Elwood Preston Minnick was born in North Fork, Virginia, but called Johnson City, Tennessee home. He enlisted from Washington County, Tennessee on 4 August 1943 in Abingdon, Virginia. Elwood was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 314th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division.
Elwood participated in three unit campaigns; Normandy, Northern France and the Rhineland. He was killed in action while engaging the enemy at Foret de Parroy, France on 4 October 1944.
He was 25 years old and the son of Conley Edgar Minnick and Maude Frances Woodward. He was married to Rubye Nell Watts. Elwood’s brothers: Charles Minnick and Sylvester Minnick both served in the US Army during World War II.
The Johnson City Press, 29 October 1944
Sgt. Elwood Preston Minnick, 25, former assistant manager of Powell’s, Inc., here was killed in infantry action in France October 4, the War Department has notified his wife, Mrs. Rubye Nelle Minnick of 815 Earnest street. Sergeant Minnick had been in service about one year. Surviving besides his widow are his father of Abingdon, Va.; five brothers, Charles en Sylvester, both of the U.S. Army, Carl, Yoakley and J.W. Minnick, all of Abingdon, and two sister Bonnie of 815 Earnest street and Jeanette Minnick of Abingdon.
- Rank: Sergeant
- Date of birth: 9 March 1919
- Date of death: 4 October 1944
- County: Washington
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 314th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Knollkreg Memorial Cemetery, Abingdon, VA
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XIX, Middle Panel
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