Hurlbert
Meldon Frank Hurlbert - one of the "Greatest Generation" passed away June 12, 2013, at the age of 91. Mel was born in Hattiesburg, MS. He graduated from Hattiesburg High and joined the U.S. Army in January 1942. Because of his typing skills, he was quickly sent to headquarters where he later determined this to be "too tame" for his liking. He and a buddy decided to join the paratroopers. He went to jump school at Ft. Benning receiving his jump wings. Mel was assigned to Co. C. 307 Engineer Battalion of the 504 Regimental Combat Team, the first Combat Team of WWII. Mel and his unit made a number of combat jumps starting with Sicily, participated in the amphibious landings at Anzio where they were shelled on the beach for 60 days. His last jump was Operation Market Garden (Holland) where his Company C and others made the daylight crossing of the Waal River in canvas row boats under enemy fire to capture the Nijmegen Bridge, portrayed in the movie "A Bridge Too Far." Several months later, Mel and the men of the 82nd were thrown in to stop the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge in sub-freezing weather. At the end of WWII, the 82nd was assigned to the occupation of Berlin, Germany.
After the war Mel returned to Hattiesburg where he married Anna Spaulding. He attended and graduated from Southern Mississippi with an engineering degree. After working for Ingersol Rand for a number of years he moved to Mobile and started a pump and compressor business which he retired from after more than 25 years. Mel was a 32nd Degree Mason and an active member of First Baptist Church, Mobile.
Mel is survived by a brother, a sister, a daughter, a grandson, and his second wife.
God bless the nursing and care staff at Gordon Oaks Nursing Home.
Visitation with family will be at Radney Funeral Home, Dauphin Street on Saturday, June 15, 2013 from 10:00 -11:30 A.M. Memorial services will follow in the funeral home chapel. Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile.com.
Names of the living have been omitted for privacy reasons.
Published in the The Mobile Press-Register from June 13 to June 14, 2013
Hurlbert
Meldon Frank Hurlbert - one of the "Greatest Generation" passed away June 12, 2013, at the age of 91. Mel was born in Hattiesburg, MS. He graduated from Hattiesburg High and joined the U.S. Army in January 1942. Because of his typing skills, he was quickly sent to headquarters where he later determined this to be "too tame" for his liking. He and a buddy decided to join the paratroopers. He went to jump school at Ft. Benning receiving his jump wings. Mel was assigned to Co. C. 307 Engineer Battalion of the 504 Regimental Combat Team, the first Combat Team of WWII. Mel and his unit made a number of combat jumps starting with Sicily, participated in the amphibious landings at Anzio where they were shelled on the beach for 60 days. His last jump was Operation Market Garden (Holland) where his Company C and others made the daylight crossing of the Waal River in canvas row boats under enemy fire to capture the Nijmegen Bridge, portrayed in the movie "A Bridge Too Far." Several months later, Mel and the men of the 82nd were thrown in to stop the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge in sub-freezing weather. At the end of WWII, the 82nd was assigned to the occupation of Berlin, Germany.
After the war Mel returned to Hattiesburg where he married Anna Spaulding. He attended and graduated from Southern Mississippi with an engineering degree. After working for Ingersol Rand for a number of years he moved to Mobile and started a pump and compressor business which he retired from after more than 25 years. Mel was a 32nd Degree Mason and an active member of First Baptist Church, Mobile.
Mel is survived by a brother, a sister, a daughter, a grandson, and his second wife.
God bless the nursing and care staff at Gordon Oaks Nursing Home.
Visitation with family will be at Radney Funeral Home, Dauphin Street on Saturday, June 15, 2013 from 10:00 -11:30 A.M. Memorial services will follow in the funeral home chapel. Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile.com.
Names of the living have been omitted for privacy reasons.
Published in the The Mobile Press-Register from June 13 to June 14, 2013
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