Pfc. Harold Henry Hardt was born in Bellwood, Illinois, on January 12, 1925, to Fred Hardt and Julia Strang-Hardt, he had two sisters and a brother. The family resided at 500 24th Avenue, Bellwood, Illinois, and he graduated from Roosevelt School in Bellwood, and then attended Proviso Township High School but left before his class graduated in 1944. He moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he worked for the Ford Motor Company as a metal smith. He registered with Selective Service, in Bellwood, on January 12, 1943, and named his father as his contact person.
Harold was inducted into the US Army, in Chicago, on August 9, 1943, and was issued the serial number 36 765 334. What little that is known about his training is that he was stationed at Ft. Gruber, Oklahoma, and was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division. It appears he was selected to be reassigned to 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division as a replacement. It is not known when he joined the division. The division was withdrawn from Italy to prepare for Operation Dragoon which was the invasion of southern France.
On August 15, 1944, the 42nd landed in southern France and took the town of Saint Tropez and then advanced up the Rhone River Valley through the Vosges Mountains and reached the Rhine around November 26th or 27th. It than was involved in skirmishes with the Germans. What is known is that Harold was reported Killed in Action on December 5, 1944, Gerstheim, France, after he was hit by shrapnel from a mortar shell in his neck. On December 8th, Harold was buried in the United States Military Cemetery, Hochfelden, France, in a shelter half since caskets weren’t available, in Plot C, Row 4, Grave 332. At some point his remains were moved to the US Military Cemetery, St. Avold, France. His parents received a telegram, in December 1944, informing them of Harold’s death.
MRS JULIA HARDT 500 SOUTH 24TH AVENUE BELLWOOD ILL
THE SECRETARY OF WAR HIS DEEPEST REGRET THAT YOUR SON PRIVATE FIRST CLASS HAROLD H HARDT WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON FIVE OF DECEMBER IN FRANCE LETTER FOLLOWS
ULIO THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
On December 31, 1944, his parents held a memorial service for Harold at the Zion Lutheran Church in Bellwood. It is known his parents received a letter from Army Chaplain Lloyd E. Langford (Major) sometime in January 1945. It appears that the next time Harold’s parents heard from the military regarding him was in a letter dated October 2, 1947, that contained information on their options for his final burial. They were asked to fill-out and return an enclosed form indicating where they wanted Harold buried. The Office of the Quartermaster General received the form on November 11, 1947, which indicated that they wanted him returned to the United States for burial.
Harold’s remains were disinterred, on September 23, 1948, and arrived at the the American Graves Registration Service in Antwerp, Belgium, on the 27th, where they were casketed. On the USAT Carroll Victory, his casket sailed for the US on October 29th. The ship did not arrive at the New York Port of Debarkation until November 16th, and his remains were held there until the 18th, when they were sent by train to the QMC Distribution Center #8, in Chicago arriving on the 28th. From Chicago, by military hearse, his remains were sent to the Senne Undertaking Parlor in Maywood, Illinois.
Pfc. Harold H. Hardt was buried, with full military honors, at the Glen Oak Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois, on December 18, 1948, in the Orchard Section, Lot 4, Grave 3.
