Lawrence Grady Hensley Jr. was born on 16 October 1920, the son of Lawrence Grady Hensley Sr. and Aggie Lee Hensley. He married Gwendolyn “Gwyn” Sue Tidwell in North Carolina on 4 February 1943. 2nd Lt Hensley died of wounds in Normandy. He was returned from Ste-Mère-Eglise No. 1, Carentan, France. Buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery, Y, 438.
Lt. Hensley was reported wounded in action in France on June 23, according to word received by his wife from the War Department. He had been overseas since September, 1943, with a paratrooper division, and participated in the invasion of France on D-Day, according to his family. He attended Chattanooga High School and the University of Chattanooga. He was in the National Guard before entering the army in 1940. He received his training at Fort Benning, Ga., and attended officer candidate school at Fort Sill, Okla.
377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, Headquarters Battery
The Chattanooga Daily Times, 4 October 1944
Lt. Hensley was the son of Mr. and Mrs. L.G. Hensley Sr. of Hickory Street, Chattanooga. He had attended the University of Chattanooga before enlisting. Mrs. Hensley Jr., formerly Miss Gwyn Tidwell of Tracy City, Tenn., has been residing with her aunt, Mrs. Von Davis, Winchester. The young widow has a brother, F1C Travis Tidwell, who is with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific.
- Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Date of birth: 16 October 1920
- Date of death: 24 June 1944
- County: Hamilton
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, 101st Airborne Division
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Battles: Normandy Campaign
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Chattanooga National Cemetery, Chattanooga, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar X, Bottom Panel
- Contact us to sponsor L. G. Hensley Jr.
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