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

Pfc Anthony Halvangis

Company E - 320th Infantry Regiment

Anthony Halvangis was born February 17, 1924 in Detroit, Michigan. He registered for the draft June 24, 1942 and was inducted into the Army July 24, 1943. He entered active service August 14, 1943 at Fort Custer, Michigan and at some point after basic training he joined Company E, 320th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division as a Rifleman. He departed the Port of New York for the ETO May 12, 1944 aboard the troop ship SS Edmund B Alexander and arrived at Liverpool, England on May 27, 1944. After disembarking, he traveled to southern England and was billeted at the Topsham Barracks, near Exeter. A little over a month after arriving in England, Company E, 320th Infantry Regiment sailed across the English Channel and landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France at 5:45 PM July 6, 1944.

The 320th Infantry Regiment entered battle positions on July 9, 1944, relieving elements of the 29th and 30th Infantry Divisions in the vicinity of La Meauffe, a small village about 6 miles north of St Lo, France. The Regiment suffered its first battle casualties that day. The battle for St Lo was the first major battle fought by the 35th Infantry Division in WWII. Before the city was liberated on July 19, 1944, the 35th Infantry Division suffered more than 400 battle deaths, including 84 men from the 320th Infantry Regiment.

After the battle for St. Lo, Morning Reports show that Pvt Halvangis was "lost to hospital" on July 23, 1944 and treated for illness. After recuperating, he was transferred from the 320 Infantry Regiment to an MP unit as a Military Policeman where he did escort and guard duty on convoys, mail trains, rations and supplies, and Prisoner of War trains, investigating and reporting railway freight thefts. After the war's end, he departed the ETO December 19 and arrived in the U.S. December 31, 1945. He was discharged from the Army January 6, 1946 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. His awards include a Sharpshooter - Rifleman Badge; EAME Theater Ribbon with 3 Bronze Stars (Normandy, Rhineland, Central Europe); a Good Conduct Ribbon; and Victory Medal.

Pfc Anthony Halvangis passed away December 17, 1974. He is buried at Glen Eden Memorial Park, Livonia, Michigan.

Thanks to Ryan Karr for these pictures. He is the nephew of Anthony Halvangis.