HACKETT, EDWIN B. Mar 14, 1945 age 22 KIA Germany

EDWIN BASIL HACKETT, b. 1923 Mich d. Mar 14, 1945 Killed in Action Germany

Pfc 3657361 Army 26^th Inf Div

 

Buried Grand Lawn Cemetery, Detroit

Parents: Basil H. & Clara M. (Anglim)



16733 Warwick

Basil’s own father, William was a Canadian born doctor; during WWI Basil enlisted in Canada and served in the Royal Air force 1918. He married Clara 1921. By 1940 he owned a contracting and trucking company and his own house at 16733 Warwick.  They lived in posh North Rosedale Park where neighbors had live-in servants. Clara's gravestone has yet to have the death date put in; she died 1979 in Sarasota. If there is no family left, there is no one to order and pay for the work.

Hi-Y Gray 1940 Ed back row 5th from left

Ed was an active student at Redford, a member of the football and baseball teams in 1940 also sports editor of The Outpost school paper. In the Hi-Y club is also Boris Lapping (end of row 1) and Leroy Farmer (row 2 5th from left). Leroy is also in the football Squad (back row 4th from right). They had a good tussle from the looks of the photo!



Football Squad 1940 Ed row 2 5th from left 

1943 UM Flying Club Ed kneeling 3rd from right

He graduated in 1941 and attended University of Michigan. He was a brother of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and member of The Flying Club. A freckled boy with blue eyes and red hair he was 5’9” and 145lbs when he enlisted Feb. 6, 1943.

 

 

 

Without infantry regiment information action details are generalized. Oct 7, 1944 the 26^th Div relieved the 4^th Army Div in the Salonnes-Moncourt-anal du Rhine au Marne sector, near Nancy. He was wounded Oct 7.



Kreis Saarburg 26th Inf Div

By March 8^th all elements of the 26^th assembled in the vicinity of Saarburg.  Their attack from the Saarburg area to the southeast paralleled the Saar River and caused the 26^th to be attacking through the Siegfried Line. They encountered unfavorable terrain, intense fire from pillboxes, mortars, artillery and Nebelwerfers.

An unconfirmed report states Hackett was to have been awarded the Silver Star. Not able to find verification of this. However, in honor of his service a Detroit playground was named in his honor at 17398 Stahelin. the park is still named after him. Wonder if any Detroit school children hold any ceremony to honor the WWII solider? The children in France still do at the graves of American war dead. Ed received a Purple Heart.