PVT Morris "Jack" Hilghman, Jr (WWII)


Remembering PVT Morris Harper "Jack" Hilghman, Jr (Fairmont)
May 12, 1924 - June 9, 1944

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PVT Morris Harper "Jack" Hilghman, Jr was born May 12, 1924 in Fairmont, WV to Morris (Sr) and Helen (Nay) Hilghman. Their family (as of the 1920 census) lived at 1114 Fennimore Street, and Morris, Sr was a mechanic. Later, Morris started working as a draftsman for the Monongahela System (1930 Census) and the family moved to 425 Monroe Street, apt 4 (1939 City Directory).

Jack attended Fairmont Senior High School, where he was a member of the Kl?ub (trivia club), Hi-life, and the basketball team. The caption accompanying his junior year photo in the 1942 yearbook reads: "Jack Hilghman: Killer or the Killer-Diller has an ambition to be a lawyer. Remember this when you're in trouble. Killer likes all sports. Kl?ub, Hi-Life and basketball make up his activities."

On June 30, 1942 Jack registered for the draft. He was 5'7.5" and 160 lbs with brown hair, brown eyes, and ruddy skin. At the time, he worked for a shop at 200 Adams Street in Downtown Fairmont.

Jack enlisted on February 10, 1943 in Clarksburg, WV, in the midst of his senior year of high school. He became a part of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Company H.

His first injury in the line of duty, according to Hospital Admission Records, was in March of 1944 when he was injured by what the record calls "a flaming liquid."

PVT Morris "Jack" Hilghman, Jr was killed in action on June 9, 1944 during the proceedings of Operation Neptune. The Field Hospital Admission Records for that day say that his head and back were injured by an "Artillery Shell, Other or Unspec to Blast, Fragments, Debris"

He is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in France, and is also honored on the "Marion County Veterans Killed in Action" Memorial at Veterans Square in Fairmont, WV. 

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