J. Courtland Hall

J. Courtland Hall was born in Los Angeles, California, on June 20, 1923, and enlisted in the U.S. Army on Sept. 25, 1942. He completed basic training at Fort MacArthur, California, and was assigned to the 648th Tank Destroyer BN, which was activated at Camp Bowie, Texas on March 6, 1943. They arrived in France on Dec. 19, 1944, and were immediately assigned to the 9th Army in support of General Patton's counter moves in the Battle of the Bulge. After the successful repelling of the Nazis' advancements, J. Courtland Hall served with the 135 Maintenance Battalion working to rescue and transport damaged tanks to Allied repair stations. He encountered infantry combat firefights and was an expert with the M1 Rifle. He earned his honorable discharge on Dec. 24, 1945. He received the American Campaign Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. His son Court Hall, a former US Army intelligence officer, lives in Tucson.

Don Dickinson