World War II Honoree

Hugh George Payne, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Richard N. Payne

Relationship

Brother

VOLUNTEERED FOR THE DRAFT AT AGE 18, WHILE A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL. ONE OF THE ‘BOYS OF PUTNAM CITY HIGH’ WHO MARCHED OFF TO WAR IN 1943 TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY, BEFORE COMPLETING HIS SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. DEPARTED HIS HOMETOWN BY TRAIN FOR HIS INITIAL ENTRY TRAINING IN CALIFORNIA WITH A COMPLEMENT OF OTHER NEW SOLDIERS. HIS FIRST MILITARY LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY CAME WHEN HE WAS PLACED IN CHARGE OF THE GROUP. TOOK BASIC TRAINING AT THE ANTIAIRCRAFT ARTILLERY TRAINING CENTER AT CAMP HAAN AT RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ASSIGNED THERE TO THE 569TH SEPARATE COAST ARTILLERY, ANTIAIRCRAFT ARTILLERY (AAA) AUTOMATIC WEAPONS (AW) BATTALION (MOBILE). HIS UNIT WAS REDESIGNATED AS THE 569TH AAA AUTOMATIC WEAPONS BATTALION (MOBILE) ON MAY 15, 1943. HE PARTICIPATED IN DESERT TRAINING MANEUVERS AT CAMP IRWIN, NEAR BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, IN THE MOJAVE DESERT, INCLUDING WEAPONS FIRING, INFILTRATION COURSE MOVEMENT UNDER LIVE MACHINEGUN FIRE, AND NEGOTIATING AN OBSTACLE COURSE. HIS UNIT THEN MOVED TO FORT BRAGG AT FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR COMBAT OVERSEAS, INCLUDING LIVE-FIRING EXERCISES AT CAMP FISHER AT WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA. HIS BATTALION STAGED AT CAMP KILMER AT STELTON, NEW JERSEY, IN NOVEMBER, 1943, AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ABOARD THE LIBERTY SHIP ‘SEA QUAIL’ ON NOVEMBER 7, 1944, AND ARRIVED AT SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, ON NOVEMBER 18, 1943. THE CROSSING OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC WAS ROUGH AND HE AND HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS WERE RUDELY INTRODUCED TO THE CONDITION KNOWN AS ‘SEASICKNESS.' ALL WERE HAPPY TO GET THEIR FEET BACK ON SOLID GROUND AGAIN. SERVED AS AN AAA OBSERVER-'SPOTTER' OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) DURING THE WAR. SERVED AND TRAINED AT CAMP RANIKHET, BERKSHIRE, JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY OF READING, ENGLAND. THE BATTALION MOVED TO SOUTHAMPTON ON JANUARY 27, 1945, AND BOARDED A POLISH HOSPITAL SHIP FOR AN OVERNIGHT CROSSING OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL TO THE PORT OF LE HAVRE, FRANCE. HIS UNIT LANDED IN FRANCE ON JANUARY 28, 1945, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE U.S. 7TH ARMY. PARTICIPATED IN THE RHINELAND, AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS AND SAW ACTION IN FRANCE AND GERMANY. THE UNIT MOVED THROUGH CAMP ‘TWENTY GRAND’ AT ROUEN, FRANCE, AFTER LANDING AND MOVED BY CONVOY TO THE COLMAR AREA IN NORTHEASTERN FRANCE BEGINNING ON JANUARY 29, 1945. ALONG THE ROUTE WERE THE SIGHTS, SMELLS AND SOUNDS OF WAR, INCLUDING DESTROYED VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT, DEMOLISHED BUILDINGS, DEAD ANIMALS, BURNING BUILDINGS, AND THE SOUNDS OF VEHICLES, TANKS, AND AIRCRAFT OVERHEAD. AS THEY APPROACHED THE FRONT, EVERYTHING BECAME MAGNIFIED, INCLUDING SIGHTS OF ENEMY DEAD AND THE INCREASED TEMPO OF GUNFIRE. THE BATTALION ARRIVED AT THE SAINT-DIE-DES-VOSGES - SAINTE MARIE-AUX-MINES AREA, IN THE VOSGES MOUNTAINS, WAS ATTACHED TO THE U.S. XXI CORPS ON FEBRUARY 4, 1945, AND TOOK PART IN THE BATTLE FOR COLMAR. HIS UNIT PROVIDED ANTIAIRCRAFT PROTECTION FOR AREA UNITS UNTIL THE ‘COLMAR POCKET’ WAS ELIMINATED AND THE BATTLE ENDED ON FEBRUARY 10, 1945. THE 569TH AAA BATTALION WAS COMMENDED BY XXI CORPS FOR THEIR ACTIONS IN COMBAT AT COLMAR. HIS BATTALION ALSO HAD THE DISTINCTION OF ENGAGING THE FIRST JET FIGHTER AIRCRAFT TO BE USED IN COMBAT, THE GERMAN MESSERSCHMIDT ME-262 ‘STORMBIRD.’ THE RAGING SNOW, FOG, AND BITTER COLD OF THAT WINTER MADE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON HIM. HIS UNIT WAS RELOCATED TO THE MERLEBACH, FRANCE, AREA ON FEBRUARY 26, 1945, AND THEN TO THE FORBACH-SARREGUEMINES AREA IN FRANCE TO STAGE FOR THE ADVANCE TO THE RHINE RIVER. THE UNIT SUPPORTED OPERATIONS IN THE SAAR REGION OF GERMANY, THE ATTACK ON THE SIEGFRIED LINE, AND THE ADVANCE TO AND CROSSING OF THE RHINE RIVER BY 7TH ARMY FORCES ON MARCH 26, 1945. HIS BATTALION WAS COMMENDED BY THE 23RD AAA GROUP COMMANDER FOR PROVIDING PROTECTION FOR KEY BRIDGES AND OTHER CRITICAL POINTS DURING THE ASSAULT, PARTICULARLY DURING THE RHINE RIVER CROSSING; AND FOR THEIR DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY AIRCRAFT. DUE TO THE RAPID ADVANCE OF MANEUVER UNITS, HIS UNIT WAS GIVEN SECURITY DUTIES IN THE AREAS BEHIND THE ADVANCE, BEGINNING APRIL 1, 1945. THIS INCLUDED ESTABLISHING ROADBLOCKS, PROVIDING SECURITY FOR VITAL BRIDGES AND KEY FACILITIES, ROUNDING-UP ENEMY TROOPS AND TAKING THEM TO PRISONER-OF-WAR (POW) CAMPS, CONFISCATING MILITARY EQUIPMENT, SETTING UP DISPLACED PERSONS CAMPS, AND MAINTAINING LAW AND ORDER. THE BATTALION OPERATED IN AN AREA BETWEEN KAISERSLAUTERN, IN THE RHINELAND-PALATINATE REGION, TO MANNHEIM AND HEILBRONN IN THE STATE OF BADEN-WURTTEMBERG IN SOUTHWESTERN GERMANY. HE HAD A VIVID MEMORY OF SEEING MANNHEIM IN FLAMES. HIS UNIT WAS OPERATING IN SOUTHWESTERN GERMANY WHEN GERMANY UNCONDITIONALLY SURRENDERED TO THE ALLIES, AND PRESIDENT TRUMAN ANNOUNCED THE ALLIED VICTORY IN EUROPE (V-E DAY) ON MAY 8, 1945. IT WAS LOCATED AT BAD RAPPENAU, GERMANY, NEAR HEILBRONN, IN AUGUST, 1945 WHEN THE JAPANESE SURRENDERED AND HOSTILITIES CEASED. HIS BATTALION SAILED FROM LE HAVRE, RETURNED FROM OVERSEAS SERVICE AND ARRIVED AT THE NEW YORK PORT ON FEBRUARY 16, 1946, AND WAS INACTIVATED AT CAMP KILMER, NEW JERSEY ON FEBRUARY 17, 1946. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (2 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1946 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. FOLLOWING HIS MILITARY SERVICE HE RETURNED HOME AND WAS AWARDED HIS HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. REENTERED MILITARY SERVICE WITH THE OKLAHOMA NATIONAL GUARD AFTER THE WAR, WAS COMMISSIONED, AND SERVED UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN.