Corporal Billie Wade Rayburn was born on June 24, 1925 in Jay, Florida and was raised by his grandparents William Franklin Rayburn and Mary Warren. His grandfather supported the family as a farmer in the Jay area. After finishing three years of high school, Billie registered for the draft in October 1943 and entered the Army a month later of the 18th of November. After his basic training, he was assigned to the 157th Infantry Regiment attached to the 45th Infantry Division. He joined his regiment prior to their landing on the beaches of Côte d'Azur in southern France.
Under the cover of a large naval task force, they went ashore on August 15, 1944 where they faced negligible resistance from the Germans. Most of the German forces had been pulled north to stop the D-Day landings in Normandy. Because of this, it became a footrace to keep up with the German Army running towards their own border. The regiment pushed up the Valley of Rhone, meeting stiff resistance here and there, but advancing rapidly. After a short respite, Billie and his regiment were ordered to attack Belfort Gap, France.
Here, the fighting became sharper as the enemy forces began approaching the German national border. On October 25, 1944, the regiment became involved in a vicious bayonet fight in the woods near Housseras, France. It was in this area that Corporal Billie Wade Rayburn, from the small farming community of Jay, Florida was killed on October 31, 1944. Even after his death, the regiment faced horrific fighting against strong resistance and horrible weather until they were pulled off the front line on November 8, 1944. Billie was buried in the American War Cemetery until after the war when his body was sent home to his family in 1948. He was buried alongside his family in the Jay Cemetery where he still rest in peace today.
157th Regiment fighting in France
Pensacola News Journal 2-4-1944
Corporal Billie Wade Rayburn, Jay Cemetery, Jay, Florida