PFC Elmer Frank Mlinaric was born 21 Dec 1923 in Trafford, Pennsylvania. He was the eldest of 3 children born to Ivan Thomas and Catherine Sue (Badida) Mlinarc. The family name seems to have evolved from "Minerich" after Elmer's paternal grandfather immigrated from Croatia which was part of the Austria-Hungarian Empire. Elmer's father worked as a skilled moulder in a steel foundry earning enough to purchase a home at 671 Sixth Street in Trafford valued at $6000 in 1930. Ivan was still working in the foundry in 1940 having earned a reported $1200 in 1939. However the depression was likely affecting the family as their home was only valued at $5000 in 1940. Elmer was able to graduate from Trafford High School in 1942. That is his senior photo shown here.
Elmer was drafted in February 1943 and after about 5-months of basic military training he was sent to the European theater and on 13 Jun 1944 was transferred from the replacement depot to A Company 116th Infantry and then on 15 Jun 1944 to B Company 116th Infantry as the 1st Battalion worked to strengthen these 2 companies which had taken the worst losses in the landing on 6 Jun 1944. PFC Mlinaric fought with B Company until killed in action on 2 Jul 1944. How he was killed is not known but PFC Mlinaric's body could not be recovered and he is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
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