Rome, NY WWII Fallen

S/Sgt. Hobart E. Pitts

U.S. Army #42107935

41st Armored Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division

Hobart Edwin Pitts was born September 28, 1908, in Pompey, Onondaga County, New York, to Herbert Eugene “Pat” (1876-1966) and Mary Almyra “Myra” Hobart (1889-1967) Pitts. Pat and Myra were both native New Yorkers and were married December 21, 1907, in Manlius, New York. Hobart was their only child. In the Census of 1910, the Pitts family was living near Pompey, New York, on a farm. The Census of 1920 records the Pitts family living in Manlius Township where Pat worked as a carpenter. In the 1930 Census, the Pitts family was residing in Pompey, New York, where Pat was farming and Myra worked as a servant for a private family. Pat’s father, Edward Pitts, also lived with the family.

Hobart played basketball for the Manlius High School team. He lettered in basketball and was elected manager of the boys’ team. In January 1927 he passed his mid-term exam in design. Hobart was a member of the Manlius High School Drama Club and served as Vice Chairman. Hobart graduated from Manlius, New York, High School on June 25, 1928, as a member of a class of twelve.

Hobart attended Morrisville State Agricultural College in Morrisville, New York, following high school. He was a member of the Epworth League of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Morrisville.

In January 1930, Hobart was the high scorer for the Morrisville Aggies basketball team in a game against the Ithaca School of Physical Education. Ithaca won the game 42-23. It was noted Hobart was the highest man on the freshman honor roll for the first semester.

In the spring and fall of 1930, Hobart was the editor of the Morrisville State School newspaper, “The Spirit of N.Y.S.S.A.” The newspaper was published two times in the spring with the first fall edition scheduled for October. The newspaper had about fourteen pages and featured news, jokes, and cartoons.

In November 1930, Hobart was selected as the assistant editor of the Morrisville Arcadian yearbook.

Hobart was a member of the senior interclass debate team, arguing the negative side of the question, “…country life is better than city life.”

In 1930, Hobart spent both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with his parents, living in Oran.

On March 31, 1931, Hobart was a speaker at the Commencement Banquet.

The 20th annual commencement exercises were held March 31, 1931. Hobart received the $10 athletic prize for the man earning a letter in any sport and having the highest grade point average. Hobart lettered in both basketball and football while at Morrisville State, and graduated an honor student in agriculture.

April 23, 1931, Hobart accepted a position at the State School in Rome, Oneida County, New York, and became the director of the agricultural program.

In Jun 1933, the Employees Club of the State School organized a baseball team to play in a six-team circuit. Hobart played in the outfield for the team.

August 1933, Hobart attended “Comeback Day” at Morrisville Agricultural School.

December 1934, Hobart was one of three graduates of Morrisville State School on the roster of the Rome State School Cowboys basketball team.

September 1937, the Rome State School formed four teams for a bowling league. Hobart was named captain of the Cowboys team. The teams bowled at the YMCA alleys. Hobart was President of the Employees Club Bowling League of the Rome State School in 1938.

On May 22, 1939, a testimonial dinner was held to honor Jim Ross, the first in Rome League history to bowl a perfect game of 300. Hobart was a member of the committee which planned the dinner.

On August 24, 1939, Hobart was elected third vice president of the Rome City Bowling Association.

Hobart competed for the State School Employees Club Bowling Association at the New York State Bowling tournament in 1940 in both the singles and doubles matches. In November 1940, Hobart was listed as an “Alley Ace” for his top bowling scores.

In the U.S. Census of 1940, Hobart was living on the campus of the State School. His occupation was listed as Attendant.

Hobart registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, in Rome, Oneida County, New York. He was 5’6” tall, weighed 148 pounds, and had brown hair and brown eyes. He was 32 years old, single, and employed at the Rome State School in Rome. He listed his mother, Mary Almyra Pitts, as the person who will always know your address.

May 1941, the Fort Stanwix Civil Service Chapter of the Rome State School chose their slate of officers and committee representatives. Hobart was named to the Social and Entertainment Committee.

July 1942, Hobart was an Air Raid Warden for the Farm Cottage Zone for the Rome State School. Air Raid Wardens of Rome, the Rome State School, Delta, Stanwix, and Stanwix Heights made house-to-house calls taking War Bond and Stamp pledges and making an occupancy check.

Hobart married Kathleen O’Neill on January 7, 1944, in Rome, New York. Kathleen was born in Dublin, Ireland, on January 26, 1904, one of three daughters (Kathleen, Florence and Bridget) born to James and Margaret (Kean) O’Neill. James served in the Royal Irish Fusiliers in the Boer War, and in India, Burma, and Egypt. After ten years of military service, he returned to Ireland and worked at the Guiness Brewery in Dublin. The family came to the United States in 1913 and settled in Rome where James was employed by Rome Copper and Brass. He became a naturalized citizen in 1920.

Kathleen graduated from Rome Free Academy in 1925. The 1925 yearbook, De-O-Wain-Sta, stated “Kathleen and Florence O’Neill were noted respectively for their skill on the violin and piano, and together were touring the country playing every night to crowded houses.”

Kathleen, 1925

Hobart Pitts was drafted into the U.S. Army on March 21, 1944, and reported to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for basic training. He also received training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and went overseas in September 1944. He served in England, France, Luxembourg, and Germany with the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Armored Division.

S/Sgt. Hobart Pitts was killed in action in Germany on March 2, 1945. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Rome, NY, Medal of Honor. He is remembered on Page 110, World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from New York, and Page 11715, US Rosters of World War II Dead 1939-1945.

On October 27, 1945, the Morrisville Agricultural and Technical Institute hosted an Alumni Day and Banquet. A list of alumni who gave their lives in World War II was read and tribute given. S/Sgt. Hobart Pitts, Class of 1931, was among those named.

The Fort Stanwix Chapter of the State Civil Service Association of the Rome State School held a Welcome Home dinner for 70 ex-servicemen employees on June 11, 1946. A period of silence was observed in memory of three employees, Hobart Pitts, C. Naaman Brown, and Edward Butler, who gave their lives in World War II.

On November 2, 1948, a funeral with full military honors was held for S/Sgt. Hobart Pitts in Rome, New York. His body was accompanied from Schenectady to Rome by Sgt. John Hermmingway of the Military Escort Detachment. Services were held at the Griffin and Aldridge Funeral Home with burial at Saint Peter’s Catholic Cemetery in Rome, New York. A color guard was present from Rome Post 2246, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and three volleys were fired over his grave by a firing squad from Company C, 108th Infantry, New York National Guard. Sgt. Hemmingway presented the American flag, which had draped S/Sgt. Pitt’s coffin, to his widow, Mrs. Kathleen Pitts. Fellow members of the New London Lodge, F & AM, paid their respects to Hobart Pitts. Many floral tributes were received from family, friends, the New London Lodge, Morrisville Agricultural Institute, Rome State School, and employees of Rome Copper and Brass.

An article in the November 10, 1963, Post-Standard of Syracuse, New York, paid tribute to Mrs. Myra Pitts, a Gold Star Mother, calling Pat and Myra Pitts “the backbone of Oran, New York.” The Pitt’s home overlooked a small plot of land next to an old schoolhouse. A flagpole was erected on the land along with a memorial to the servicemen from Oran who served in WWII. To Myra, every day is Veteran’s Day; she daily raises the flag at Memorial Park in Oran, despite arthritis in her legs. The schoolhouse became a community center. Myra formed a group of local women for a quilting bee at her home every Monday. The quilts were sold with the money going to the Memorial Park Association or to the church. Myra sewed curtains for the center, cleaned, and even mowed the lawn.

Herbert “Pat” Pitts died November 19, 1966, at age 90. He was a retired farmer and carpenter who operated a gas station and store in Oran, New York, for many years. He was buried in Delphi Cemetery, Delphi Falls, New York. Mary Almyra “Myra” Pitts died on November 29, 1967, at age 78, and was buried alongside her husband, Pat.

Kathleen Pitts did not marry again and remained in close contact with Hobart’s parents, often spending holidays with them. Kathleen retired from Rome Cable Corporation in 1968, following a career of 42 years as a secretary there. She died on December 24, 1974, after a brief illness. She was also buried in Saint Peter’s Catholic Cemetery in Rome, New York.

End notes: This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars Project, a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3 web sites. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact hillerson@beyondbb.com.

Resources:

FindAGrave.com:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/77461336/hobart-e-pitts

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100561067/kathleen-pitts

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21214518/herbert_eugene-pitts

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82775237/mary_almyra-pitts

Fold3.com:

https://www.fold3.com/record/702880488/pitts-hobart-e-us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954

https://www.fold3.com/record/91422283/hobart-e-pitts-us-wwii-army-enlistment-records-1938-1946

https://www.fold3.com/image/712948630/us-rosters-of-world-war-ii-dead-1939-1945-page-11715-us-rosters-of-world-war-ii-dead-1939-1945

https://www.fold3.com/image/310770918/new-york-page-110-us-wwii-army-and-army-air-force-casualty-list-1946

https://www.fold3.com/file/673596109