PFC Gill

Born on December 8, 1923, Dillion Freddie Gill hailed from south central Ohio's coal belt. He was the son of Mrs. Florence Gill and the late Mr. Otto Gill. His father, a coal miner, had passed away in 1934, leaving Florence to raise Dillion and his seven siblings. He attended high school for three years at Murray High school 

Dillion answered the call to serve, joining the U.S. Army in January 1943. On July 7, 1943, he was assigned as a Private to Company E, 39th Infantry Regiment, from the replacement depot in Tunesia. This assignment came just before the 39th Combat Team left for its amphibious landing in Sicily on July 10, 1943. Private Gill, part of the 2nd Platoon, along with new recruits like Minjack, Adams, Rekettye, and Franklin, was quickly immersed in combat, enduring the fierce and pivotal battles of Troina and Randazzo in Sicily. These early engagements seasoned him, preparing him for the even greater challenges that lay ahead in Europe.

After six months training in England at  Camp Barton Stacey, Privat Gill found himself on the French coast, part of the monumental Operation Overloard invasion and the subsequent push inland. On June 12, 1944, as Company E, spearheading the 39th Infantry's mission to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula and advance toward Cherbourg, Private Gill was engaged in the relentless fighting through the Norman hedgerows. It was on this very day, June 12, 1944, that Easy Company took the guns at Crisbecq, finally stopping their shelling of Utah Beach. 

Tragically, on that same day, June 12, 1944, Private Dillion Freddie Gill was killed in action. He succumbed to artillery fragments to the chest. For his service and ultimate sacrifice, Private Gill was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Good Conduct Medal. He represents the countless young men who gave everything in service to their country, fulfilling their duty with unwavering courage.