John McGill was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, on March 16, 1916. He was the son of Mrs. Catherine McGill ... In his years after high school and before he joined the ranks, John was employed as a machine operator.

In his years before the war, John married Mabel A McGill. They had two sons, John and James B McGill, who were both still very young when their father left for Europe.

John was drafted March 9, 1944 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts and trained at Fort McClellan, Alabama, before being sent to Europe as a rifleman with the 9th ("the Old Reliable") Infantry Division, the 47th ("Raiders") Infantry Regiment, E Company.

By the time John was assigned to the ranks of the 9th Infantry Division, the Old Reliable had already a history of many battles to show ... After all the Old Reliable was introduced to the war in Operation Torch, the landing of Allied Forces in North-Africa ... Just before dawn of November 8, 1942 the 9th Infantry Division entered the battle ... While the 39th Combat Team landed at Algiers, the 47th Combat Team was hitting the beach at Safi, French Morocco, and the 60th Combat Team was hammering at the Kasba and the airport at Port Lyautey, Morocco.

After the operations in North Africa the Old Reliable was involved in almost every major battle that took place in the European Theatre of Operations ...

By the time John joined the forces the Division took part in the St. Lo break-through and in August 1944 helped close the Falaise Gap. Turning east, the 9th crossed the Marne, 28 August 1944, swept through Saarlautern, and in November and December held defensive positions from Monschau to Losheim. On 24 November 1944, John's company was ordered to attack the little German village Hücheln, a suburb of Eilendorf. During this attack, while being attached to the 1st Infantry Division, John was killed in action in the Hürtgen Forest. Due to reports collected after the war, John was probably killed instantly when he was hit by fragments of an artillery- or mortarshell, however this information is not confirmed.

After John had been killed, he was buried at the temporary cemetery of Henri-Chapelle. John was laid to rest in Plot CC, Row 9, Grave 177 ... On his right side was buried Robert J Doyle of the 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion. On his left Stanley Michalakj, whose outfit remains unknown. Robert Doyle is still in Henri-Chapelle ... He found his final resting place in Plot C Row 6 Grave 14. Stanley Michalakj has been returned to the United States ...

These days John B McGill rests in the beautiful American Military Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle. He is remembered and honored by his granddaughter Pamela M. Burkholder, by his entire family, by Vincent Vandeberg who adopted his final resting place at Henri-Chapelle, by every visitor of the American Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle and by every visitor of the In Honored Glory website.

Special thanks to John's granddaughter Pamela Burkholder and to Vincent Vandeberg who adopted John's final resting place at Henri-Chapelle