U.S. Army
35th Infantry Division, 137th Infantry Regiment
PFC Elmer C. Trepanier 37302042
Killed In Action - July 11th 1944, Normandy France
Buried: Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN
Grave marker, above photo.
Temporary graves were marked with a simple wooden cross with an identification plate attached to the
center. Once a permanent stone marker could be erected, the original wooden cross would be removed
and destroyed by incineration. This grave plate was found in France at the site of the temporary marker
destruction area. The serial number on this plate is marked as 37302042. The name stamped on this
plate is Elmer C Trepanter, while the National Archives of the United States shows the last name spelled
Trepanier.
HISTORY OF ELMER C TREPANIER

Elmer C Trepanier was born on June 7th 1921 and hailed from Beltrami County, MN. He was
Killed-in-Action (KIA) on July 11th 1944 while serving in Normandy, France.
He was 23 years old at the time of his death.
PFC Trepanier was buried on 24 July 1944 at St. Laurent Cemetery, #1 Plot U-01-012.
(Weekly Burial Report (WBR) 99.103 Burial Line 2045)

PFC Trepanier was one of the first men killed from the 137th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division.
(Report of Action Against the Enemy, 137th Infantry July 1 to July 31, 1944)


Elmer C Trepanier was interred on August 2nd 1948 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis,
Hennepin Co., MN, Section C-1 Section 0 Site 7440. He rests there to this day.
Grave markers Normandy American Cemetery Colleville-sur-Mer, France, above photo.
Temporary graves were marked with a simple wooden cross with an identification plate attached to the
center as shown in the above photo. This photo was taken behind Omaha Beach in 1951 by Life
Magazine, 6 years after World War Two at what is now known as the Normandy American Cemetery
Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Permanent stone markers were added several years later.