Private First Class, Milton Edgar Eickmeier

On December 7, 1916, Milton Edgar Eickmeier was born on the farm on Lot 31, Concession 7, Logan Township, Mitchell, Ontario, Canada.  He was the first born to George Christian Eickmeier and Martha (Rock) Eickmeier.  Milton matriculated at Mitchell District High School and graduated with honors in 1933.

In 1936 during the Great Depression Milton chose to move to Detroit, Michigan to find gainful employment.  He secured a position at the National Bank of Detroit, Main Office as a bank clerk. He was a recapper at the bank.  Milton met his wife Rita in Detroit and married her August 2, 1941. They had two sons, Roger and Gary, born in 1942 and 1943.

The Japanese bombed  Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Milton's 25 birthday.  He commented that the bombing on his birthday was bad luck.  Milton was inducted into the US Army December 20, 1943, just 8 days after his second son was born.  His Army serial number was 36894956.  In January 1944 Milton reported to Fort Sheridan, Illinois as an infantryman.  His  compensation was $50/month.  Shortly after reporting to Fort Sheridan he was transferred to Camp Wheeler, Georgia IRTC.  He received vigorous training at Camp Wheeler and lost 15 pounds during his training.  On April 14, 1944, in the Central District Court of Georgia, Macon Georgia Federal Court, Milton was officially made a citizen of the USA.

On May 27, 1944, he was given a furlough to visit his wife and 2 young sons in Detroit.  After furlough he reported to Fort Mead, Maryland on June 12, 1944.  He was transferred from Fort Mead to Camp Miles Standish, Boston, Massachusetts. That was his point of embarkation from the US to England.  Milton landed in England by boat July 1, 1944, and was assigned to Company B  134 Infantry Regiment 35th Division, as a sharpshooter.  They landed on the beaches of Normandy, France July 8, 1944, 32 days after D-Day.  In Normandy he made first contact with the enemy.  He advanced with his Division from Normandy to Northern France in the Rhineland where he took shrapnel in his knee during battle.  

On September 28, 1944 during the middle of the night the 2 man sentry on watch for his Division fell asleep at their post and that allowed a German reconnaissance patrol to slip past the outpost and capture Milton and his buddy WT Crawford.  They were transported to a POW camp in Germany.  During his time there he was allowed to leave the camp during the day to work at a nearby farm.  He did the work on that farm just like the work he did as a boy growing up in Southwestern Ontario on his family farm.  Any POW that tried to escape and was caught was shot in the head in the POW Camp in front of the prisoners to demonstrate the consequences for trying to escape.  Milton did not try to escape.

On May 3, 1945, the camp was liberated by the 13th (Black Cat) Armored Division.  He was taken to Eggenfelden, then transferred to Regensburg.  Milton was then flown in a C-47 airplane to Rhiems, France.  From Rhiems he took a hospital train to Camp Lucky Strike on the coast of France near La Havre.  On June 2, 1945, Milton boarded a boat at Camp Lucky Strike and sailed to New York City.  He arrived at NYC June 13, 1945. When he saw the Statue of Liberty as he approached the harbour, he realized he was almost home. Milton was sent immediately to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey for 2 days where he was fed steak and ice cream.  He then boarded a troop train to Fort Sheridan, Illinois where he had first reported in January 1944.

Milton had a 66 day leave at Fort Sheridan.  During his time there he was training to be reassigned to the Pacific Theater to fight the Japanese.  However, on August 5, 1945 President Truman dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima and a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki August 8, 1945 to convince Emperor Hirohito  to surrender to the US.  Once Japan surrendered to the US, Milton was able to end preparations for going to the Pacific.

After 66 days at Fort Sheridan Milton was transferred to Fort Sam Houston, Texas for 2 weeks of recuperation.  From Fort Sam Houston he was reassigned to Camp JT Robinson, Arkansas IRTC.  On October 9, 1945, Milton Eickmeier was honorably discharged from the US Army and finally returned home to his family in Detroit, Michigan.

Milton distinguished himself in battle in St Lo, France and received a Presidential Citation for his bravery, and he received the Purple Heart for his knee injury. He also received a good conduct ribbon and 3 Battle Stars for meritorious service in Normandy, Northern France (Rhineland) and Germany.