierville. , , Faring better than the assault landing craft (LCA) of other companies in the first wave, all six of F Company’s LCA’s made it to shore, though the rough seas and heavy smoke from the Allied naval bombardment caused three of them to land in Easy Green sector of Omaha Beach, just east of their designated landing area on Dog Red. As the LCAs dropped their ramps, the men of F Company began their assault on either side of the Les Moulins exit, with three sections to the left of the draw and three to the right. Having plunged into surf as deep as six feet, the sodden troops made for shore as best they could. German defenders responded with intense resistance from well-emplaced machine guns, mortars, and artillery batteries in the bluffs overlooking the beach. , , Lacking the concealment provided by the smoke, the three boat teams landing east of the draw took forty-five minutes to cross the several hundred meters of sand separating them from the relative safety of the seawall. Half became casualties in the process. The three teams to the west of the draw fared better, but the company commander and most of his officers had been killed or severely wounded. Unable to mount an attack in strength, the men of F Company men responded to the long months of training they had undergone by forming ad hoc patrols to scout the area for suitable exits off the beach and likely positions they could use as strong points. Demonstrating fierce determination in spite of the defenders' withering fire, hand grenades, and mines, those who could do it quit the safety of the seawall. Seizing the initiative, they scrambled up the bluffs to neutralize fortified pillboxes, penetrate the trench network, and secure the Les Moulins draw. , , Having successfully achieved the initial objective, a much diminished F Company linked up with elements of G Company to push inland across open fields and marshes, reaching St. Laurent by late afternoon. By nightfall, the company had sustained seventy-nine casualties, including twenty-six troopers killed. F Company's unit decorations include the Presidential Unit Citation and French Croix de Guerre with Palm. , , Dedicated in honor of all those who served in Company F by their families, friends, and the grateful citizens of Halifax County and South Boston, Virginia, with deep appreciation for their sacrifice and commitment in serving our nation.