Harold Mecham McNeil was born on May 3 1923 in Rigby Idaho the second of seven children born to John Arthur and Mary Eliza Mecham McNeil. In Sept 1929 the family moved to Salt Lake Utah when John got a new job with the Natural Gas Company.
Harold was educated in Salt Lake City. He along with his sisters attended Lincoln Jr high and went on to attend West High School. Harold left school and moved to California before his 17th birthday.
Harold had a love of western music all through his childhood so much that he love to wear his Levis and cowboy boots. Even if it met he would get in trouble for wearing them to school. In school he loved to draw and wanted to be an artist.
While living in California WWII broke out and Harold moved back home in Salt Lake City. There with a lot of talking he talked his parents in to letting him join the Army before his 18th birthday. With paper in hand and his father next to him, Harold entered the Army recruiting office down town Salt Lake.
Harold served in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles during WWll. Now known as Band of Brothers since the movie with Tom Hanks.
Harold first assignment was with the 101st glider division. He was then transferred from the glider unit not shortly after Harold got word that the men in the glider unit was all killed by the Germans. Harold went on to land on the beaches on D-Day to fight all the way to Bastogne. It was here Harold was shot on Christmas Eve to save the family from being hurt by the lost of their oldest son the family was told he died on Dec 26 1945 while fighting at Bastogne.
He was only 20 years old. Some say he was killed by friendly fire. But there was so much fighting going on in the area we will never know. The family was never the same after Harold was gone.
It took John and Mary three years to bring his body home. He was first buried in France.
Harold is buried next to his parents Mary and John McNeil
Harold was educated in Salt Lake City. He along with his sisters attended Lincoln Jr high and went on to attend West High School. Harold left school and moved to California before his 17th birthday.
Harold had a love of western music all through his childhood so much that he love to wear his Levis and cowboy boots. Even if it met he would get in trouble for wearing them to school. In school he loved to draw and wanted to be an artist.
While living in California WWII broke out and Harold moved back home in Salt Lake City. There with a lot of talking he talked his parents in to letting him join the Army before his 18th birthday. With paper in hand and his father next to him, Harold entered the Army recruiting office down town Salt Lake.
Harold served in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles during WWll. Now known as Band of Brothers since the movie with Tom Hanks.
Harold first assignment was with the 101st glider division. He was then transferred from the glider unit not shortly after Harold got word that the men in the glider unit was all killed by the Germans. Harold went on to land on the beaches on D-Day to fight all the way to Bastogne. It was here Harold was shot on Christmas Eve to save the family from being hurt by the lost of their oldest son the family was told he died on Dec 26 1945 while fighting at Bastogne.
He was only 20 years old. Some say he was killed by friendly fire. But there was so much fighting going on in the area we will never know. The family was never the same after Harold was gone.
It took John and Mary three years to bring his body home. He was first buried in France.
Harold is buried next to his parents Mary and John McNeil
Harold Mecham McNeil was born on May 3 1923 in Rigby Idaho the second of seven children born to John Arthur and Mary Eliza Mecham McNeil. In Sept 1929 the family moved to Salt Lake Utah when John got a new job with the Natural Gas Company.
Harold was educated in Salt Lake City. He along with his sisters attended Lincoln Jr high and went on to attend West High School. Harold left school and moved to California before his 17th birthday.
Harold had a love of western music all through his childhood so much that he love to wear his Levis and cowboy boots. Even if it met he would get in trouble for wearing them to school. In school he loved to draw and wanted to be an artist.
While living in California WWII broke out and Harold moved back home in Salt Lake City. There with a lot of talking he talked his parents in to letting him join the Army before his 18th birthday. With paper in hand and his father next to him, Harold entered the Army recruiting office down town Salt Lake.
Harold served in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles during WWll. Now known as Band of Brothers since the movie with Tom Hanks.
Harold first assignment was with the 101st glider division. He was then transferred from the glider unit not shortly after Harold got word that the men in the glider unit was all killed by the Germans. Harold went on to land on the beaches on D-Day to fight all the way to Bastogne. It was here Harold was shot on Christmas Eve to save the family from being hurt by the lost of their oldest son the family was told he died on Dec 26 1945 while fighting at Bastogne.
He was only 20 years old. Some say he was killed by friendly fire. But there was so much fighting going on in the area we will never know. The family was never the same after Harold was gone.
It took John and Mary three years to bring his body home. He was first buried in France.
Harold is buried next to his parents Mary and John McNeil
Harold was educated in Salt Lake City. He along with his sisters attended Lincoln Jr high and went on to attend West High School. Harold left school and moved to California before his 17th birthday.
Harold had a love of western music all through his childhood so much that he love to wear his Levis and cowboy boots. Even if it met he would get in trouble for wearing them to school. In school he loved to draw and wanted to be an artist.
While living in California WWII broke out and Harold moved back home in Salt Lake City. There with a lot of talking he talked his parents in to letting him join the Army before his 18th birthday. With paper in hand and his father next to him, Harold entered the Army recruiting office down town Salt Lake.
Harold served in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles during WWll. Now known as Band of Brothers since the movie with Tom Hanks.
Harold first assignment was with the 101st glider division. He was then transferred from the glider unit not shortly after Harold got word that the men in the glider unit was all killed by the Germans. Harold went on to land on the beaches on D-Day to fight all the way to Bastogne. It was here Harold was shot on Christmas Eve to save the family from being hurt by the lost of their oldest son the family was told he died on Dec 26 1945 while fighting at Bastogne.
He was only 20 years old. Some say he was killed by friendly fire. But there was so much fighting going on in the area we will never know. The family was never the same after Harold was gone.
It took John and Mary three years to bring his body home. He was first buried in France.
Harold is buried next to his parents Mary and John McNeil
Family Members
Other Records
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
