Private James M. Hutton Jr.

Census for 1920. View the full document.

The Hutton family moved to the US, and eventually New Jersey. A 1920 Census reveals they lived on Washington Street in Lodi in Henry Hutton’s home. Henry and James worked as watchmen in a factory and were literate. Sometime after moving to the United States, James Hutton married and had four children. Information about James’ wife and the children’s mother is unclear. James Hutton’s marital status still says married, but there is no name given for her. The only information given is that she was from Pennsylvania.

James Hutton’s oldest daughter was Jean Hutton. She was born around 1901 in Pennsylvania. She worked as a folder at a silk mill and was literate. His next daughter was Viola Hutton. She was born around 1903 in New Jersey and worked with her sister as a folder at a silk mill. His third daughter was Henrietta Hutton. She was born around 1911.She was only nine years old at the time of the 1920 Census and attended school. James Hutton finally had a son. Private James M. Hutton Jr. was born in New Jersey in 1914. He was five years when at the time of the census and attended school as well.l[1]

Census for 1930. View the full document.

Census for 1940. View the full document.

Battle Casuality Report. View the full document.

Between 1920 and 1930, James Hutton Jr. moved to Garibaldi Avenue in Lodi, New Jersey. His sister Jean married James Mazzonie and they had two sons, Sylvester and Carmine. Hutton moved into the Mazzonie house with his father. He no longer attended school, but knew how to read and write[2]. His WWII enlistment records show that he had up to two years of high school education[3].

Sometime between 1930 and 1940, James Hutton Jr. moved to Florida. The 1940 Census reveals that he lived in a boarding house in Dade County, Florida. The house, run by an Irishman named Charles H. Buckley, lodged men from all over the world including Holland and Germany. The census shows that, at the time, Hutton worked as a caddy in a golf club.[4]

The Census also reports that he was still single. Hutton must have married sometime between the 1940 Census and his enlistment in 1943[5]. His enlistment records lists him as married to Florence E Offnick[6]. She was born on September 19,1919 in Hancock, New York. Her parents were John and Catherine Offnick. James and Florence had one child, James Hutton III[7].

Hutton was drafted into the Army on October 30, 1943, for the duration of the war plus six months after the war. His enlistment records reveal that he worked as a semiskilled chauffeur. He drove taxis, buses, trucks, and tractors[8]. He might have used this skill during his Army service. He served in the 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division[9]. He was in K Company[10].

Before Hutton was enlisted, the Division participated in the landings in Sicily and fought across Italy, including Anzio and Salerno. The 45th Division, based out of Oklahoma, was part of the 7th US Army and participated in Operation Dragoon. This brought Pvt. Hutton and the rest of the 45^th Infantry Division to France in August of 1944. A newspaper from October 4, 1944, explains that retreating German forces stalled the Americans in France near Epinal. This is likely where Pvt. Hutton died[11]. Private James M. Hutton, Jr. died in France on September 26, 1944. He reveived the Purple Heart[12].

After Hutton’s death, the Division continued to fight in France, and eventually made their way into Germany. The 45^th Infantry Divisionalso liberated the Dachau concentration camp in 1945[13].

Though Pvt. Hutton would never meet them, he and his wife had three grandchildren, Dena, James, and Ray, and six great-grandchildren. Florence never remarried. She loved gardening and spent her life taking care of her home. Florence Hutton died in her home on September 8, 2013[14].