Sergeant Carl N. Riggs

 

Carl N Riggs was born on August 17th, 1920 in Arkansas. His parents were William F Riggs and Katie K Kizer Riggs. He had a sister called Kathren Milfred Riggs.

Carl Riggs would join E Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

He would die on June 6th, 1944 during the night of D-Day.

He was in a C-47 N ° 66. The plane was shot down by the German flak. During some minutes, the plane stayed as it was flying before going down the ground. It then crashed over a hedge close to Ste Mère Eglise. The plane burned during 3 days, the freed up heat prevented whoever from coming close. Then, they dug the site and only found still closed belts of parachutes which proved that no one had time to escape, they also found crickets, a ring and a watch with needles stuck at 01:12 time and "dog-tags". Among the rubble, they found a flattened helmet due to the crash.

The leftovers would be buried in a cemetery of Ste Mère Eglise.

Afterwards, his corpse would be brought home on March 27th, 1951 to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, in St Louis, Missouri.