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Personal info

Full name
KLUG, Elmer Petrum
Date of birth
12 July 1910
Age
34
Place of birth
Madison County, Illinois
Hometown
Granite City, Madison County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
6826182
Rank
First Sergeant
Function
unknown
Unit
L Company,
3rd Battalion,
394th Infantry Regiment,
99th Infantry Division
Awards
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
18 December 1944
Place of death
1 km south of Krinkelt, near a bridge, just beside a lumber mill
Krinkelt, Belgium

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle
Plot Row Grave
H 3 53

Immediate family

Members
Peet Klug (father)
Charlotte Klug (mother)
Edward Klug (brother)

More information

1st Sgt Elmer P. Klug joined the Regular Army in California on 13 October 1940.

Before he joined the Army, he worked in a textile factory.

1st Sgt Klug joined the Army during the Great Depression because it was very hard to find a job. He had worked his way up and became a Staff Sergeant with the 7th Infantry Division. Experienced men from this division were transferred to the 99th where he was promoted to First Sergeant. He was a tall guy and a very good sportsman, both as a wrestler and a baseball player. His commander called him a fine soldier in any way, a real gentleman and he could motivate his men like nobody else.

Sgt Klug has broken his neck in Buckholz and was evacuated by ambulance. Together with an entire convoy off all sorts of vehicles, they ran into an ambush, 1 km south of Krinkelt. Every vehicle was riddled by machinegun fire, even the ambulance, killing every wounded man and every medic inside.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar

Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet