1LT Edley Craighill Jr.

at Episcopal High School, Alexandria, VA 1938

1LT Edley Craighill Jr. was born 22 Nov 1920 in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was the 2nd of 3 children and only son born to Edley and Julia Payne (Howard) Craighill.

PFC Craighill was a member of the Lynchburg National Guard unit when it was federalized on 3 Feb 1941. He was soon promoted to SGT then sent to Officer Candidate School and then volunteered for the airborne. He was assigned to A Company 501st Parachute Infantry, 101st Infantry Division. He was assigned to that unit when it jumped in support of the invasion of occupied France on the morning of 6 Jun 1944. The unit was tasked with securing the lock at Le Barquette to prevent the Germans from flooding the lower country and blocking entry to the Americans moving inland. As the unit crossed one of the last fields, the paratrooper bringing up the rear of the column lagged far behind and was felled by a bullet. 1LT Craighill dropped his weapon, crawled back across the wide and fire-swept space and dragged the man to safety. It was for that action that he was awarded the Silver Star. Later, at Carentan, 1LT Craighill was struck by fragments from artillery fire and killed in action on 14 Jun 1944,

1LT Craighill was repatriated in 1949 and re-interred in Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Edley's father also served in the 116th in various positions before being assigned to the 115th Infantry as Executive Officer serving in Normandy at the same time as his son. His grandfather, Robert Edley Craighill, had served as Executive Officer of the 116th Infantry at Camp McClellan, Alabama in 1918 and commanded the 1at Virginia Infantry as early as 1906. Great-grandfathers also served, Robert Templeton Craighill served as a PVT in 12th Virginia Cavalry, Edward Sixtus Hutter had served as a MAJ of Artillery (CSA) in the Civil War. Great-great grandfathers also served in the military, John Scarsbrook Langhorne served as a MAJ in 2nd Virginia Cavalry (CSA) and Thomas Massie Howard served as a PVT in CPT Barksdale's company of Virginia Militia in the War of 1812.