US Army PFC Hollis Wade Wearren was born in Bratt, Escambia County, Florida on December 6, 1924, the son of Julius Oscar Wearren (1894-1960) and Lennie Lee Miles (1896-1975). His father supported his family as a farmer all his life and due to the Great Depression had become one for President Franklin Roosevelt's WPA program (Work Projects Administration). Upon reaching manhood, Hollis would follow in his father's footsteps and tried his hand at farming as well.
Following Pearl Harbor, America was at war on two fronts with priority given to the war in Europe. As more and more men were needed, Hollis enlisted on June 24, 1943, and was sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for processing. Following the completion of his basic training he was assigned to the 137th Infantry Regiment of the 35th Infantry Division.
He joined his regiment while they were stationed at Camp Forrest, Tennessee where they were preparing for their eventual deployment overseas to Europe. When all was ready, they embarked on their transports and sailed for England, arriving on May 25, 1944. Although, not scheduled for the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, they were sent into the frontlines in Normandy on July 8th. There, Hollis and his regiment took part in the Battle of Saint-Lô, a battle renowned for its intensity and high casualties. The regiment launched their attack on the morning of July 11th as their casualties immediately began to rise. By July 13th, they experienced the heaviest casualties of the campaign as they drove the Germans backwards.
Then on Friday, July 14th, the regiment launched another three-battalion attack at 0800 hours, whereas each battalion ran into heavy minefields as well as concentration enemy artillery fire. That fight that day cost the regiment seventeen killed of which Private Hollis Wearren was one of them. His family was notified by the War Department while he was buried in a military cemetery. In February 1948, his family had his remains disinterred and transported home on the SS Corporal Eric G. Gibson army transport and delivered to the Brooklyn Army Base for processing. Upon completion, his remains were transferred to Atmore, Alabama and buried in the Sardis Cemetery in the small farming community of Wawbeek.
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