Albert Dale Cunningham -- World War II Casualty

 

Albert Dale Cunningham

Albert Dale Cunningham was born on August 30, 1925 in Trigg County, Kentucky the second of six children of George Clyde Cunningham and Robbie Bell Bridges Cunningham. , His father was a farmer and a native of Trigg County, Kentucky, who died in a tragic tractor accident in 1973.  His mother was also a native of Trigg County and was a homemaker.  His siblings were Aubrey Hershell, born in 1923; Alfred Leslie, born in 1927; Dolly Mae, born in 1930, Martha Rhea, born in 1934 and Mava Dale, born in 1946.

Albert grew up on Beechy Fork Creek in the Maple Grove Community of Trigg County.  He attended school at the Lower Donaldson School and the Maple Grove School.

Albert reached the age of 18 during the height of World War II.  On November 15, 1943 he entered the US Army and was sent to Camp Blanding near Starke, Florida for his basic training. Following his basic training he was given a furlough from March 28, 1944 to April 7, 1944 before being sent to Fort Meade, Maryland where in May 1944, he was shipped overseas.

On May 18, 1944 he landed in Naples, Italy where he was assigned to the Company G, 143rd Infantry Regiment,  36th Infantry Division, which was part of the US 5th Army under the command of General Mark Clark.  The 36th was the Texas Division and the men of the 36ths were known as “T+Patchers” because their insignia was made up of an arrowhead with a capital T in the middle.  Albert’s job was an assistant gunner on an 81 mm mortar.

During the summer of 1944 Albert fought with his unit in numerous locations across Italy and Southern France.  He had been promoted to private first class.  Several of his letters home during that summer were of such interest that they were published in the local Cadiz Record newspaper. 

During the late fall, his unit was involved in a battle fighting the German 19th Army in an effort to hold the Vosges Mountain passes in France when Albert was killed in action on November 28, 1944 while crossing the Moselle River.  Albert, age 19, was buried with full military honors in the Epinal American Cemetery near the village of Dinoze, France.  The cemetery was on a plateau 100 feet above the Moselle River in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains.

In April 1948, Albert’s body was brought home to the United States with his final resting place being the Allen-Cunningham Cemetery in Trigg County.  Again, he received full military honors at his burial.  A special tribute was given in October 1991 to the memory of Albert Dale Cunningham during the dedication of the historical marker for Lower Donaldson School when he was recognized as the only student from the school to pay the supreme sacrifice in military service.

Albert Dale Cunningham tombstone

Epinal American Cemetery, France

LINEAGE: (Albert Dale Cunningham was the son of George Clyde and Robbie Bell Bridges Cunningham and the grandson of Elmer Elsworth “Ell” and Rosa Lee Bridges Cunningham.  Rosa Lee was the seventh child of Cullen T. and Martha Virginia Thomas Bridges.  Cullen was the twelfth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.  Robbie Bell was the second child of Drew Manley and Lena Mae Guier Bridges.  Drew was the seventh child of Starkie T. and Elizabeth Lawrence Bridges.  Starkie was the second child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Mary Cohoon Bridges.)