Elden L. Whitacre
Date of Birth: June 6, 1911
Place of Birth: Keats, Riley Co., Kansas
Father and Mother’s Names: Oren Whitacre and Hattie Jane (McCurdy) Whitacre
Date Entered Service: May 19, 1942 from Riley Kansas.
Service Branch: Army
Rank/Specialty: Private First Class
Service ID: 37202689
Division/Company/Unit info: Company G, 339th Infantry Combat Team, 88th Infantry Division (Blue Devils).
Awards and Commendations: Purple Heart and Presidential Citation.
Riley Connection: Born and raised in Riley County and enlisted from Fort Riley.
Date of Death (and Age): May 10, 1944 (age 32).
Place of Death: Killed in action near Minturno, Italy.
Grave Location: Sunset Cemetery, Manhattan, Riley Co., Kansas.
Bio: Elden LaFay Whitacre was born near Keats, Kansas on June 6, 1911 to Oren Whitacre and Hattie Jane (McCurdy) Whitacre. Elden grew up on their farm near Keats and attended four years of high school. On May 19, 1942, Elden left the life of a farmer to enlist into the Army at Fort Riley, Kansas. He became a Private First Class attached to Company G, 339th Infantry Combat Team, 88th Infantry Division. He trained at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He also spent time in Leesville, Louisiana, Camp Pilot Knob, California, Camp Coxcomb, California and Fort Dix, New Jersey. On December 16, 1943, his unit went to Africa. After about three months in Africa, Elden found himself fighting the Germans in Italy on March 14, 1944. By early May Elden's unit was in the middle of heavy German resistance and soldiers were being killed all around him. By May 10th, he had joined his fallen comrades while climbing and fighting out of a quarry near Minturno, Italy. His remains were given their final resting place in December 1948 at Sunset Cemetery, Manhattan, Kansas.
This, then, is the story of the battle record, in Italy, of the 88th Infantry Division -- of the soldiers the Germans called "The Blue Devils."
A frequent visitor to the Division, Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark, Fifth Army Commander, spoke to more than 5,500 troops in a rear area on 3 May when he made formal presentation to the 88th's first DSC winner, Lieutenant Lamb. Welcoming the 88th to the Fifth Army and praising Maj. Gen. Sloan, who once had been his instructor in tactics, Lt. Gen. Clark told the men they were ready to go places and "I promise you it will be soon."
Little more than a week later, Field Order No. 6, complete except for date and time of D-Day and H-Hour, went out to the units. Commanders learned that II Corps was to attack with divisions abreast -- 88th on the right, 85th on the coast -- with the ultimate objective of cutting the Itri-Pico road west of Itri. Abandoning its circus layout near Carano, the Division CP moved up into a quarry south of Minturno -- farthest forward CP of any division in the line.
Up in the lines, the doughboy, with nothing ahead of him but the enemy, simply sat tight and sweated it out -- surveyed the seemingly impassable mountains over which he'd soon have to fight and climb, gave his rifle an extra check and got ready to start climbing. Finally, everything was set -- there was nothing more to do but wait. The 88th was ready.
May 3: 339th Infantry relieves the 338th Infantry in line from Minturno to Scauri, and assumes responsibility for guarding Garigliano River Bridge on Highway 7.
May 11: "The Big Push". Operation DIADEM begins at 2300 hours. The 339th Infantry attacks promptly at H-Hour, with the 1st Battalion containing Scauri and enemy held Domenico Ridge east of the town. The 2nd Battalion advances into the area between Tremensuoli and Scauri, objectives of Hills 58, 79, and Intermediate Ridge. The 3rd Battalion crosses Capo di Acqua and assaults Hills 69 and 66. Casualties are heavy within first few hours.
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