John Leslie Knisley - Legacy Finders

Army Combat Medic and WWII Fallen Hero

Several years ago, we began documenting relatives in my hometown cemetery. In addition to my grandfather, I noticed several great uncles and cousins had military emblems on their tombstones. John Leslie Knisley’s tombstone had a simple cross (indicating he was of the Christian faith), but his death date in 1945 and the PH on the stone caught my attention. I did not know, but this would take me on a journey through his life. On Veteran’s Day, we give thanks for the John Leslie Knisley’s of this world. They are the reason we are free today.

We initially contacted the National Archives to get copies of his personnel records but were informed that his records had been lost in the fire that had occurred at their facility in Saint Louis in 1973 (NARA). After finding a request for his military headstone, I noted that his mother had requested the headstone and that John had been killed in action on March 7, 1945 while serving in a Medical Unit, 2^nd Regiment, 5^th Division (US, Headstone Applications). Another important item noted on the form was that John had received a purple heart for his service (US, Headstone Applications). At that point, I submitted a Freedom of Information Request to obtain any records that the military had on John and a year later they finally sent me the final chapter in his story (Department of Army, 2017 and 2019).

Early Years

John Leslie Knisley was born on October 24, 1916 near Watonga, OK. The son of Ross Knisley and Julia Havlovic, in 1920 Ross was farming in the township of Dixon in Blaine County (1920 Census). Farming in the early 1900s in Northwestern Oklahoma was a hard life.

Between 1926-1930, school records indicate that John and his siblings were attending school in Elk City, Beckham County, Oklahoma (Oklahoma School Records, 1926, 1927, 1929, and 1930). The image to the right shows the three Knisley children listed as attending school in Elk City, Oklahoma. On the 1930 Census the family was living in Elk City, Beckham County, Oklahoma, and Ross Knisley was performing manual labor for the public works and Julia was also working (1930 Census).

The family then moved to Watonga, Oklahoma around 1932 and John and his siblings are shown attending school in Watonga between 1932 to 1937 (Oklahoma School Records, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1946 and 1937). As a young man John went by “Leslie” (Oklahoma School Records, 1940 Census).

Enlistment and Training

John Leslie completed the “young men draft card” for WWII in 1941 (WWII Draft Cards Young Men). He must have had rambling feet because his draft card shows he was working in Idaho Falls, Idaho when he submitted the information for the draft. John was a tall, skinny kid, standing 6 foot 2 inches. Most of the Knisley men were tall and thin.

John enlisted on 18 Mar 1941 in Oklahoma City (US Army). His initial paperwork indicated that he was a warrant officer and was single with no dependents (US Army). Later he served in the medical department in the Infantry Regiment of the 5^th Division of the Army (US Headstone Applications). John had been assigned to the medical battalion after receiving this training at Fort Riley, Kansas, before deployment in April of 1942 (Watonga Republican). A combat medic puts his/her own life in danger on the battlefield every day to treat the wounded and minister to the dying.

Upon completion of his training, he was deployed to Germany as part of a medical battalion of the 2^nd Infantry Regiment, 5^th Infantry Division. These units were in direct support of General Patton’s 3^rd Army who were fiercely engaged in fighting the Nazis in Germany during April of 1942. (2^nd Inf, Fifth Division, Army)

Battle at Schwarzenborn, Germany

Toward the end of the war, John was part of a major offensive. The history of the Second Infantry Regiment, Fifth Infantry Division described the offensive along the Rhine River in Germany between March 1 to 6, 1945 (2^nd Inf, Fifth Division, Army). The German town called Schwarzenborn proved a “tuff nut” (2^nd Inf, Fifth Division). Schwarzenborn is the smallest city in the German State of Hesse. The image to the right shows a map of the German State of Hesse with Schwarzenborn highlighted in red (Wikipedia).

During this battle US forces were met by fierce German forces including tanks (2^nd Inf, Fifth Division, Army). The town was hit from three sides by German forces, which set fire to the town (2^nd Inf, Fifth Division, Army). There were significant US losses, including persons killed, wounded, and captured. The Second Division, the Division that John belonged to went through the town on March 7 (2^nd Inf, Fifth Division, Army).

After the Battle

The Mortuary Affairs service of the Quarter Master Corp was tasked with the retrieval, identification, transportation, and burial of deceased American and American-allied military personnel during and after WWII. Records indicated that John was killed near Schwarzenborn sometime between March 5-7, 1945 while serving with a medical battalion of General Patton’s Third Army. It had been a terrible battle, the Army detail that retrieved those killed in action was unable to identify John’s remains, except for his completely burned and sealed shut wallet, which contained a Medical Department Identification card No 398836. The card was made out to John L Knisley APO of the 5^th Division and a 5^th Division patch was found on an overcoat within a foot of his body (US Headstone Applications, Find a Grave, Ada Weekly News, Roster of Dead, Watonga Republican).

Ross Knisley and his wife, Julia, received official notice of John’s death in a telegram (Watonga Republican). The telegram stated that he had been killed in action while serving with a medical battalion of General Patton’s Third Army (Watonga Republican). John Leslie Knisley was buried in Hamm Luxembourg, shortly after his death (IDPF).

Returning Home

Several years later, families of fallen soldiers were given the option of bring back the bodies of those that died in the war theater (US Army, IDPF). Ross Knisley requested that John’s remains be brought back to the US in the fall of 1948.

After John’s body was disinterred in Luxembourg, it was shipped to New York then sent by train to Kansas City, where the Quarter Master sent word to Keller Funeral Home of the date and time the remains would arrive in Okeene , Oklahoma (US Army, IDPF). John’s body was accompanied by military escort from Kansas City to Watonga, Oklahoma (US Army, IDPF). The Keller Funeral Home in Watonga, OK received John’s remains for burial on 16 September 1948. He was brought home and was interred at the IOOF Cemetery in Watonga, Oklahoma (Daily Oklahoman).

The Purple Heart Medal

The Purple Heart medal is awarded to members of the armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy and posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who were are killed in action or die of wounds received in action. Before his death, John rose to a Tec-4 and was posthumously awarded the purple heart for his service (US Headstone Applications, US Army IDPF). John was one of 23 men from Blaine County that were killed in action in WWII (Roster of WWII Dead).

References

1920 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Dixon, Blaine, Oklahoma; Roll: T625_1453; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 11.
1930 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Elk City, Beckham, Oklahoma; Roll: 1893; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 0008; Image: 761.0; FHL microfilm: 2341627.
1940 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Watonga, Blaine, Oklahoma; Roll: m-t0627-03277; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 6-27A.
Ada Weekly News, Ada and Area Men Listed among Army Wounded in Action, 12 April 1945, pg 6.
The Daily Oklahoman, T-4 John L Knisley Reburial Services, 1948, 21 Sep 1948, page 29, accessed on October 29, 2020, newpapers.com.
“Find A Grave Index,” database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVGG-GVX4 : 2 July 2020), John L. Knisley, 1945; Burial, , ; citing record ID , Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
National Archives and Records Administration. National Personnel Records Center, correspondence requesting military records for John Leslie Knisley dated 16 Aug 2018.
Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2FF-X4VW : 17 March 2018), Leslie Knisley, 1926; citing School enrollment, Elk City, Beckham, Oklahoma, United States, multiple County Clerk offices, Oklahoma school district offices, Oklahoma; FHL microfilm 2,418,868.
Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2FD-L293 : 16 March 2018), Lesley Knisley, 1927; citing School enrollment, Elk City, Beckham, Oklahoma, United States, multiple County Clerk offices, Oklahoma school district offices, Oklahoma; FHL microfilm 2,418,696.
Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2LJ-N3MP : 10 April 2018), Leslie Knisley, 1929; citing School enrollment, Elk City, Beckham, Oklahoma, United States, multiple County Clerk offices, Oklahoma school district offices, Oklahoma; FHL microfilm 2,419,712.
Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2LJ-YB2L : 10 April 2018), Leslie Knisley, 1930; citing School enrollment, Elk City, Beckham, Oklahoma, United States, multiple County Clerk offices, Oklahoma school district offices, Oklahoma; FHL microfilm 2,419,713.
Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLBQ-Y6QJ : 17 September 2019), Lesley Knisley, 1932; citing School Enrollment, Watonga, Blaine, Oklahoma, United States, multiple County Clerk offices, Oklahoma school district offices, Oklahoma; FHL microfilm .
Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSMS-XWLR-Q?cc=1926701&wc=Q6RQ-SY8%3A1590389968%2C1590392535 : 17 September 2019), Blaine > School census, District 1-JT, 144, 1934 > image 770 of 2366; multiple County Clerk offices, Oklahoma school district offices, Oklahoma.
Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSMS-X7H6-7?cc=1926701&wc=Q6RQ-SY7%3A1590389968%2C1590392527 : 17 September 2019), Blaine > School census, District 1-JT, 144, 1935 > image 829 of 2389; multiple County Clerk offices, Oklahoma school district offices, Oklahoma.
Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGP2-VMCD : 17 September 2019), Leslie Knisley, 1936; citing School Enrollment, Watonga, Blaine, Oklahoma, United States, multiple County Clerk offices, Oklahoma school district offices, Oklahoma; FHL microfilm .
Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSMS-F425-J?cc=1926701&wc=Q6RQ-SBQ%3A1590389968%2C1590392517 : 17 September 2019), Blaine > School census, District 1-144, 1937 > image 1852 of 2011; multiple County Clerk offices, Oklahoma school district offices, Oklahoma.
Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: United States. Army. Quartermaster General’s Office. Rosters of World War II Dead (all services). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Army.
Second Infantry Regiment, Fifth Infantry Division, available at: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Second_Infantry_Regiment_Fifth_Infantry/lxfpAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Second+Infantry+Regiment,+fifth+Infantry+Division+WWII&printsec=frontcover.
US Army, World War II Army Enlistment Records, Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File 4, 1938-1947; National Archives and Records Administration, accessed on 06 Nov 2020, available at: https://aad.archives.gov/aad/.
US Department of Army, correspondence dated 19 Oct 2017 and 02 May 2019 regarding request for Freedom of Information Request for Individual Deceased Personnel File for John Leslie Knisley.
US, Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, US. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963, [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012, record for John L Knisley. Original data: Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, Record Group 92. National Archives at Washington, D.C.
US Army. Declassified Individual Deceased Personnel File for John L Knisley, 38020538, European Area.
Watonga Republican, Watonga, Blaine County, OK, 4 Apr 1945, death notice, pg.1.
Wikipedia, article on Schwarzenborn, Germany, available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarzenborn,_Hesse
World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947; The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Oklahoma, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 282.