By Deborah Larsen
Wilfred Christie Norton
Wilfred Christie Norton was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 30, 1922, the son of James and Ruth Wallace Norton. The Norton family lived in Troy Township, but Wilfred was employed at National Twist Drill & Tool Company in Avon Township.
Wilfred entered the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 328th Engineer Combat Battalion of the 103rd Infantry Division. His unit fought through France after the Allied landing, and Wilfred was killed in action on November 28, 1944, in heavy combat in the vicinity of Maisongoutte, France. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Wilfred Christie Norton died at age 22 on November 28, 1944, and was laid to rest at Épinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Épinal, France.