Hutton's grave adopted at Henri-Chapelle Cemetery
I recently received approval to adopt the grave of Thomas R. Hutton, Private, U.S. Army, Service #13098425. 924th Field Artillery Battalion, 99th Infantry Division. He entered the service from Pennsylvania and was killed Dec. 17, 1944. He is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery. He was awarded a Purple Heart.
Grant Yager wrote to me: "Our battery clerk, Jiles Lunsford (now dead) was with Hutton when he was killed and has told me the story. Hutton was killed in the line of duty. He was talking on the radio when confronted by a German and told to quit talking, which Hutton did not obey but continued talking and was shot by the German."
I can't tell you how honored I feel to call Hutton's grave "my" grave. I will honor him and all of his buddies buried there as often as I can. Thanks to men like him, you and so many others, we know what freedom feels like.
Mike Smeets
EDITOR'S NOTE: Smeets is a young Dutchman who lives in the strip of Holland between Belgium and Germany.
