PFC James E. Hutchens died on December 24, 1944. Earlier, on August 8th of the same year, he married Lois Marie Lindberg.

Lois passed this year on March 1 and while going through her belongings, we found pictures of James and mom along with their marriage certificate. We also found the locket (shown in the photograph published on this website) worn by my mother.

This year, December 24, on the 70th anniversary of this tragedy, we will be visiting Cherbourg, France to commemorate the death of James and that of my mother by spreading her ashes near the site. We will also be visiting the Wall of the Missing in Normandy shortly thereafter.

We only know James through the memorabilia left by our mother, and now, we know so much more of the tragic events due to the efforts by Allan Andrade and now this website. I can’t thank Allan enough for his writings and the knowledge he has shared with me and our family.