Monday, August 31, 2020

MILITARY MONDAY ~ A Follow Up On My Yearbook Post–These Young Men Didn’t Make It Home to Their Families–Meet Glenn Gillen & Ellis Hart


A few days ago I wrote about finding yearbook photos on Ancestry.  As I was going through the photos I had, they included 2 young men who were in high school during or just before the time of World War I (1914-1918).  They ended up serving our country and sadly, they never came home.  They were killed in action.

Let’s honor those young men, here, today.

The first is Corporal Glenn Clifford Gillen.  Son of Elijah Cecil Gillen & Bessie Etta Cowen.  Glenn was born 1 Jan 1896 in Chesapeake, Lawrence, Ohio. He was the 3rd child of 9 born to this couple.  The second oldest son.  There were 6 boys and 3 girls.  All of his siblings lived to adulthood and, in fact, well into old age, except Glenn.  Glenn is my maternal 2nd cousin 3 times removed.

Glenn attended Independence High School in Independence, Montgomery, Kansas and if he graduated, it would have been about 1913-1914.  He is honored in the 1919 yearbook for this school on a memorial page for those lost during World War I.

Glenn registered for the draft in Montgomery, Independence, Kansas in June 1917.  He gives his age as 21 years, he’s single, and he works as a Laborer.  Physically he was described as tall, medium guild, gray eyes and brown hair.
  
Here is his World War I Registration Card

(Please click on any image to enlarge it) 

Fifteen months after signing that draft registration card, Glenn Gillen was killed during the Meuse-Argonne battle in France.
Corporal Gillen is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial in France.  You may visit his memorial here #55992727.
Used with permission of the photographer
The second soldier we will honor today is Corporal Ellis Collins Hart.  Only son of Hermon Doten Hart & Florence Bell Hakins.  Ellis was born 27 Oct 1927 in Ohio.  He had one sibling, an older sister Caroline Harriet Hart (1926-2006).  Both of the children were adopted according to the 1930 census.
Ellis is my paternal 3rd cousin once removed.

Sadly, Ellis’ father Hermon D. Hart died in 1933, at the age of 44, while saving his daughter, Caroline from drowning.  Stay tuned for a post about that incident.

Ellis attended Jesup W. Scott High School in Toledo, Lucas, Ohio.  The photo I have for him from the yearbook lists his age as 16 in 1944.

Ellis did register for the World War II draft on 27 Oct 1945.  He was single and described as 5’ 8 1/2” tall, 165 pounds with brown hair, gray eyes and light complexion.  His mother, Florence is listed as his next of kin.  He was employed by the A.P. Tea Company.


Ellis enlisted in the Army as a Private on 7 Jan 1946.  This would have been after the end of World War II.  U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946.

So, Ellis enlisted in the Army in 1946.  Yet in 1950, when he was killed, he was serving with the U.S. Marine Corps, 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Division. 
  • What made Ellis change from one branch of the service to another? 
  • Is that a common occurrence?
  • Was there a draft for the Korean War? I don’t know.  I also have never located any service records for that war.
You can find references to Ellis’ Marine service and his being killed in action on the following links. He was killed by hostile fire on 3 Oct 1950 by gunshot or small arms fire.  He was a ground casualty.

U.S., Korean War Casualties, 1950-1957
U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963
Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current

You may visit his FindAGrave memorial here #194881515

Here is his headstone photo

Photo placed on findagrave.com by Moses and used with permission

I am happy to have honored these young men today.  May they always rest in peace.

If you are connected to any of the family I’ve written about today, I’d love to hear from you.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

SEPIA SATURDAY ~ WAR and PEACE–Corp. Glenn C. Gillen–Killed in Action WW I

A MOTHER’S PILGRIMAGE ~ Bessie Cowen Gillen's visit to the grave of Glenn C. Gillen ~ Killed in action in World War I

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2020   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

6 comments:

  1. There definitely was a draft for Korea; my father was drafted.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Marshall. I have modified my statement. I always appreciate input from others, especially if I’ve shared something that is incorrect.

      Delete
  2. Great way to honor these two men for their service to our country. I like the way you used their pictures with the flag backdrop.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like your biographical sketches. One thing I would add would be to explain (or link to a website) what things like the Meuse-Argonne battle was. That's just my social history mind set at work. Take care my friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Devon. Thanks for your input. I usually do include links to things, like you mentioned. I have to admit that right now it’s difficult to even get posts written. :) Will sure miss seeing you ar Rootstech this coming year. Take care.

      Delete

I look forward to reading your comments. If you have any connection to the people mentioned in this blog, please let me know. I write about mine and my husband's ancestors and would welcome new information or meeting a new cousin or two. Thanks for visiting and come back soon.