John, L, FLORANT was born on the 14th of june 1922 from Guido FIORAVANTI that anglicized his name and Surname as William FLORANT when he immigrated to USA from Italy in 1914. and His mother was Martha Dawson Kreps . He had a brother that also served during the war.
He married Ernestine Frances ODOM and got a little girl Mary LIndsay that was aged of 14 months when he was killed.
"Johnny" as he was called was inducted into the military service and entered active duty the 20 of june 1941 at camp Blanding, Florida but he volontered for airborne troops and was sent to Camp Mackall then Fort benning for parachute training. Because he had eyes problem and have to wear glasses he was discharged from paratroops and attached to glider troop. He joined at that time the 550th gliderborne infantry battalion under command of Colonel Edward SACHS.
He left United Stades with his outfit on the 21st of april 1944 to Italy. On the begining of august have he was sent to military air base near Roma to prepare the second D day, the insasion of Southern France name coded "Operation Dragoon. .
He left in a CG-4A Waco glider from a airbase named Follonica on serial 17 at about 15.15. The landing zone designated LZ"O" were vigneyards in the nartuby river valley.
Few hours after he touch the ground he have been killed in action on the 15th of august in a landing field East of the village of La Motte Southern France.
Here is the newspaper article from spetember 4th 1944 : PVT. JOHN FLORANT
KILLED IN FRANCE
Pvt. John L. Florant, 22, of Philadelphia, Pa., who was serving with an airborne infantry division overseas, died of injuries received in action in southern France on August 15, according to a message from the War department received Friday by his wife, Mrs. Ernestine Odom of Lumberton, formerly of St. Pauls.
Pvt. Florant had been overseas since last April, serving in Sicily and Italy, and had received his boots and wings as a paratrooper in Sicily. He received his training at Fort Benning, Ga., where he attended cooks and bakers school, at Fort Bragg and the Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air base, where he was attached in glider infantry, and in South Dakota. He entered service 3 years ago.
It was one of Pvt. Florant's hopes that he might be able to visit his paternal grandparents who live in Italy and whom he had never seen; but he had not been able to do so at the time of his death.
John FLORANT is burried at the American Rhone cemetery in Draguignan southern France, on Plot D, row 2, grave 21.
thankyou so much to his Grand son Scott for his help to perpetuate his memory.
