04/14/2026
Some of our Walnut members are involved in giving this soldier who was willing to give his all for freedom a proper farewell as he, after all these years, is being returned to his final resting place after 81 years,
Since some of you most likely know the family as well as those helping with this event, we are passing this on to you.
SSG Dayton's Obituary
U.S. Veteran
Dayton Polvado was born June 29, 1915, to Monroe and Edna Durbin Polvado. He and his twin brother, Damon (who was born first), were their fourth and fifth out of ten children. He attended school until the 10th grade, which was the last grade offered at Round Mountain school. Dayton worked at Samuels Glass Company in San Antonio before he was drafted into the Army March 25, 1942, at the age of 26.
Dayton served in Company K, 3rd Battalion, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division in the European Theater during World War II. He achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant. The 90th Infantry Division logo featured a red T-O. Originally, the red T-O stood for Texas-Oklahoma, since the division was made up almost entirely of men from those two states. Later, however, men were drawn from every state in the nation, and the T-O came to represent, by common consent, “TOUGH ‘OMBRES”.
In a letter dated December 1943 from Dayton to his sister Geraldine Polvado Smith, written while he was stationed at the Desert Training Center in the Mojave Desert, Dayton stated that he had hoped to visit his brother, Amos (who lived in California), but was unable to make the trip on a two-day pass. According to Army records, Dayton passed through Fort Dix, New Jersey then went on to be stationed in England and France. He was at D-Day and landed at Utah Beach 12 hours after the assault began. His survival of D-Day can be attributed to both location (Utah Beach had far less casualties than Omaha Beach) and timing (not being in the first wave of soldiers coming ashore). Dayton was wounded and hospitalized in July 1944 (details unknown) but was returned to Company K. He went through the crossing of the Moselle River on November 9th and then the crossing of the Saar River near Dillingen, Germany on Dec 6th.
On December 12, 1944, Staff Sergeants Polvado and Zebulon Gilman were part of a platoon ordered to occupy a pillbox near Dillingen. Shortly after arriving at the position, a German counterattack hit the unit. Enemy troops succeeded in temporarily capturing the pillbox. Both men were last seen in foxholes beside the pillbox. When American forces secured the pillbox later, both soldiers were missing. Efforts to find the two men were unsuccessful, mainly due to the fact that the area was still under incessant German artillery fire. After several more days of fighting, the 90th Infantry Division retreated across the Saar before accounting for all its soldiers.
Beginning in 1946, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was the organization tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the European Theater. Several teams went to Dillingen to recover American remains between 1946 and 1950. Investigation teams found the remains of several 90th Infantry Division soldiers killed at Dillingen in various cemeteries across the area. German soldiers or civilians had buried them after the 90th Division’s retreat in December 1944 and before American forces captured the town in March 1945. The AGRC moved the remains to the St. Avold Laboratory in France where S Sgt Gilman was identified but four other sets of remains could not be identified. They were buried as unknown soldiers in the Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France where Dayton’s name was listed on the Wall of the Missing. On October 8, 1951, an Army board of officers confirmed Dayton, along with 110 other missing soldiers from the Saar River, as “nonrecoverable”.
For Dayton’s courage and faithful service during World War II, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic and meritorious service in combat and the Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters, signifying three separate wounds received in action.
Recent advances in DNA technology have allowed the Army researchers to take samples from relatives to assist them in identifying unknown soldiers. Maternal cousins, Lloyd Smith and Kimberly Carr Cecotti, submitted samples that made it possible for Dayton’s remains to be identified.
Now, after 81 years, his homecoming brings peace and closure to the family who has carried his memory across the generations, honoring a legacy of bravery, sacrifice, and devotion to his country.
A graveside service will be held April 18, 2026, at Round Mountain Cemetery. The family warmly invites all who wish to pay their respects to join them in honoring and celebrating Dayton’s long-awaited homecoming.
Tribute Schedule for April 18th, 2026:
**10:00 AM - Procession will leave the Crofts-Crow Funeral Home (305 East Elm Street, Johnson City, Texas) with the Patriot Riders of San Antonio
**10:15 AM - Procession will pause at the Blanco County Veterans Memorial for a Moment of Silence and Reflection (300 North Nugent, Johnson City, Texas)
**11:00 AM - Full Military Honors Graveside Service at Round Mountain Cemetery (100-154 Round Mountain Cemetery Road, Round Mountain, Texas)
**Reception to follow the service at Liberty Lighthouse Fellowship (321 Old River Crossing, Johnson City, Texas)
