This photograph was taken near the Normandy hedgerows on June 29, 1944, showing Pfc. Floyd L. Rogers, 24, of Rising Star, Texas, an automatic rifleman with Company C, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. [1610×2048]

He kneels here with his Browning Automatic Rifle—the weapon his officers credited with helping him eliminate 27 German snipers who had been harassing the American advance through the dense, close‑quarters terrain.

Rogers had already distinguished himself earlier in the campaign.

For gallantry in action on June 11, 1944—during the bitter fighting that followed the D‑Day landings—he was awarded the Silver Star. His exceptional skill with the BAR, particularly in counter‑sniper engagements, made him one of the most relied‑upon men in his company as the division pressed toward Saint‑Lô.

Just two weeks after this photograph was taken, Rogers was killed in action on July 12, 1944, during the ferocious battle for Hill 192—a key German stronghold defending the approaches to Saint‑Lô. In a final, poignant act, he mailed his newly received Silver Star home to his mother earlier that same day.