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From WWII Bomber to Hometown Hero: Claude Hillenbrand Honored as Grand Marshal of Veterans Day Parade

Issue #268

11 Nov

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

🌤 Columbia Weather - Partly cloudy with a high of 69

🇺🇸 From WWII Bomber to Hometown Hero: Claude Hillenbrand Honored as Grand Marshal of Veterans Day Parade

🇺🇸 2024 Veterans Day Specials 

🚒 Maury County Fire Department Fights Fire in Stoneybrook Neighborhood

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

⛑ Looking For Ways to Help Victims of Hurricane Helene? Click Here

🗓 Know of Some Local Events Not Listed? Send us the Details!

Upcoming Local Events

🗓 Have an event to add? Send us the Details!

Monday, November 11th

Tuesday, November 12th

Wednesday, November 13th

Thursday, November 14th

Friday, November 15th

Saturday, November 16th

Sunday, November 17th

From WWII Bomber to Hometown Hero: Claude Hillenbrand Honored as Grand Marshal of Veterans Day Parade

Claude Hillenbrand, a 101-year-old World War II veteran, will lead the Maury County Veterans Day parade as the Grand Marshal today. Known as "Hilly" to his bomber flight crew, Hillenbrand served as a flight engineer and gunner on the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, completing a remarkable 35 missions across Europe during the war. Now a resident of Spring Hill, Hillenbrand’s incredible story of courage and resilience brings an inspiring presence to this year’s celebration.

Growing up in Evansville, Indiana, Hillenbrand faced the challenges of the Great Depression. Working various jobs throughout high school, he was on a delivery for a local drugstore when he first heard the news of the Pearl Harbor attack. Driven by a sense of duty, he enlisted soon after, despite his mother’s concerns, initially hoping to join the Navy Seabees. But after being turned down, he set his sights on the Air Force, where he was assigned to the Eighth Air Force’s 452nd Bomb Group, 730th Bomb Squadron.

During his first mission, his crew was instructed to bomb Berlin. This experience, where they narrowly escaped German anti-aircraft fire and struggled with oxygen and fuel shortages, marked the start of many intense encounters. One of the crew’s close calls involved shedding extra weight—everything from flak suits to spare ammunition—to stay airborne long enough to find a safe landing strip. In another harrowing mission over Munich, Hillenbrand’s plane lost two engines and had to land belly-down in a field, yet every crew member survived unscathed.

One mission that stood out was the crew’s role on D-Day. On the day before the invasion, Hillenbrand’s team bombed a vital railroad bridge in France, then saw the English Channel filled with ships—an unmistakable sign that something monumental was underway. His plane would be among the last to bomb the French coast before the ground troops began their historic assault.

Over his service, Hillenbrand earned prestigious recognitions, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal, for his role in key missions across Berlin, Munich, and occupied France. He fondly recalls flights over the French Alps, calling the landscape the most beautiful he had ever seen. However, some missions were not without close calls. In one case, enemy forces nearly intercepted them after the plane’s IFF transponder was left on, allowing enemy radar to pinpoint their position. Miraculously, they survived every mission, despite multiple planes in their group being shot down.

Following the war, Hillenbrand returned home, helping his uncle on a farm before moving to Tennessee, where he served at the Smyrna Air Base working on B-24 aircraft. He married Mae, his first wife, in 1946, and they had three sons, all of whom followed his example by serving in the military. His civilian career took him from the Louisville and Nashville Railroad to a 32-year stint as a tractor-trailer driver. In later years, he joined one of his sons in a kitchen remodeling business.

After Mae passed away, Hillenbrand found happiness again with Barbara, with whom he shared 18 years until her passing. Reflecting on his life, Hillenbrand remains deeply connected to his comrades who did not make it back, carrying their memory as a testament to the sacrifices that allow us to enjoy our freedoms today.

Now, as he prepares to lead the Veterans Day parade, Hillenbrand’s century-spanning journey from a young recruit to a celebrated local hero reminds the community of the strength, sacrifice, and dedication of veterans across generations.

👉 The Maury County Veterans Day Parade starts at 11 AM at Columbia Plaza (by the post office), heads down West 7th and turns down High St at the Polk Home and ends at the Mulehouse.

2024 Veterans Day Specials 

Here’s a list of all the Veterans specials we could find - there’s probably more, though! Enjoy your day on Veterans Day!!

Maury County Fire Department Responds to House Fire in Stoneybrook Neighborhood

From Maury County Fire Department’s Facebook post…

MCFD was dispatched Saturday night for a reported structure fire in the Stoneybrook neighborhood. Responding units: Engines 21, 27, 32, CFR Engine 4, Mt Pleasant Engine 82, CFR Rescue 1, Tankers 21, 22, 23, 26, 32, Squad 32, Columbia Battalion Chief, District Chiefs 23 and 32, and Deputy Chief 20. 

Columbia Engine 4 and MCFD Engine 21 arrived simultaneously to find a home with heavy fire in the garage and moving across the attic of the home. CFR E4 immediately began attacking the garage fire while Engine 21 went to the roof for vertical ventilation. CFR Battalion Chief arrived and was assigned Alpha Division along with Squad 32. Alpha stretched a second hand line inside the home and successfully stopped the attic fire. The fire was declared under control within 30 minutes of arrival. 

Two occupants of the home were transported by Maury EMS for smoke inhalation. 

The coordinated and seamless response of three fire departments working together led to the fire being quickly controlled without any FF injuries. 

Special thanks to Maury County 911 for their great work. 

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

Monday, November 11th

Alyssa Hart, Puckett’s, 6-7:30 PM

Tuesday, November 12th

Jay Hoppus, Puckett's, 6-7:30 PM

Wednesday, November 13th

Justen Harden, Puckett's, 6-7:30 PM

Thursday, November 14th

Kyle Matthew, Puckett's, 6-7:30 PM
Todd Ciprian, Tito's Spring Hill, 6-9 PM
The Alderson Jazz Collective, McCreary's Irish Pub, 7-9 PM
Wendy Moten, Cherry Street Theater at Columbia State, 7 PM

Friday, November 15th

Nicholas Graham Hall, August Sage, 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Nick Bentley, Meat Social, 6-8 PM
Kiana Renae, Grinder's Switch, 7-9 PM
Tom Saffell & Robert Johnson, McCreary's Irish Pub, 7-9 PM
Golden Soul Revue, Puckett's, 7:30-9 PM
Smokin' Peas, Fozzy's Bar & Grill, 8-11 PM

Saturday, November 16th

Rick Armentrout "The Unforgettables", Puckett's, 10 AM-2 PM
TBD, Natchez Hills Vineyard, 4-7 PM
Stevierock, McCreary's Irish Pub, 7-9 PM
The Turntables, The Rebel, 7-10 PM
Karli & James, Puckett's, 7:30-9 PM
The Wentzel Brothers Band, Ember’s, 8-11 PM
Bald Kernal, Fozzy's Bar & Grill, 8-11 PM

Sunday, November 17th

TBD, Natchez Hills Vineyard, 1-4 PM
Kenny Durham, Puckett's, 6-7:30 PM
Nicholas Duhe, The Rebel, 4 PM

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