Elvie Ingram

Company A 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

4th Infantry Division

KIA 11/22/1944

Elvie Ingram was born in Alabama on June 14, 1919. He enlisted in the Regular Army on October 8, 1940,
to serve in the Department of the Philippines. He listed his home of residence as Coosa County, Alabama,
and his civilian occupation as farm hand. He had completed grammar school and was single with no dependents.
His religion was listed as Protestant.

The date of his assignment to the 22nd Infantry is unknown but he was with the Regiment
at least by December 1942 as his name is listed in a Company roster on a menu for the
Christmas Dinner of Company A 22nd Infantry at Camp Gordon, Georgia in December 1942. *

He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal as a Sergeant in Headquarters 22nd Infantry General Orders No. 5
dated June 8, 1943 at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

He was seriously wounded in action on June 8, 1944 and returned to duty
on September 21, 1944.

Staff Sergeant Ingram was killed in action in Germany, on November 22, 1944, during the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest.

After action interviews conducted with officers and enlisted men of Company A during the war provide the
following narrative of Staff Sergeant Ingram during the Battle:

November 16:

The 1st platoon was then given the mission of establishing contact between the 1st and 2d battalions,
by tying the right flank of B Company to the left flank of E Company.

...S/Sgt. Frank Espino, S/Sgt. Elvie Ingram, and Pfc. Raymond Fraher then ventured out to patrol and find B Company.
By this time it was already after dark and communication had been lost with A Company because, as the men said,
“the SCR 536 is the sorriest excuse for communication in this terrain that Uncle Sam ever dreamed up.” On level
terrain, this radio might carry several miles, but despite the fact that new batteries were put in daily, it was
found that communication was immediately broken as soon as they crossed a hill or draw. The three-man patrol
stumbled ahead in the dark and fifty yards out they tripped over several sleeping Germans. The patrol drew no fire,
but it beat a strategic retreat and told Lt. Bernasco that they would go out again with blood in their eyes.

On the second trip, they observed a 4-man enemy patrol advancing, allowed them to get within 25 yards, and then
Pfc. Fraher from a covered position shot and killed a German officer. The patrol warned the 1st platoon’s left flank
to be alert, and then ambushed another enemy patrol. This one was broken up when Sgt. Ingram fired an
anti-tank grenade which hit the lead man of the patrol in the chest; two others fled.

November 18:

All radios were out and S/Sgt. Elvie Ingram went back to contact battalion and make sure that no resistance
was being bypassed and that the supply lines would not be harassed. On the way back, Sgt. Ingram accounted
for another German with his rifle grenade.

November 21 and 22:

The company sector was quiet on 21 November, and the troops remained in place. The following day, A Company
did not participate in an attack, but made a fake firing demonstration, using all their weapons except bazookas.

“It all sounded O.K. until they started returning our fire,” said Lt. Bernasco. Very severe mortar and artillery fire
dropped on A Company’s positions, but they continued to stick their shelters and deliver additional diversionary fires
to deceive the enemy. The 1st platoon, firing forward and making feints as though they were going to jump off on
an attack, was hit the hardest by this fire. S/Sgt. Elvie Ingram, 1st platoon guide who had (according to his platoon
leader, Lt. Bernasco) done an outstanding job in leadership and had personally accounted for at least three enemy
with rifle grenade shots, was killed outright when a shell fragment struck him in the head as he was directing fire
for the fake attack.

Decorations of Elvie Ingram

Elvie Ingram was buried in the temporary cemetery at Henri-Chappele, Belgium and his remains were
later returned to the United States where he was interred in Alabama on December 17, 1947.

Burial:
Mobile National Cemetery
Mobile
Mobile County
Alabama
Plot: 7, 2058

Grave marker for Elvie Ingram

Photo by Carolyn from the Find A Grave website

* Courtesy of Julien Woestyn

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