HomeMy WebLinkAboutF. D. "Buck" Hilton, Brazos Valley Heroes �. °-
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When F. D. "Buck" Hilton, then of Waco, con- were parachuted in on June 3, 1944. When we were ,...
vinced his parents to sign his enlistment papers to airborne, we were told we would be jumping at 400 '
join the Army in February 1942, he didn't know he feet. The normal jump was from 1,200 to 1;500 s
would develop such a dislike for marching. The feet. They gave us reserve chutes, but we just left
newly enlisted 17- year -old was first sent to Camp them on the plane because we knew if our chute
Walters, where they were marched, then marched didn't open, we wouldn't have enough time to pull _
some more, all in their civilian clothes because the our reserve. When we jumped that night, almost as
Army didn't have uniforms for them. soon as my chute opened I was on the ground. We: °mot
"From there I was sent to Ft. Hood, where I got didn't totally surprise the Germans, because I had :'
my first uniforms and was marched some more. I some holes shot in my canopy that night."
saw some pretty pictures of airborne guys and was "We hid out, avoiding the Germans until the D
. told if I signed up, I wouldn't have to march any- Day operations began. We had white sheets that we
more. Instead, we would be flown or carried to used to mark landing areas for our airborne troops
wherever we needed to go. I volunteered and was and we had lights that would shine straight up so '
sent to Ft. Benning, Ga. for jump school. The first only our pilots could see where to drop the airborne
day we marched eight miles and the second day we troops. We hooked up with the guys from the 82nd +'::
marched 24 miles. Eventually we started parachute Airborne who had jumped in and then we made our rP
training and I jumped out of the first plane I ever way back to the coast to catch a boat back to
rode in." England and then go do it all over again."
Hilton was then assigned to Ft. Bragg, N.C., Hilton made other jumps into enemy -held ter
and the 82nd Airborne. ritories in France, Belgiur' and Germany.
"At Bragg we didn't have to march so much. "Patton's Army finally found us in Belgium,
... Instead they had us crawling on our bellies for what and I'm glad they did. There were definitely more of
seemed like eight hours a day. We did practice full them than there were of us until Patton's Army
equipment jumps and spent some time in gliders." arrived. "
From Bragg, Hilton was shipped to Glasgow, Hilton's last action was at Berchtesgaden, �'
Scotland. which was called "Eagles Nest". g
When I got there, I was real tired of marching "We fought Germans all the way to the to p
and crawling. They asked for volunteers for When we got there, you sure had a pretty view." <
Pathfinder training. We were told we would go in Hilton received three Purple Hearts and the
, first behind the lines where we wouldn't be shot at Distinguished Service Medal.
and could sit there until our guys marched to us. I "When we jumped into France before D -Day I
signed up. Then there was more marching and had a real question in my mind about being able to
more crawling, but this time with full packs and all make it back. ++ 1 was real lucky. None of my ''
sorts of equipment." wounds were serious enough to keep me out of
Hilton became a member of the 514th action for very long. If I had gone into politics, 1 .
Pathfinders. As a result, he made eight separate could have claimed five Purple Hearts on my
combat jumps into enemy -held territory. record."
"My first Pathfinder jump was in North Africa. Hilton didn't go into politics. Instead he moved ;
. Our job was to jump in, locate targets and general- to Bryan after the war, raised his family and operat- '
ly to see what was going on — then, when time ed Hilton's Tree Service and Pest Control until he
came, help our guys shoot Germans. All of my com- retired.
1: bat action was the result of Pathfinder jumps except F. D. "Buck" Hilton's name can be found on the
for Anzio, Italy, where I went in on a boat. After that Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial. For more infor
t beach landing, I decided I preferred jumping in." mation, to make a contribution, or if you know a
In England and before D -Day, Hilton and his World War 11 veteran whose story needs to be told
t:
1. fellow Pathfinders began the training that would contact the BVVM at www.veterans- memoria/org
lead to the successful invasion of France. or Bill Youngkin at 979 - 260 -7030.
"D -Day began on June 6, 1944, but 38 of us
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