Ernest E. Epperhart

Technician Fifth Grade Ernest Elmo Epperhart was born on September 27, 1921, in Manbar, Logan County, West Virginia, to Wheeler Preston Epperhart and Nellie Gray Epperhart. He had five sisters and one brother. The family later relocated to Morehead, Rowan County, Kentucky, where Ernest graduated from Rowan County High School. Pursuing a career in acting, he was residing in Morehead at the time of his enlistment. Surviving family members also recalled that he had a passion for music, often playing the harmonica and occasionally the guitar.

On October 26, 1940, Ernest enlisted in Company G, 149th Infantry Regiment of the Kentucky National Guard in Ashland, Kentucky. His unit was inducted into federal service on January 18, 1941. In early 1943, Epperhart volunteered for pilot training in the Army Air Corps as indicated by his Aviation Cadet logbook, a cherished family heirloom along with his Purple Heart medal.

In 1944, Epperhart was transferred to Company I, 255th Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division. The 63rd Infantry Division, known as the “Blood and Fire” division, was activated on June 15, 1943, at Camp Blanding, Florida. The division’s insignia and nickname were inspired by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s statement at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, where he vowed to make the enemy “bleed and burn in expiation of their crimes.” The division embarked in November 1944 arriving in Marseille, France, on December 8, 1944, and was assigned to the Seventh Army of the U.S. Sixth Army Group.

In February 1945, the 63rd Infantry Division was engaged in operations along the Saar River in northeastern France, near the German border. The division crossed the Saar River on February 17, 1945, and was involved in intense combat in the Mühlenwald (Muehlen Woods) area. It is during this period of heavy fighting that Technician Fifth Grade Epperhart was killed in action on February 16, 1945 following forty-nine months of military service.

Following the war, Ernest Elmo Epperhart’s remains were returned to the United States, and he was laid to rest at Mount Pisgah Cemetery in the Bluestone area of Morehead, Rowan County, Kentucky. His name is honored on the Kentucky National Guard Memorial, located at Panel 2, Column 2, Line 16. Notably, records sometimes list his surname as “Upperheart” and his first name as “Elmo” as he is known to his surviving family members.

Technician Fifth Grade Epperhart’s service and sacrifice are emblematic of the courage and dedication exhibited by the soldiers of the Kentucky National Gurd and the 63rd Infantry Division during World War II.

This photo depicts soldiers from I Company, 255th Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division, at Camp Van Dorn, MS on October 30, 1944. The source of the photo is the website WorldWarTwoVeterans.com which provides unit rosters and photographs of World War II veterans.

During World War II, the U.S. Army rank of Technician Fifth Grade (Tec 5 or T/5) was introduced in 1942 and was equivalent in pay to a Corporal (E-4), though without formal leadership responsibilities unless specifically assigned. Tec 5s wore an insignia consisting of two chevrons (Corporal insignia) with a capital “T” beneath, signifying their technical specialization. These soldiers held vital non-commissioned roles requiring specialized training, serving as radio operators, mechanics, medics, artillery technicians, draftsmen, and other skilled support personnel. The technician ranks (including Tec 3 and Tec 4) were created to recognize the growing importance of technical expertise during WWII but were discontinued in 1948, with such skills later integrated into standard enlisted ranks under the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) system.