Provided by Kent Graham

HEMINGWAY, Nov. 18--

Official notice has been received here from the quartermaster depot in Charlotte that the body of the late Harry E. Baggett will arrive in Hemingway at 12:15 o’clock Friday afternoon by train.

Private first class Baggett, highly honored with the presentation of the silver star, is the son of Mr. And Mrs. Judson V. Baggett of Hemingway.

Funeral services will be held from the Union Baptist Church of Hannah at three o’clock Sunday afternoon. Services will be conducted by the Rev. H. W. Brown, the Rev. Archie Williams, both of Hemingway and Chaplain Carroll Eaddy of the American Legion post No. 84 of Hemingway. Burial, directed by the Morris Funeral Home of Hemingway, will follow in the church cemetery where full military honors will be accorded by the American legion Post No. 84 of Hemingway and the firing squad and bugler which are furnished by the U. S. Army of Fort Jackson.

The active pallbearers will be members of the legion Post as follows: Cecil Ratcliff, Warren Adkinus, C. P. Snowden, Jr., Chester Lee, Richard Grier, and C. A. Smith. The remainder of the members will act as escorts.

Private Baggett was born in Florence County where he attended the Hannah Schools but later moved to Hemingway and attended the local high school prior to being inducted in the army on April 18, 1944. He received his training in Infantry warfare at Camp Walters, Texas, and was shipped from Fort Meade to Italy in October of 1944.

Baggett was a member of Co. "K" 351st "Spearhead" Regiment 88th "Blue Devil" Infantry Division. His death came in Northern Italy on February 9, 1945, while in close combat with the Germans. His life was a supreme sacrifice to save the lives of many of his comrades, and for this he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

The following is a statement from his commanding officer who highly praised this brave and gallant soldier, "On February 9, 1945, Co. "K" 351st Infantry regiment dispatched a patrol with the assignment of searching out enemy strong points and gun emplacements. Private Baggett was a member of this patrol. Moving out at midnight they were under constant enemy mortar and machine gun fire. They reached a point at the TTF a knoll and established a firing line covering the road and creek which they had followed. A heavy mortar concentration fell and wounded the radio operator, and Private Baggett volunteered to accompany the patrol leader as radio operator. As he neared the top of the knoll a mortar shell fell close wounding Private Baggett seriously. At the same time the enemy opened fire with a machine gun and scored a direct hit on the radio as Private Baggett was trying to make contact over it despite his demoralizing wound.

The radio was completely destroyed.

Observing that the fire had come from a group of trees about 20 yards away to his right, Private Baggett mustering all his strength boldly and calmly then threw two hand grenades directly into the position silencing the weapon and killing the gunner. However, in doing this he exposed himself to direct observation of some Germans concealed in a dugout about 30 years to his immediate front, whose fire seriously wounded him again. Although he lived to reach a field hospital Private Baggett’s magnificent courage, gallant and outstanding valor was an inspiration to all and exemplifies the finest tradition of the American soldier. He was 19 years of age at the time of his death.

Surviving besides his parents are one brother, Mack H. Baggett of Florence; two sisters, Mrs. Frank Fisher of Illinois, and Helen Dorothy Baggett of Hemingway; his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Victoria Lambert of Andrews.

Published in Morning News, Florence, SC, Friday, Nov 19, 1948.