US Army PFC Hilton Albert Smith was born in Mobile, Alabama on April 8, 1924, the son of Steve Albert Smith (1900-1971) and Hilda E. Chievlia (1901-1970). Although technically from Mobile he lived, worked, and spent a lot of time in Pensacola where his parents lived. In 1918, his father was living in Mobile as a sheet metal worker before marrying Hilda there in 1919. She was the daughter of Joseph and Ella Chievlia and the young couple would move to Wheelerville in Mobile County in 1920. That year Steve was working in one of the shipyards as a laborer. By 1930, they had become farmers but by 1940 they had relocated to Pensacola and were renting a house at 1021 North "T" Street in Brownsville for $20 per month. Steve had become a metalsmith at NAS while his son Hilton was working for the Hardaway Construction Company. Two years later he and Hilda had relocated to 3702 West Brainard Street while Hilton took a job as a laborer for a furniture store.
However, as the war progressed America was calling on more of her citizens to swell the ranks of her military. Hilton would enlist on March 6, 1943, and was sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for processing and orientation. After basic training, he was sent overseas in April 1944 to the reassignment center and sent to the 2nd Battalion of the 36th Armored Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Division. His regiment had already been sent overseas in September 1943 aboard the SS Capetown Castle and encamped at Sutton Veny, England. There, Hilton caught up with them awaiting the invasion at Normandy. On June 17, 1944, the regiment began sailing out of Southampton and Weymouth heading for Omaha Beach. Upon disembarkation Hilton's battalion assembled at Neuilly la Foret awaiting further orders. Those orders came down soon enough directing them to attack the Germans near St. Lo on June 29, 1944.
Hilton's regiment was considered an "armored infantry" regiment that was somewhat different from the regular infantry. They were equipped with halftracks and delivered coordinated attacks alongside the tanks, tank destroyers and artillery battalions. So, in September the regiment became engaged in the bloody battle of the Hurtgen Forest that lasted for three months and would cost the lives of up to 55,000 American and British soldiers versus 28,000 Germans. But the German defense carried out in the midst of the extremely rugged terrain gained them the time they needed to launch their surprise offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge on December 16, 1944.
In the meantime, Hilton's battalion were locked into a fierce battle against a heavy German counterattack. The Germans were supported by tanks, armored personnel vehicles, infantry, and artillery in the vicinity of Mausbach on September 19. The battalion suffered very heavy casualties during the attack of which Hilton was one. During the fighting, the young Pensacolian was directly hit by an enemy anti-tank shell killing him instantly. His body was listed as unrecoverable most likely because of the nature of his death and the force of the explosion. His parents in Pensacola and his wife Francine in Mobile were notified of his death and the nature thereof. Today his name is listed on a marble wall in the American Cemetery in Holland.
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