134th Infantry Regiment Website "All Hell Can't Stop Us"

Pvt  James L Janis

134th Infantry Regiment - Company A

James L Janis, also known as Lawrence Janis, was born at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Porcupine, South Dakota on April 2, 1915. He was the son of James Janis and Lucy Cottier. James L. Janis was enrolled with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and assigned an enrollment number of OS-7964. He married Ethel Red Owl circa 1940 and the couple had a daughter, Thelma Pourier Janis. James was inducted into military service on November 19, 1943 at Fort Crook, Nebraska and he transferred to the Enlisted Reserve Corps on the same date. James reported for active duty at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on December 10, 1943 and left the United States for foreign service on January 1, 1945.

He joined Company A, 134th Infantry Regiment at Marvie, Belgium as a Rifleman from the 83rd Replacement Battalion on January 17, 1945. Originally reported missing, it was later confirmed that he had been killed in action by small arms fire at Fischbach, Luxembourg on January 25, 1945. He was 29 years old at the time of his death. Pvt James L Janis was originally buried at the U.S. Military Cemetery at Hamm, Luxembourg. After the war, he was returned to South Dakota and on June 26, 1949 he was interred at Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, South Dakota. James L. Janis will not be forgotten by the ones who loved him.

Thanks to Alsie LeBeau for this picture and biography. He is Pvt Janis' great-grandson