Truman Kimbro
Madisonville, Madison County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1918-1944) Madison County native Truman Kimbro was born in Cottonwood (6 mi. W), and attended school in nearby Center. Drafted into the army in December 1941, he arrived in Europe in October 1943 with the 2nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was among the allied forces that landed on Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944. Killed in December 1944 while placing anti-tank mines before advancing German troops, Kimbro was post-humously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He is buried in the U. S. Military Cemetery near Henri-Chapelle, Belgium.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in the tiny Madison County community of Cottonwood in 1918, Truman Kimbro was drafted in 1941 and shipped to Europe with the 2nd Engineer Battalion, landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day. In December 1944 he was killed while laying anti-tank mines directly in the path of advancing German troops — a final act of courage that earned him the Medal of Honor. He rests in the American military cemetery at Henri-Chapelle, Belgium.
Why it matters
Kimbro was among a small number of African American soldiers of World War II whose valor was ultimately recognized with the nation's highest military honor.
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Related people
- · Truman Kimbro
Related events
- · Normandy Invasion (D-Day)
Themes & tags
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