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name
HORTON, Oliver Massee - Date of
birth
12 September 1912 -
Age
32 - Place of
birth
Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina -
Hometown
Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-322703 -
Rank
Major -
Function
unknown -
Unit
HQ Company,
3rd Battalion,
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
101st Airborne Division
-
Awards
Silver Star,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
5 October 1944 - Place of
death
Opheusden, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | 11 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Robert L. Horton (father)
Clyde Horton (mother)
Exum B. Horton (brother)
Lillian Horton (sister)
More information
Major Oliver M. Horton participated in the D-Day operation on 6 June 1944.He was fatally wounded on the morning of 5 October 1944 by German mortar fire while walking along the railroad tracks near the Linge canal at the south end of the town of Opheusden.
He was awarded the Silver Star Medal posthumously. The citation stated: When his unit was subject to a strong enemy attack, Major Horton went forward to a critical point which was under heavy mortar and machine gun fire to supervise personally the siting of machine guns and to direct artillery fire in the absence of an artillery observer. Then, in order to place an anti-tank gun in a strategic position, he moved forward in front of the friendly lines to where he could obtain a better view of the terrain. During this reconnaissance, he was mortally wounded. "His courageous action aided materially in preventing the enemy from flanking his battalion.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.wwiimemorial.com, Orville L. Kline, www.ww2-airborne.us, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / WWII Draft Cards Young Men / 1920 Census, http://www.506infantry.org/
Photo source: Rob Duiverman, Monty McDaniel