Neil H. Cline was the youngest child of Junius Lester Cline
and his wife Bessie Watts. His siblings were Troy B; Mamie Hinnant;
Elsie Adams; William C; Ola Fuller and Julia Edwards.
Neil was single, with dependents, a high school graduate, and working as
a clerk at Carolina Rim and Wheel, Charlotte, NC, when he was drafted on
23 Nov 1942 at Camp Croft, South Carolina. He served in I Company, 508th
Parachute Infantry Regiment during WWII. He was mortally wounded in
action.
Cline and 5 other paratroopers in
Company I fought for 33 days without relief or replacement in Normandy.
His mother reported that he was killed in the Battle of the Belgium
Bulge. Paratroopers had jumped into a spot a day or so early to
scout. They set up camp in an abandoned house. Neil was hit in the head
by shrapnel. He was unconscious for 3 days before he died.
Sgt Cline was buried in Belgium and his grave was
"adopted" by a local Belgium girl.
A memorial service was held at the Tenth Avenue
Presbyterian Church in Charlotte on 3-11-1945.
In 1947 his remains were shipped home. Before the
memorial ceremonies in NY, an officer stepped forward and pointed to one
of the bronze coffins. Cline became the Unknown Soldier that day in the
processional before a quarter of a million people in New York City.
His body was then sent to Charlotte and he was the
first soldier buried in the then new Evergreen Cemetery. |
 SGT NEIL CLINE RITES ARE SET
Graveside Services to Be Held
Sunday at 3 p.m. at
Evergreen Cemetery
Graveside services for Sgt Neil H. Cline of 319 North Pine street who was killed in the Battle of the Bulge, January 22 1945, will be held Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock at Evergreen cemetery. Rev W Chester Keller of Tenth Avenue Presbyterian church will officiate/ Members of Howard Hughes post of the American Legion will serve as pallbearers.
Sergeant Cline was born August 23 1922 in Mecklenburg county son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Cline. He was graduated from Harding High school in 1941 and was a member of Company I, 508th Parachute Infantry. 82nd Division. Cline participated in the D-Day invasion and the invasion of Holland. The body will remain at
Harry and Bryant chapel until the hour of the service.
Surviving Sergeant Cline are his parents, four sisters: Mrs. Albert Hinnant,
Mrs. Carl R Fuller, Mrs. Arthur Edwards and Miss Elsie Cline and two brothers: Troy B, Cline and W Craven Cline.
[The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, 13 Nov 1947, Thu, Page 6] |
(courtesy of "Jillanita")
Grave markers for Sgt Neil H. Cline in the Evergreen Cemetery, Charlotte
(Mecklenburg county), North Carolina.
Sgt Cline died of wounds on 22 January 1945 and was awarded the Purple Heart. |
