HUGHES, Elmer Eugene, St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
File prepared by D.N. Pardue and submitted by Inez Bridges Tate.
************************************************
Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
************************************************

From "St. Helena Vets Remember World War II: Personal Interviews
With World War II Vets", published by St. Helena Historical
Association, 1995.  Compiled and edited by Inez Bridges Tate and
reprinted with permission.

     Elmer Eugene Hughes (Eugene) was born in Liberty, Miss-
issippi and lived there until he was ten years old.  At this
time the family moved to the New Zion Community.  Eugene at-
tended New Zion and Oakland Schools.

     Eugene helped to operate the City Service Station in Kent-
wood for a few years.  He was drafted March 25, 1943, reporting
to New Orleans.  From there he was sent to Camp Butler, North
Carolina for his basic training.  He took additional training at
Fort Bragg.  This was to train on a new gun.  Eugene was in the
270th Field Artillery Battalion.

     He well remembers his trip across the Atlantic to England.
They were transported on a British ship designed to carry 11,000
troops.  They crowded 20,000 troops aboard!  It was necessary to
take turns to go topside for a "breath of air."  He was assigned
about three floors down.  Each soldier was given a meal ticket
to use for their meals.  Eugene still has his ticket that was
punched only four times.  He was too sick to eat.  He was not
the only one sick though.

     The six biggest guns were held by his Battalion.  The
powder for these guns weighed 80 pounds.  They were assigned a
point in England which was the most narrow place across the
English Channel.  From here they opened fire on the coast across
from them.  They went into Normandy at Utah Beach.  Eugene serv-
ed in the following countries: Normandy, Northern France,
Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe.

     Decorations and Citations: ATO Medal; EAMETO; Good Conduct
Medal and World War II Victory Medal.

     Eugene saw Tip Alford and Willie Price while overseas.
These guys were paratroopers.

     Eugene said there were only five major battles in the Euro-
pean Theater and his outfit participated in all five.

     From a history booklet "In the 270th Field Artillery
Battalion in the E.T.O." we copy the following:

     "In toto, it might be said that the 270th was as unspectac-
ular as the plodding turtle, but heavy artillery is not intended
to be spectacular, only effective when and where needed.  That
the 240MM, as handled by the 270th and its crack gun crews, was
effective cannot be denied.  The precision accuracy, the speed
of delivery, and the destructive effect upon targets, despite
the extreme range at which most targets were engaged, all speaks
highly for the largest of all American mobile artillery pieces.

     Certainly no German who encountered the 270th and its 240MM
Howitzers will soon forget the role of the 'Black Dragons' in
victory over the Nazi would-be conquerors.  Men of the 270th can
point with pardonable pride to the fact that many of the 'master
race' did not live long enough to appreciate that their demise
was brought about through the skilled handling of one of the most
effective of all military weapons."

     Eugene returned to the United States and received his dis-
charge on December 6, 1945 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.

     He and Miss Dorothy Travis were married on May 9, 1948.
They are the parents of 3 children and have 2 grandchildren.

     They continue to operate a dairy farm at their farm in the
New Zion Community.  Eugene represented District VI as Police
Juror from May 19, 1982 to April 20, 1992.

* * *