Their Story
Remembering Benjamin F. Laughton Jr.
Benjamin F. Laughton — US Army Soldier Killed in Germany, 1944 Private First Class Benjamin Franklin Laughton Jr. (1914–1944) was a U.S. Army soldier from Pensacola, Florida, who died in Germany during World War II. He was the son of Benjamin F. Laughton Sr. and Leola Belle Davis Laughton of Bagdad, Florida, and attended Pensacola High School.
He was the father of Loma Jean Laughton Lambert and Norma Lou Laughton Staley.
Military Service Laughton enlisted at Camp Blanding, Florida on March 17, 1944, and was assigned to L Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. He served as a light machine gunner and was awarded the Purple Heart for the sacrifice of his life in service.
Death in Action On November 25, 1944, Laughton was killed in action in the Hürtgen Forest near Großhau, Germany during Operation Queen, a major Allied offensive to seize Rhine River crossings. The battle was among the bloodiest of the war in Europe, with extreme weather, dense forest, and heavy casualties. The 22nd Infantry Regiment suffered over 85% of its strength in just one engagement.