Private Elmer Odell Hill
– B Company, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division –
Private Elmer Odell Hill
Private Elmer Odell Hill, affectionately called “Tony”, was born on the 23rd of October, 1922 in Point Peter, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, USA.
He graduated from Henry Ford Trade School at Dearborn, Michigan.
He was inducted into the US Army in December 1943. In the following year, Elmer married his love Mabel E. Clark (Peggy) on the 6th of May, 1944 at Garden City Presbyterian Church in Garden City Michigan.
He went overseas in July 1944 and was first wounded on August 3rd, 1944 near St. Lo in France and was hospitalized in England. He received his first Purple Heart for wounds received during the action. After several weeks of healing and getting fit, Elmer was sent back into battle on October 9th, 1944. Just 3 days later, Elmer got seriously wounded during the fighting near the Raffelsbrand Junction in the Hurtgen Forest, Germany on October 12th and died from his wounds on October 13, 1944. He was just 10 days short of his 22nd Birthday. He received a total of two Purple Hearts.
Elmer is now buried in the Cadillac Memorial Gardens West Westland, in Wayne County, Michigan, USA
Elmer Hill’s burial plaque
We will never forget Private Hill.
9th Infantry Division in WWII 