Pvt John B. MC Gill

John McGill's Story ...

John McGill was born in a Hospital in Framingham, Massachusetts, on March 16, 1916, he was then taken home to his parents home in Ashland, Massachusetts. He was the son of Mrs. Catherine McGill ... In his years after high school and before he joined the ranks, John was a tree worker working for the Barlett Tree Company.

In his years before the war, John married Mabel A. Austin of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and they set up Housekeeping & started their family in Hopkinton, Mass. They had two sons, John and James B McGill, who were both still very young when their father left for Europe.

John was drafted March 9, 1944 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts and trained at Fort McClellan, Alabama, before being sent to Europe as a rifleman with the 9th ("the Old Reliable") Infantry Division, the 47th ("Raiders") Infantry Regiment, E Company.

By the time John was assigned to the ranks of the 9th Infantry Division, the Old Reliable had already a history of many battles to show ... After all the Old Reliable was introduced to the war in Operation Torch, the landing of Allied Forces in North-Africa ... Just before dawn of November 8, 1942 the 9th Infantry Division entered the battle ... While the 39th Combat Team landed at Algiers, the 47th Combat Team was hitting the beach at Safi, French Morocco, and the 60th Combat Team was hammering at the Kasba and the airport at Port Lyautey, Morocco.

After the operations in North Africa the Old Reliable was involved in almost every major battle that took place in the European Theatre of Operations.

By the time John joined the forces the Division took part in the St. Lo break-through and in August 1944 helped close the Falaise Gap. Turning east, the 9th crossed the Marne, 28 August 1944, swept through Saarlautern, and in November and December held defensive positions from Monschau to Losheim. On 24 November 1944, John's company was ordered to attack the little German village Hücheln, a suburb of Eilendorf. During this attack, while being attached to the 1st Infantry Division, John was killed in action in the Hürtgen Forest. Due to reports collected after the war, John was probably killed instantly when he was hit by fragments of an artillery- or mortarshell, however this information is not confirmed.

After John had been killed, he was buried at the temporary cemetery of Henri-Chapelle. John was laid to rest in Plot CC, Row 9, Grave 177 ... On his right side was buried Robert J Doyle of the 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion. On his left Stanley Michalakj, whose outfit remains unknown. Robert Doyle is still in Henri-Chapelle ... He found his final resting place in Plot C Row 6 Grave 14. Stanley Michalakj has been returned to the United States ...

John's had six brothers and two sisters. One brother was exempted from service, four brothers served in the Navy, one in the Army and came home.

After John's death, his wife and their two children moved in to her Parents home in Hopkinton. They were raised in a very loning home, she never remarried.

These days John B. Mc Gill rests in the beautiful American Military Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle. He is remembered and honored by his sons John and James, by his granddaughter Pamela Burkholder , by Vincent Vandeberg who adopted his final resting place at Henri-Chapelle, by every visitor of the American Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle and by every visitor of Remember our Liberators.

Special thanks to John, James McGill, granddaughter Pamela Burkholder and to Vincent Vandeberg who adopted John's final resting place at Henri-Chapelle.

John B. Mc Gill s'est enrôlé le 9 mars 1944 au fort Devens Massachusetts. Il est mort à l'âge de 28 ans, le vendredi 24 novembre 1944, lors de la libération de Vosnack. Il occupait le rang de Private dans la Co E, 47th inf. Reg. - 9th Inf. Div.

Il avait été décoré de la Bronze Star.

Il avait également reçu les décorations suivantes: Purple Heart Medal, World War II Victory Medal, World War II victory medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal W/1 Bronze Service Star,Combat Infantryman badge et la service Lapel Button.

John B Mc Gill a été enterré le 23 Juin 1948 au cimetière américain d'Henri-Chapelle (Plot A Row 5 Grave 35).