Hal Fitzgerald CRAIN

 

crain hal
NUMBER OF SERVICEO-025674 
AGE25 yo
DATE OF BIRTH12 September 1918 to NEW YORK
ETATLos Angeles CALIFORNIA
FAMILYParents: Lily & Hal D CRAIN
Brothers: John & Francis (Officier US Army)
 A Son
RANKcaptain
FONCTIONCompany Commander
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT CA
DATE of ENLISTEMENT

July  1939 to West Point

west point

COMPANYCompany F
BATTALION2nd Battalion
REGIMENT262nd Infantry Regiment
DIVISION66th Infantry Division
"Black Panther Division"
DATE OF DEATH24 Décembre 1944crain hal tombe
STATUSMIA
PLACE OF DEATHAboard in USS Léopoldville, In Manche(Channel), off Cherbourg
CEMETERYNORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY from Colleville Map Normandy American Cemetery
GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
Wall of Missing
DECORATION

Silver Star

Soldier's Medal

Bronze Star

Purple Heart

World War II Victory Medal 

Combat Infantryman Badge

 

ss

soldiers medal

Photo FDLM

victory medal

combat infantryman badge

 

  

us army div 66 262ir

 

STORY

Hal Fitzgerlad Crain was born in New York City, NY 12 September 1918. As a lad of seven he moved with his parents to Los Angeles, California, where he received all his elementary and secondary schooling. He was a good student in school and read a great deal: particularly, he liked to read history books.

Too, he had a talent for drawing and studied the piano from the age of five, becoming quite an accomplished performer. This study developed his appreciation of good music, and although he did not keep up his study of piano in later years, he expressed his love of fine music by collecting recordings of symphonies. He first showed an interest in a military career when as a sophomore at Hollywood High School in California he enrolled in the "Pershing Rifles" an ROTC course.

Hal finished high school in February 1936. and spent a few months on his uncle's ranch in Oregon before entering UCLA in the fall of the same year. At UCLA he so distinguished himself in history subjects that he was admitted to the History Club, one of only two under classmen so honored. At this time he determined to enter West Point and would not even consider the possibility of failure in this ambition. This determination was one of the dominant traits of his character. He would not admit the possibility of defeat in anything he had decided to do.


He received a congressional appointment, entered the Military Academy in July 1939, and promptly dedicated himself to his duties with great enthusiasm. Writing about him in the Howitzer a classmate said,

“In Hal ambition pointed a resolute, confident person toward the Academy, and we know him for this same positiveness and determination here. His energy, vitality, and agility placed him top goalie on the lacrosse and soccer teams and gymnastics apparatus expert. High ideals and dependability made Hal a most amiable companion. His enthusiasm for all West Point activities will cause us to remember him as a true West Pointer.”

Hal's great persistence and determination accounted for his success in winning numerals, monograms, and major and minor “A”s in lacrosse and soccer, contact sports in which his tall, slender physique was a disadvantage.

Upon graduation, 19 January 1943, Hal was assigned successively to these stations: Fort Benning, Georgia; Camp Robinson at Little Rock, Arkansas; and Camp Rucker, Alabama. He loved his work and took his responsibilities seriously. He was particularly concerned with giving his men thorough training and always led them in their exercises. Shortly after Hal was promoted to Captain, his unit moved overseas, arriving in England in early December 1944. He enjoyed seeing the England he had read so much about in his history books.

During this period of training and waiting for action, Hal developed a premonition of his death which he mentioned in letters to his parents.

That he was nevertheless ready as always to face whatever the future might hold he expressed in his last letter home, quoting these favored lines from Macaulay:

Up spoke brave Horatius, master of the gate:

To all men upon the Earth, death cometh soon or late.
And how could men die better than by facing fearful odds
For the temples of their fathers and the altars of their gods.

A few days after he wrote this quotation Hal lost his life in the sinking of the troop ship Leopoldville, which was torpedoed in the English Channel on Christmas Day, 1944. At first it was hoped the ship could reach France, but it suddenly lurched and went down almost immediately when within three miles of shore.

Hal was on deck, and when the last moment came, he rushed down into the ship to look after his men. According to a letter from his commanding officer, Hal worked frantically in saving others, finally giving his own life preserver to one of his men.

At the age of twenty-six he had achieved his life's ambition to live a soldier's life and to serve with distinction. He left the memory of an unsullied life filled with high ideals, courage, and strength to meet every issue squarely, even to giving his life that others might live.

He left these close relatives: a small son who resides in Switzerland; two brothers, John Crain of Pasadena, California, and Francis Crain, an officer in the United States Army; and his parents, Lily and Hal D. Crain of Pasadena, California.

Lieutenant Colonel Dettrc, Department of Mathematics

Arrived on November 26th, 1944 in England, the division polishes up its training until December 24th

In the daytime of the departure and the crossing towards France and Normandy.

The division embarks on two ships of which the SS Leopoldville which receives 262th and 264th regiment Infantry and leaves Southampton in training(formation) accompanied with four escort ships.

Arrived unless 5 miles from Cherbourg, a German submarine U-Boat 486 is in ambush and sends a torpedo to the ship.

He is touched on the starboard beam before.

802 soldiers over the 2235 which he(it) transported are killed in this drama.

Leopoldville is marine cemetery today.


memorial plaqueSee History of Leopoldville (Click on the picture)


Story of a Hero


Captain Hal Crain knelt at the top of a ladder, pulling soldiers up onto the deck. As he did so, he asked each man if he had seen anyone from Company F. When no more soldiers emerged, Crain headed down the ladder, whithout any hesitation, to the compartments below in search of his men probed Compartment E-4 without sucess. Later, Crain was again observed on a ladder, but this time the water was up to his chest and waves were breaking over his head. One soldier who was there as Crain pulled and pushed men to safety would later say, "He was using muscles he absolutely didn't have."

Captain Hal Crain died in legend. Struggling against the oily water in the deep darkness of the demolished blocks, Crain saved man after man, plunging into the flooded compartments, back semi-drowned and wounded. Dozens of men have given the credit for having rescued officer. Hal Crain did not live to be thanked by those he saved. His posthumous Soldier's Medal was presented to his widow and her baby, a son.


Crain was also awarded a medal for his rescue work tonight. Leading a dozen of his men into a rope ladder, he fought for two hours swimming around and keeping everything together world. He found duffle bags and debris in the water and made his men cling to anything that would float. He never forgot the few men who have simply given up and drifted into obscurity.


SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTOClive TIRLEMONT - Frédéric LAVERNHE - Leopoldville.org
PROGRAMMERGarrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud
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