Sergeant Joseph 'Joe' Z. Pritchett, Jr. (photo added)

Serviceman Headstone thumbnail image Serviceman thumbnail gravemarker Serviceman thumbnail
Rank Sergeant
Forenames Joseph 'Joe' Z.
Surname Pritchett, Jr. (photo added)
Initials J Z
Place of Birth TUCKER, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Date of Birth Friday, 02 February 1917
Date of Death Sunday, 25 June 1944
Age 27
Nationality American
Residence or Entered Service From GEORGIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Service Number 6930156
Force United States Army
Service/Corps/Regiment 531st Engineer Shore Regiment, 1st Engineer Special Brigade, VII Corps
Unit / Ship / Battalion / Squadron 531st Engineer Shore Regiment, 1st Engineer Special Brigade
Military Honours and Awards PURPLE HEART, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL (with 3 BRONZE SERVICE STARS & 1 ARROW HEAD), WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL, HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON WWII
Place of Burial/Commemoration MARIETTA NATIONAL CEMETERY
Roll of honour
Grave/Memorial Location Section P, Site 1020-P
Previous Place(s) of Burial SAINTE MÈRE ÉGLISE AMERICAN TEMPORARY CEMETERY No.2 & The First Baptist Church in Tucker, Georgia, United States of America
Epitaph NO EPITAPH
Family Details HUSBAND OF SARAH ALINE PRITCHETT, FATHER OF SHERON PRITCHETT.

Additional Information


Young Joe Pritchett Jr. 1920s

 

Joe and his wife Sarah Aline in 1942
(Sarah was known by her middle name Aline).

 

Joe and his daughter Sheron in 1943.

 

Left: one of the last photographs of Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr..
Right: Photograph from his unit book, when with 87th Engineer Battalion.

 

Company B, 87th Engineer Battalion book.

 

Company I, 3rd Battalion, 531st Engineer Shore Regiment Report 26th July 1943.

 

Secret Unit Journal for 531st Engineer Shore Regiment,
recording the death of Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett, Jr on 25th June 1944.

 

Telegram addressed to to Sarah Pritchett, announcing the death of her husband Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett..
Received in Georgia USA AT 3.07pm, 20th July 1944.

 

Letter from War Department, to Joe's widow, dated 3 days after she received the telegram with the tragic news of the death of her husband Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr..

 

Letter dated 31st July 1944, to Mrs Pritchett from the Veterans Service Office.

 

Report of Death from War Department, dated 11th August 1944.

 

Newspaper clippings provided by local newspaper.

 

Newspaper Obituary 1944.

 

Newspaper Obituary 1944.

 

Letter written on 17th August 1944, from 2nd Lieutenant John S. Hamilton 531st Engineer Shore Regiment.
In reply to letter written on 7th August 1944 by Mrs Young, on behalf of Joe's widow,
enquiring about the circumstances of his death.

 

Second letter, dated 4th September 1944, to Lieutenant John S. Hamilton,
from Mrs H. Young, Aunt of Joe Pritchett.

 

Letter dated 26th September 1944, to Sarah Pritchett, from The War Department,
announcing the postumous award of the Purple Heart to Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr.

 

Letter to Sarah A. Pritchett, dated 12th October 1944, form Colonel Eugene M. Caffrey,
announcing the dedication and naming of a road in Normandy
to her late husband Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr.

 

Only known photograph of the first, and original, road memorial marker for Pritchett Road taken in 1944.

 

Memorial Service sheet dedicated to Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr., that was conducted on
Monday 26th November 1944,in his home town church,
The First Baptist Church, in Tucker, Georgia United States of America.

 

Photograph of Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr.  and his Purple Heart on display at his memorial service.

 

The first headstone for Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr. at his first resting place in the United States of America,
when his body was brought home in 1949,
at The First Baptist Church, in Tucker, Georgia.

 

 

Plan Map of Marietta National Cemetery,
500 Washington Avenue, Marietta, Georgia 30060, United States of America.

 

The final resting place and headstone, since 1992,
in Marietta National Cemetery.
Section P. Site 1020-P.

 

Brother Lou Pritchett at the former burial site at, and memorial marker for,
Sainte Mére Èglise Temporary American Cemetery No.2. in 1991.

 

Brother Lou Pritchett at Pritchett Road marker No.1 on the D423, Pritchett Road,
in Saint-Martin-de-Varaville near UTAH Beach, Normandy, France in 1991.

 

 

Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr.'s nephew Dr Bradley Pritchett and brother Lou Pritchett.
At Memorial Road marker No.1 on the D423, Pritchett Road,
in Saint-Martin-de-Varaville near UTAH Beach, Normandy, France in 1991.

 

Nephew Dr Bradley Pritchett at Pritchett Road marker No.2
located along the D423, near UTAH Beach, Normandy, France in 1991.

 

Pritchett Road marker No.2
located along the D423, near UTAH Beach, Normandy, France in 1991.

 

Brother Lou Pritchett at the Memorial to 1st Engineer Special Brigade in 1991.

 

 

Newspaper clipping about Lou Pritchett's pilgrimage to Normandy
to pay his respects to his fallen brother Joe
during the 50th Anniversay Commemorations in 1994.

 

Photograph of the building of the Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr. Chapter
of the American Legion in Tucker, Georgia. Joe's home town.

 

Newspaper clipping relating to the Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr. Chapter
of the American Legion.

 

Photographs of Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett and his memorial road marker
in the building for the Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr. Chapter
of the American Legion in Tucker, Georgia.

 

Barbara Pritchett and husband Lou Pritchett,
at the Memorial to 1st Engineer Special Brigade in 1994.

 

Pritchett Road marker No.1 on the D423, Pritchett Road,
in Saint-Martin-de-Varaville near UTAH Beach, Normandy, France in 1994.

 

Barbara Pritchett and husband Lou Pritchett at Pritchett Road marker No.2
located along the D423, near UTAH Beach, Normandy, France in 1994.

 

Lou Pritchett and the Mayor of Caen, Normandy, France after receiving a postumous 50th Anniversay medal
for his brother Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr., in June 1994.

 

Official Medal entitlement records for Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr..

 

Medals for Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr..

 

UTAH Beach Museum 2011.

 

Exhibit inside the UTAH Beach Museum about the 1st Engineer Special Brigade Memorial
and the memorial road markers inland from UTAH Beach.

 

Exhibit inside the UTAH Beach Museum about the 1st Engineer Special Brigade Memorial
and the memorial road markers inland from UTAH Beach.
With information about Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett being shown as one example
of some 43 roads named after men lost from the 1st Engineer Special Brigade.

 

1st Engineer Special Brigade Memorial and Memorial Bunker, UTAH Beach.

 

1st Engineer Special Brigade Memorial and Memorial Bunker, UTAH Beach.

 

Inside the Memorial Bunker, UTAH Beach.

 

Sergeant Joseph Z. Pritchett Jr.'s name inside the Memorial Bunker at UTAH Beach.

 

Pritchett Road marker No.1 on the D423, Pritchett Road,in Saint-Martin-de-Varaville
and Pritchett Road marker No.2 along the D423 near UTAH Beach, Normandy, France in 1999.

 

Pritchett Road marker No.1 on the D423, Pritchett Road,in Saint-Martin-de-Varaville
and Pritchett Road marker No.2 along the D423 near UTAH Beach, Normandy, France in 2010.

 

Fellow serviceman Lou Pritchett, paying his respects to his brother, Joe Pritchett
at the Memorial Road marker on Pritchett Road,
inland from UTAH Beach, Normandy, France.

 

 

A personal memorial to his brother Joe, created by Lou Pritchett.
 
 
References
 
   
Acknowledgements and Credits
Source of original data: American Battle Monuments Commission
Headstone photograph: Lou Pritchett
Grave marker photograph: Lou Pritchett
Individual photograph: Lou Pritchett
Additional photographs provided by: Lou Pritchett & Carl Shilleto
Additional information provided by: Lou Pritchett

 

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