2Lt. John W. Schnepp, 25, of 33 Haverford Avenue, Runnemede NJ, was killed in action on August 5, 1944 in a pit near Huelgoat, France during the liberation of the port city of Brest. The son of Mr. and Mrs. John A. Schnepp, he was a graduate of Audubon (NJ) High School, and had worked for Curtis Publishing Company before entering the Army in April 1942. He had gone overseas in February of 1945.

The battle took place on Aug. 5, 1944, as the lead tanks of the 6th Armored Division rolled through the wooded countryside to Heulgoat, a village of 2,000 people. The tanks ran into minefields, stalled and came under German rocket and artillery attack. Eight men were killed, mostly by machine-gun and sniper fire as they fled their disabled tanks.
''We thought it was just going to be a skirmish,'' said Mike Pappas, a sergeant who survived. ''We lost eight good boys that day, and three tanks destroyed.''

The Heulgoat GIs are: Pvt. Ewell B. Bennett of LaGrange, Ky.; 2nd Lt. James L. Durden of Montgomery County, Ga.; 2nd Lt. John W. Schnepp, hometown unknown, of New Jersey; 1st Lt. Herbert Wieder and Cpl. Santo DeNunziato of Brooklyn, New York City; Cpl. Fred K. Blaylock of Beulaville, N.C.; Sgt. John H. Seidenburg of Philadelphia, and Sgt. Charles Bair of Punxsutawney, Pa.

See also story Liberation Huelgoat August 5, 1944

John W. Schnepp

Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army

15th Tank Battalion, 6th Armored Division

Entered the Service From: New Jersey

Service #: O1013655

Date of Death: August 05, 1944