John Cleveland Greenway

Private First Class John Cleveland Greenway was killed in action on October 12, 1944 in Lorraine, France during World War II.  He was 27 years old.

John Cleveland Greenway was born on January 25, 1917 in Vance County, North Carolina, the son of Charlie Cleveland Greenway and Ruth Boyd Greenway.  He attended Dabney Elementary School.  He was engaged in farming at the time of his induction into the U.S. Army in July 1942. He was married to Josephine Ayscue Greenway.

PFC Greenway trained at Camp Forrest, Tennessee; Camp Phillips, Kansas; and Fort Dix, New Jersey.  He was deployed to the European Theater of War on July 1, 1944 serving in the 319th Infantry, 80th Division. 

The division landed in Scotland, and after a month of training and organization,  crossed the English Channel in LSTs and Liberty Ships, with initial troops landing on Utah Beach at Transit Area “B” shortly after noon on August 2, 1944.

August 8th,  the 80th was given its first combat mission: to assist in stemming the powerful armored counter-attack by five panzer divisions which desperately sought to cut Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's tenuous supply line at Avranches. The Division then swept eastward to seize Evron and Ste. Suzanne from the rapidly retreating Germans. The 319th Combat Team was detached from the division Aug. 10 to 28 while it did outpost duty at Le Mans, Angers and Orleans.

Hard on the heels of still retreating Germans, the 317th and 318th Regts., followed by the recently returned 319th, crossed the Meuse River and seized Commercy on September 1. The advance to the heavily fortified Moselle River began immediately after the liberation of Commercy and St. Mihiel. Third Bn., 319th Inf. reached the bank of the Moselle River north of Toul on September 4. On the opposite side of the river, elite Nazi paratroopers were preparing defenses. Infantry loaded on engineer rubber floats at a concealed location on a small stream that runs into the Moselle River. So swiftly and unexpectedly was this assembly completed that one entire company in the first wave slipped down the stream, crossed the river and hit the other side before the enemy was aware of impending disaster.  Third Army's spearhead had hurdled the Moselle without a shot being fired! By next day the battalion, with jeeps, ambulances, trucks, ammunition and rations had crossed by floats, two power-driven ferries and over a partially repaired bridge. The first bridgehead across the Moselle River was firmly established.

Fighting their way step by step under continual harassing fire of small arms, mortars and artillery, the 319th captured two anchors of the enemy line, Fort de Villey le Sec and Fort de Gondreville. Later they cleared the Foret de Haye and were advancing on Nancy when they were ordered to rejoin the 80th where they broke German counterattacks against positions of the 317th and 318th.

Preparations then were then made for a coordinated attack, October 8, on Mt. Toulon, Mt. St. Jean and high ground overlooking the Seille River near Benicourt, Clemery and Manoncourt-sur-Seille. A thunderous bombardment on hostile positions by heavy weapons paved the way for the infantry's advance. The 319th Inf. Regt. raced ahead and seized commanding ground on Mt. Toulon in less than an hour.

From October 10 to November 7, 1944, the 80th Div. held defensive positions west of the Seille River while waiting for fuel and other supplies and prepared for the great Third Army sweep into the industrially vital Saar Basin.  PFC Greenway was killed in action on October 12, 1944.

Private First Class John Cleveland Greenway is buried in the Poplar Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Vance County, North Carolina. 

Last edited: 28 April 2026