Private Eugene C. Hair 20524251 KIA

Private Eugene C. Hair Service number 20524251 Killed in Action United States Army.  Private Hair was from Somerset, Kentucky, and was born in 1922, the son of Link Hair and Stella Haynes Hair. His mother died in 1937 he was the younger brother of Hazel Hair, Herman Hair and older brother of Jewell Hair, and Marjorie Hair. He joined the National Guard before World War Two. He spent most of the war stateside with the Coastal Artillery Corps. He served in Company B, 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division. He took part in the Battle of Buchhof, Kressbach, and Stein am Kocher April 2 – 12, 1945. He entered B Company on April 9, 1945 with CPL Harold Bersan 33583008, CPL Michael Fornal 32789275 PFC Paul N. Knedler 35085655, , PFC Edwin V. Lang from the 3rd Reinforcement Bn. Twelve days latter, on April 21, 1945, in Dörrmenz Germany, he was severely wounded in action by German machine gun fire to the back, buttocks, and shoulder. He was taken to the 9th evac hospital. On May 6,1945 he was aboard a Curtiss C-46 ambulance flight, which was supposed to make a stopover at RAF Greenham Common when the crew encountered low visibility with clouds to 600 feet upon descent. The aircraft struck a radar antenna and lost its right wing, and upon crashing burst into flames, killing all 30 on board and one person inside of a hut located on Mt. Gibbet. Private Eugene C. Hair died around the age of 22. He was awarded the Bronze Stare Medal, Purple Heart Medal, American Defense Medal, The American Theater of operations Medal, European African Middle Eastern Theater of operations Medal, the World War Two Victory Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge.