FRANCIS HENRY DOHERTY was born on June 22, 1915, in Malone, Franklin County, New York. He was the eighth of nine children of John Henry Doherty and Caroline McCaffrey Doherty, and the great grandson of early nineteenth century northern New York settlers and Irish immigrants Hugh Doherty and Bridget Meighan Doherty.

Bud, as he was nicknamed, attended Franklin Academy in Malone, and subsequently pursued a Depression-era career as a meat cutter, working in local food stores, and in his older brother Edward's business. He later became affiliated with the Grand Union Tea Company. In 1937, he married Edith Tupper, and on June 1, 1938, became the proud father of his first and only child, Edward.

He reported for his Selective Service physical examination on December 3, 1943, was ordered to report for induction on January 18, 1944, and reported for active duty on February 8, 1944. After training at Camp Blanding, Florida, and a short furlough home, he shipped out to the European Theater of War on July 23, 1944; arriving in Italy and then proceeding to Marseilles, France in November, 1944.

Other details of his service record were destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire on July 12, 1973. However, family records indicate that he was in a military hospital in the United Kingdom (Wales) with a serious bout of pleurisy in early 1945. He rejoined his unit in France, was wounded and received the Purple Heart in February, 1945, and was then killed in action on March 29, 1945.

On May 25, 1945, Captain Leland L. Loy, Chaplain, 3rd Bn. 157th Inf. wrote: "... We were attacking the town of Schweinheim, which is close to Aschaffenburg, Germany. There was a lot of opposition, as you no doubt read in your newspaper. The Germans were dug in and were fighting for every house and street. There was a lot of artillery, mortar and sniper fire. This last was especially bad when going into the town. The civilians and soldiers alike were shooting. He was hit by one of these snipers with several bullets, one after another. The aid men were able to get to him, but he was mortally wounded and died within thirty minutes ... He died fighting with one of the finest units in the Army, facing the enemy like a soldier, that we, God willing, could build a better world."

Francis H. Doherty is authorized the following awards: Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, World War II Lapel Button, Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star Medal, and European-African Middle Eastern Medal with 1 Bronze Service Star. In Loving Memory,