Burke County Veterans Project
Sponsored by the Burke County Genealogical Society, this is an effort to document the experiences of our local veterans of all wars. While the vets listed below are all of the WWII era, we are interested in locating any veterans or veterans' families for information to be kept in the Burke County Archives. If you know of anyone not listed below, please contact either Senator Jesse Stone or myself with additional information.
Burke County World War II Veterans (PPT by Karen Reeves)
Billie Michael Holman
Radarman 2nd Class
U.S. Navy
A Harlan County, Kentucky native, Billie Holman lied about his age to join the Navy in 1943. Trained in clearing obstruction such as land mines, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, he specialized in underwater demolition and was assigned to the “Beach Battalion” which later became known as the “Navy Seals.” Holman survived a German Dornier attack in which his convoy sustained casualties of over 40% to capture Italian soldiers in Palermo and transport Nazi soldiers to Algeria. He heard the word “Normandy” for the first time on the night of June 5, 1944, as his unit was transported, along with soldiers of the 29th and 116th Infantry, across the English Channel for the invasion. Holman’s crew of 32 men, charged with removing barriers, locating defensive land mines, and delivering blood plasma, had as their first priority the destruction of enemy pillboxes with grenades and satchel charges. Under heavy sniper fire and fire from 88mm projectiles, and forbidden to help their own wounded, only two members of the unit would survive the day. Separated from his crew, with no water or food , having lost his dog tags and still in his bathing trunks, Holman returned fire with a 98 Mauser until discovered by U.S. infantrymen suspicious of his identity. Saved by a North Carolina sergeant who recognized his “Southern accent,” Holman was returned to England and made 75 subsequent trips to Normandy, under heavy German opposition, during which time two ships were sunk beneath him. Ending his service as an Electronics specialist, Holman attended Georgia Tech on the G.I. Bill, was a member of the Chrysler team that designed the coolant system for the Saturn Five booster rocket, and started up nuclear plants around the world. He died in Waynesboro, Ga. in July of 2010. This is my father....
Radarman 2nd Class
U.S. Navy
A Harlan County, Kentucky native, Billie Holman lied about his age to join the Navy in 1943. Trained in clearing obstruction such as land mines, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, he specialized in underwater demolition and was assigned to the “Beach Battalion” which later became known as the “Navy Seals.” Holman survived a German Dornier attack in which his convoy sustained casualties of over 40% to capture Italian soldiers in Palermo and transport Nazi soldiers to Algeria. He heard the word “Normandy” for the first time on the night of June 5, 1944, as his unit was transported, along with soldiers of the 29th and 116th Infantry, across the English Channel for the invasion. Holman’s crew of 32 men, charged with removing barriers, locating defensive land mines, and delivering blood plasma, had as their first priority the destruction of enemy pillboxes with grenades and satchel charges. Under heavy sniper fire and fire from 88mm projectiles, and forbidden to help their own wounded, only two members of the unit would survive the day. Separated from his crew, with no water or food , having lost his dog tags and still in his bathing trunks, Holman returned fire with a 98 Mauser until discovered by U.S. infantrymen suspicious of his identity. Saved by a North Carolina sergeant who recognized his “Southern accent,” Holman was returned to England and made 75 subsequent trips to Normandy, under heavy German opposition, during which time two ships were sunk beneath him. Ending his service as an Electronics specialist, Holman attended Georgia Tech on the G.I. Bill, was a member of the Chrysler team that designed the coolant system for the Saturn Five booster rocket, and started up nuclear plants around the world. He died in Waynesboro, Ga. in July of 2010. This is my father....
Major William Tinsley
Stone
U.S. Army National Guard
A Citadel graduate (Class of 1941), Lt. William Tinsley Stone arrived in Oran, North Africa in April 1943, as a member of Company L of the 3rd Battalion of the 142nd Infantry Regiment of the “Fighting 36th” Infantry Division, assigned to the 5th Army. From there, Lt. Stone was with the first Americans to land in mainland Europe at Salerno, Italy on September 9, 1943. After heavy fighting in the mountains near Monte Cassino and the Rapido River, Stone was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action on February 3, 1944, in the vicinity of Terelle, Italy, for “advancing over heavily mined terrain while under intense fire from a hidden machine gun emplacement which had pinned down a battalion column and which machine gun nest he destroyed with cool determination and utmost daring by hurling a single grenade at close range”. Shortly afterwards, Stone was hospitalized for pneumonia in Naples, during which time he was promoted to Captain. Upon recovery, he was reassigned to Battalion headquarters as an S-3 (plans and training officer/maps), and returned to the 142nd in time to participate in the Anzio breakout and the liberation of Rome on June 7, 1944. After fighting the German army north almost to Florence, Stone was brought back to Salerno in time to regroup for the invasion of southern France. He landed on the Riviera (Green Beach) on August 15, 1944. Two days later, he was severely wounded by the explosion of an 88 caliber tank shell in Draguignan, France. For this injury, Stone was hospitalized until after the end of the war and returned home to Waynesboro, Georgia. He was retired with a termination promotion to Major. He died July 12, 2011 at the age of 90. He was Senator Stone's uncle.
U.S. Army National Guard
A Citadel graduate (Class of 1941), Lt. William Tinsley Stone arrived in Oran, North Africa in April 1943, as a member of Company L of the 3rd Battalion of the 142nd Infantry Regiment of the “Fighting 36th” Infantry Division, assigned to the 5th Army. From there, Lt. Stone was with the first Americans to land in mainland Europe at Salerno, Italy on September 9, 1943. After heavy fighting in the mountains near Monte Cassino and the Rapido River, Stone was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action on February 3, 1944, in the vicinity of Terelle, Italy, for “advancing over heavily mined terrain while under intense fire from a hidden machine gun emplacement which had pinned down a battalion column and which machine gun nest he destroyed with cool determination and utmost daring by hurling a single grenade at close range”. Shortly afterwards, Stone was hospitalized for pneumonia in Naples, during which time he was promoted to Captain. Upon recovery, he was reassigned to Battalion headquarters as an S-3 (plans and training officer/maps), and returned to the 142nd in time to participate in the Anzio breakout and the liberation of Rome on June 7, 1944. After fighting the German army north almost to Florence, Stone was brought back to Salerno in time to regroup for the invasion of southern France. He landed on the Riviera (Green Beach) on August 15, 1944. Two days later, he was severely wounded by the explosion of an 88 caliber tank shell in Draguignan, France. For this injury, Stone was hospitalized until after the end of the war and returned home to Waynesboro, Georgia. He was retired with a termination promotion to Major. He died July 12, 2011 at the age of 90. He was Senator Stone's uncle.
John
Thomas Wynne
Pharmacist Mate 2-C
U.S. Navy, Marine Division
Just a few weeks after the atomic bombs were dropped over Japan, Burke County native and Pharmacist Mate with the Second Marine Division, John Thomas Wynne, landed near Nagasaki. Assigned to the U.S.S. Sanborn and one of the first to volunteer to disembark in the blast area, his mission was to help set up a medical facility and pharmacy. Initially deferred because his medical skills were classified as “necessary to the war effort,” his military service began with a 59 day trip from San Diego waiting for the island of Guam to be secured. He would have been among those who landed at Iwo Jima had his name been earlier in the alphabet. Instead, he was sent to Saipan with D Medical Company where his unit acted as decoys, launching two fake landings on Okinawa and witnessing the actual landing Easter weekend of 1945. But it was in Nagasaki where the Sardis pharmacist would set up the division’s first pharmacy following the blast in a set of janitor’s quarters to dispense medication to sick and injured GI’s, and would help organize a hospital in the wreckage of a hilltop schoolhouse. Within a week of returning home to Burke County after the war, Wynne continued his service to the public by resuming his practice as a pharmacist for the next forty years.
Pharmacist Mate 2-C
U.S. Navy, Marine Division
Just a few weeks after the atomic bombs were dropped over Japan, Burke County native and Pharmacist Mate with the Second Marine Division, John Thomas Wynne, landed near Nagasaki. Assigned to the U.S.S. Sanborn and one of the first to volunteer to disembark in the blast area, his mission was to help set up a medical facility and pharmacy. Initially deferred because his medical skills were classified as “necessary to the war effort,” his military service began with a 59 day trip from San Diego waiting for the island of Guam to be secured. He would have been among those who landed at Iwo Jima had his name been earlier in the alphabet. Instead, he was sent to Saipan with D Medical Company where his unit acted as decoys, launching two fake landings on Okinawa and witnessing the actual landing Easter weekend of 1945. But it was in Nagasaki where the Sardis pharmacist would set up the division’s first pharmacy following the blast in a set of janitor’s quarters to dispense medication to sick and injured GI’s, and would help organize a hospital in the wreckage of a hilltop schoolhouse. Within a week of returning home to Burke County after the war, Wynne continued his service to the public by resuming his practice as a pharmacist for the next forty years.
Sgt. Clifford Long
U.S. Army
Born in Girard, Georgia, on November 18, 1925, Clifford Long would go on to be awarded three Battle Stars, two Purple Hearts, and three Bronze Stars for his exploits as a member of the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment (10th Mountain Division) during World War II. Though he had no experience in either mountain climbing or skiing, Long enlisted in November of 1943, receiving Airborne training at Ft. Benning, Ga., and mountain assault training at Camp Hale, Co. In January of 1945, his unit crossed the Apennines in Northern Italy sustaining heavy casualties from German counterattacks as they cleared the way into the Po Valley. On April 23, 1945, Long would be the first American to set foot on the southern bank of the Po River as the 87th pushed toward Lake Garda under heavy opposition. With all escape routes blocked, the last German resistance in Italy ended on May 2nd after 114 days of combat, with 992 members of the 10th Mountain killed. Long was injured three times during the campaign. The 10th Mountain Division, scheduled to invade Japan when that country surrendered, was used instead as an occupation force in Italy and was disbanded on November 30, 1945. Long remained in the service until his discharge on March 10, 1950, and lived in Sardis, Georgia until his death on January 9, 2014.
U.S. Army
Born in Girard, Georgia, on November 18, 1925, Clifford Long would go on to be awarded three Battle Stars, two Purple Hearts, and three Bronze Stars for his exploits as a member of the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment (10th Mountain Division) during World War II. Though he had no experience in either mountain climbing or skiing, Long enlisted in November of 1943, receiving Airborne training at Ft. Benning, Ga., and mountain assault training at Camp Hale, Co. In January of 1945, his unit crossed the Apennines in Northern Italy sustaining heavy casualties from German counterattacks as they cleared the way into the Po Valley. On April 23, 1945, Long would be the first American to set foot on the southern bank of the Po River as the 87th pushed toward Lake Garda under heavy opposition. With all escape routes blocked, the last German resistance in Italy ended on May 2nd after 114 days of combat, with 992 members of the 10th Mountain killed. Long was injured three times during the campaign. The 10th Mountain Division, scheduled to invade Japan when that country surrendered, was used instead as an occupation force in Italy and was disbanded on November 30, 1945. Long remained in the service until his discharge on March 10, 1950, and lived in Sardis, Georgia until his death on January 9, 2014.
Frank
Leslie Jenkins
Seaman 2nd Class
U.S. Navy
Born in Munnerlyn, Georgia, on October 4, 1925, Leslie Jenkins was a senior at Sardis High School, attending a movie in Augusta, when he heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He enlisted in the Army Air Force in April of 1944, and upon completion of Advanced Basic training at Biloxi, MS, was assigned to B-29 Gunnery School at Buckingham Air Field, Ft. Myers, Fl. There he remembers training in B-24’s by shooting clay pigeons with shotguns mounted in the plane gun turrets. Jenkins, whose petition upon graduation from high school for an appointment to the Naval Academy had been delayed due to lack of space, received notice that his appointment was ready, and he was inducted into the U.S. Navy in December of 1944. He attended the Naval Academy Preparatory School at Bainbridge, MD and Camp Perry, VA, before being assigned to NAS Norfolk as Provost Guard in the summer of 1945. His duties included guarding ammo and several thousand German POW’s, most of whom were veterans of Rommel’s Afrika Korps. He was discharged from service upon completion of school at Bainbridge and returned to Georgia intending to complete Law School, a plan he abandoned when “the girl he wanted to marry” (his bride of over 60 years now) announced she had “no use for lawyers.” He graduated a Business Administration major from Oglethorpe College. Jenkins father was a Chief Petty Officer on a troop transport during World War I and served with his boyhood friend, Clyde Herndon, whose daughter later became Mrs. Leslie Jenkins.
Seaman 2nd Class
U.S. Navy
Born in Munnerlyn, Georgia, on October 4, 1925, Leslie Jenkins was a senior at Sardis High School, attending a movie in Augusta, when he heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He enlisted in the Army Air Force in April of 1944, and upon completion of Advanced Basic training at Biloxi, MS, was assigned to B-29 Gunnery School at Buckingham Air Field, Ft. Myers, Fl. There he remembers training in B-24’s by shooting clay pigeons with shotguns mounted in the plane gun turrets. Jenkins, whose petition upon graduation from high school for an appointment to the Naval Academy had been delayed due to lack of space, received notice that his appointment was ready, and he was inducted into the U.S. Navy in December of 1944. He attended the Naval Academy Preparatory School at Bainbridge, MD and Camp Perry, VA, before being assigned to NAS Norfolk as Provost Guard in the summer of 1945. His duties included guarding ammo and several thousand German POW’s, most of whom were veterans of Rommel’s Afrika Korps. He was discharged from service upon completion of school at Bainbridge and returned to Georgia intending to complete Law School, a plan he abandoned when “the girl he wanted to marry” (his bride of over 60 years now) announced she had “no use for lawyers.” He graduated a Business Administration major from Oglethorpe College. Jenkins father was a Chief Petty Officer on a troop transport during World War I and served with his boyhood friend, Clyde Herndon, whose daughter later became Mrs. Leslie Jenkins.
Sgt. William Broadus
Carter
U.S. Army
Drafted into the Army in February of 1944, Sgt. William Broadus Carter would find himself serving as a Scout in the 99th Infantry Division during the last major German offensive, the Battle of the Bulge, a month after his 19th birthday. His company of primarily “green” troops sustained heavy “silent” mortar fire, machine gun fire, and bombardment by shrapnel from howitzers and stiff opposition from the German SS, yet held their position during the campaign which lasted from 12/16/44 to 1/25/45. Carter’s company would have to be replaced at the rate of 300% due to the high casualties. By December 23rd, with temperatures of 20 degrees below 0,Carter had lost all feeling in his feet and was transferred to a Paris hospital, then to the U.S. Army 65th General Hospital in England where it was determined that amputation was necessary. Carter pleaded with the doctor who agreed to assign “ward boys” to rub ointment into his feet. Remarkably, after 63 days of treatment, circulation returned, and Carter would eventually be returned to duty with the task of carrying, in person, the announcement from battalion headquarters back to his own company, now near Berlin, that Germany had surrendered. Following 2 months of occupation duty, he was transferred to the 2nd Infantry Division and reassigned to the Pacific Theater. While on furlough in Waynesboro, he learned of the Japanese surrender. Carter’s military service followed in the footsteps of his uncle and namesake who was lost in World War I. He died in Burke County on February 6, 2014.
U.S. Army
Drafted into the Army in February of 1944, Sgt. William Broadus Carter would find himself serving as a Scout in the 99th Infantry Division during the last major German offensive, the Battle of the Bulge, a month after his 19th birthday. His company of primarily “green” troops sustained heavy “silent” mortar fire, machine gun fire, and bombardment by shrapnel from howitzers and stiff opposition from the German SS, yet held their position during the campaign which lasted from 12/16/44 to 1/25/45. Carter’s company would have to be replaced at the rate of 300% due to the high casualties. By December 23rd, with temperatures of 20 degrees below 0,Carter had lost all feeling in his feet and was transferred to a Paris hospital, then to the U.S. Army 65th General Hospital in England where it was determined that amputation was necessary. Carter pleaded with the doctor who agreed to assign “ward boys” to rub ointment into his feet. Remarkably, after 63 days of treatment, circulation returned, and Carter would eventually be returned to duty with the task of carrying, in person, the announcement from battalion headquarters back to his own company, now near Berlin, that Germany had surrendered. Following 2 months of occupation duty, he was transferred to the 2nd Infantry Division and reassigned to the Pacific Theater. While on furlough in Waynesboro, he learned of the Japanese surrender. Carter’s military service followed in the footsteps of his uncle and namesake who was lost in World War I. He died in Burke County on February 6, 2014.
1st Lt. Charles
Edward Johnson, Jr.
U.S. Army Air Force
Boy Scout, Charlie Johnson, declared himself “hooked” on flying at an early age after being taken up in a Piper Cub on his first flight by local pilot, Holder Watson. This incident was instrumental in Johnson’s choice of the U.S. Army Air Force when he enlisted in March of 1943 while still a student at Middle Georgia College. Johnson had first heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor while eating in the dining hall there in December of 1941. Having qualified for flight school, Johnson completed his preflight training at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama where he was chosen, because of his class ranking, to be fast-tracked due to the shortage of military pilots. Assigned to the single-engine PT-13 trainer, Johnson eventually completed his advanced flight training in combat aerial maneuvers and was designated a Flight Instructor at the Mariana Army Air Field in Florida in the AT-6. After completing Gunnery School at Metagorda Island, Texas, Johnson was reassigned to Eglin AF Field as an Aerial Gunnery Instructor where he recalled having to teach “Yankee boys” how to lead a target by shooting skeet. Johnson, married by now, was sent to P-40 school the day his first son was born. He remained in the Reserves for five years following his discharge, was called back when the Korean Conflict began, but was sent home when it was discovered he had two children. Johnson returned to Waynesboro to eventually take over the family car dealership and lives there today.
U.S. Army Air Force
Boy Scout, Charlie Johnson, declared himself “hooked” on flying at an early age after being taken up in a Piper Cub on his first flight by local pilot, Holder Watson. This incident was instrumental in Johnson’s choice of the U.S. Army Air Force when he enlisted in March of 1943 while still a student at Middle Georgia College. Johnson had first heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor while eating in the dining hall there in December of 1941. Having qualified for flight school, Johnson completed his preflight training at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama where he was chosen, because of his class ranking, to be fast-tracked due to the shortage of military pilots. Assigned to the single-engine PT-13 trainer, Johnson eventually completed his advanced flight training in combat aerial maneuvers and was designated a Flight Instructor at the Mariana Army Air Field in Florida in the AT-6. After completing Gunnery School at Metagorda Island, Texas, Johnson was reassigned to Eglin AF Field as an Aerial Gunnery Instructor where he recalled having to teach “Yankee boys” how to lead a target by shooting skeet. Johnson, married by now, was sent to P-40 school the day his first son was born. He remained in the Reserves for five years following his discharge, was called back when the Korean Conflict began, but was sent home when it was discovered he had two children. Johnson returned to Waynesboro to eventually take over the family car dealership and lives there today.
Staff Sgt. Luther
Robinson
U.S. Army Air Force
Luther Robinson was only 20 years old when he and his nine crew mates were forced to bail out of their B-17 bomber, the “Queen of Hearts” near Berlin. Born in Gough, Ga., and trained at Ft. McPherson, Atlanta, and in Amarillo, Tx., as an engineer gunner, Robinson was on his 11th mission when he was shot down and nearly killed by village women angered by the Allied bombing raids over Germany. “Rescued” by an 18-year old enemy soldier who would “not have hesitated to kill,” Robinson began what he referred to as his “slow walk through hell” as a POW in Stalag 11-A near Magdeburg. Plagued by cold and lice, American, Italian, Russian, and British captives were fed a daily ration of soup, bread, and rainwater captured in service helmets, causing the 180-lb. Robinson to shrink to 123 lbs. in 60 days. In April of 1945, Stalag flags were flown at half-staff signaling the death of President Roosevelt and what most Germans expected to be the end of the war. Two weeks later, control of the camp changed hands after a B-23 dropped an American sergeant into the compound and, soon after, the war in Europe came to an end. German guards tried to escape by jumping on the back of the American flatbed trucks before the Russians moved in. Robinson remembered with fondness the moment when his bus crossed over the Brier Creek Bridge to bring him back to Burke County where he lived until his death in 2010.
U.S. Army Air Force
Luther Robinson was only 20 years old when he and his nine crew mates were forced to bail out of their B-17 bomber, the “Queen of Hearts” near Berlin. Born in Gough, Ga., and trained at Ft. McPherson, Atlanta, and in Amarillo, Tx., as an engineer gunner, Robinson was on his 11th mission when he was shot down and nearly killed by village women angered by the Allied bombing raids over Germany. “Rescued” by an 18-year old enemy soldier who would “not have hesitated to kill,” Robinson began what he referred to as his “slow walk through hell” as a POW in Stalag 11-A near Magdeburg. Plagued by cold and lice, American, Italian, Russian, and British captives were fed a daily ration of soup, bread, and rainwater captured in service helmets, causing the 180-lb. Robinson to shrink to 123 lbs. in 60 days. In April of 1945, Stalag flags were flown at half-staff signaling the death of President Roosevelt and what most Germans expected to be the end of the war. Two weeks later, control of the camp changed hands after a B-23 dropped an American sergeant into the compound and, soon after, the war in Europe came to an end. German guards tried to escape by jumping on the back of the American flatbed trucks before the Russians moved in. Robinson remembered with fondness the moment when his bus crossed over the Brier Creek Bridge to bring him back to Burke County where he lived until his death in 2010.
Herbert Lewis
DeLaigle
Master Sgt.
U.S. Army
Herbert DeLaigle, son of a Telfair, Georgia sharecropper and veteran of three wars, followed his three brothers into the service in 1944, but only after his father gave reluctant permission to his youngest son. Almost rejected by the Army because of his “high instep,” DeLaigle begged to be taken and was eventually deployed to England where he heard of the death of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt as he pulled into the harbor. Sent to a town near Munich, Germany, he was assigned to the 500th Field Artillery, Battery B of the 14th Armored Division as an Ammunition Handler. Following V-E Day, his duties included searching homes for “military equipment” and screening German regulars from the SS. He was reassigned to the 20th Armored Division and visited Dachau concentration camp two weeks following its liberation, viewing the gas chambers, and noting that nearby civilians claimed they knew nothing of the camp’s purpose. DeLaigle was home on leave when he heard of the bombing of Hiroshima which changed the mission of his unit scheduled to enter Japan 3 days after an Allied invasion. He was granted a hardship discharge at his father’s request, returning to Waynesboro only 1 month before his father died. DeLaigle joined the National Guard in 1950 not long before the unit was mobilized for the Korean Conflict, serving in Wisconsin under local Commander Paul Stone for two years. He then re-enlisted in the U.S. Army, completing a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1967 as a Communications Chief at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. DeLaigle, who still suffers the effects of exposure to Agent Orange, recalls the constant night shelling and the poor reception Vietnam vets received upon returning to the States. Retired from the Army in 1970, DeLaigle would retire, once again, as a Security Officer from Plant Vogtle.
Master Sgt.
U.S. Army
Herbert DeLaigle, son of a Telfair, Georgia sharecropper and veteran of three wars, followed his three brothers into the service in 1944, but only after his father gave reluctant permission to his youngest son. Almost rejected by the Army because of his “high instep,” DeLaigle begged to be taken and was eventually deployed to England where he heard of the death of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt as he pulled into the harbor. Sent to a town near Munich, Germany, he was assigned to the 500th Field Artillery, Battery B of the 14th Armored Division as an Ammunition Handler. Following V-E Day, his duties included searching homes for “military equipment” and screening German regulars from the SS. He was reassigned to the 20th Armored Division and visited Dachau concentration camp two weeks following its liberation, viewing the gas chambers, and noting that nearby civilians claimed they knew nothing of the camp’s purpose. DeLaigle was home on leave when he heard of the bombing of Hiroshima which changed the mission of his unit scheduled to enter Japan 3 days after an Allied invasion. He was granted a hardship discharge at his father’s request, returning to Waynesboro only 1 month before his father died. DeLaigle joined the National Guard in 1950 not long before the unit was mobilized for the Korean Conflict, serving in Wisconsin under local Commander Paul Stone for two years. He then re-enlisted in the U.S. Army, completing a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1967 as a Communications Chief at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. DeLaigle, who still suffers the effects of exposure to Agent Orange, recalls the constant night shelling and the poor reception Vietnam vets received upon returning to the States. Retired from the Army in 1970, DeLaigle would retire, once again, as a Security Officer from Plant Vogtle.
James McCord
Williams
Staff Sgt.
U.S. Marine Corps
The son of a World War I Marine Corps veteran, Atlanta native, Jim Williams, enlisted in March of 1943. Following Marine boot camp at Parris Island, Williams was sent to Marine Air Station, Cherry Point, NC, then to Aviation Ordnance School in Memphis, TN, where he began training in aviation ordnance to eventually become a combat air crewman. Williams’ first flight in any type of aircraft was at Naval Air Station, Opelika, FL; eventually he was assigned to the SBD Dauntless dive bomber, Squadron MAG 45, operating the twin 30 caliber machine guns. Williams would go on to fly 52 combat missions in the Pacific Theater after joining the Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 245 on Makin Island in the Gilbert Islands. His first air strike would be on the airfield and radar installations in the Mili Atoll (Marshall Islands). Later transferred to the SB2C Helldiver, Williams would see action over Guam and the Mariana Islands. Williams’ final missions were “search and destroy” flights strafing the heavily fortified Truk Islands, and sub patrol and flier rescue missions around the strategically critical Ulithi Island which would serve as a staging base for the invasion of Okinawa. Williams’ reassignment to train in carrier-based aircraft was cancelled when the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb. Williams ended his military career as an air traffic controller at MCAS Miramar, CA, married, and returned to Georgia where he eventually retired following a long career with the Southern Bell Company. His final medals, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, were awarded by the Marine Corps 60 years after the war’s end.
Staff Sgt.
U.S. Marine Corps
The son of a World War I Marine Corps veteran, Atlanta native, Jim Williams, enlisted in March of 1943. Following Marine boot camp at Parris Island, Williams was sent to Marine Air Station, Cherry Point, NC, then to Aviation Ordnance School in Memphis, TN, where he began training in aviation ordnance to eventually become a combat air crewman. Williams’ first flight in any type of aircraft was at Naval Air Station, Opelika, FL; eventually he was assigned to the SBD Dauntless dive bomber, Squadron MAG 45, operating the twin 30 caliber machine guns. Williams would go on to fly 52 combat missions in the Pacific Theater after joining the Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 245 on Makin Island in the Gilbert Islands. His first air strike would be on the airfield and radar installations in the Mili Atoll (Marshall Islands). Later transferred to the SB2C Helldiver, Williams would see action over Guam and the Mariana Islands. Williams’ final missions were “search and destroy” flights strafing the heavily fortified Truk Islands, and sub patrol and flier rescue missions around the strategically critical Ulithi Island which would serve as a staging base for the invasion of Okinawa. Williams’ reassignment to train in carrier-based aircraft was cancelled when the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb. Williams ended his military career as an air traffic controller at MCAS Miramar, CA, married, and returned to Georgia where he eventually retired following a long career with the Southern Bell Company. His final medals, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, were awarded by the Marine Corps 60 years after the war’s end.
Lindsey Paul
Jones
Staff Sgt.
U.S. Army
Born September 20, 1908, the grandson of slaves, this self-described “plowboy from Briar Creek” was raised in Burke County, GA, graduated from high school in the 11th grade, and sold life insurance before being drafted. Jones, who was eating dinner in Albany, GA, when he heard about Pearl Harbor, was called up a month later and eventually sent to Camp Shelby, MS, for Basic Training which included pontoon bridge construction and gas attack defense. His unit, reviewed and chosen personally by Gen. George Patton, was assigned to the all-black 356th Engineer General Service Regiment attached to Patton’s 3rd Army. Following intense desert training in the U.S. in preparation for fighting in North Africa, his regiment was redirected to Colchester, England where they constructed staging areas and organized supplies for the first troops into Normandy. His unit served as infantry supply troops and burial detail in the 3rd wave on D-Day, and he remembered vividly the day his men buried Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. in Normandy. Jones recalled sustaining heavy fire from German 88mm artillery and sleeping in trenches in an apple orchard before being moved down the road by a “nervous Chaplain.” The next morning, the entire orchard was destroyed by enemy shelling, but the 356th survived to spend much of the remainder of the war near Cherbourg, France, unloading ships to supply Patton’s tank corps which was pushing toward Germany. At the war’s end, Patton promised the 356th they would be some of the first soldiers sent home because of their valuable service. Following his discharge, Jones worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 30 years until his retirement in1975. He passed away three months after this interview on December 30, 2007.
Staff Sgt.
U.S. Army
Born September 20, 1908, the grandson of slaves, this self-described “plowboy from Briar Creek” was raised in Burke County, GA, graduated from high school in the 11th grade, and sold life insurance before being drafted. Jones, who was eating dinner in Albany, GA, when he heard about Pearl Harbor, was called up a month later and eventually sent to Camp Shelby, MS, for Basic Training which included pontoon bridge construction and gas attack defense. His unit, reviewed and chosen personally by Gen. George Patton, was assigned to the all-black 356th Engineer General Service Regiment attached to Patton’s 3rd Army. Following intense desert training in the U.S. in preparation for fighting in North Africa, his regiment was redirected to Colchester, England where they constructed staging areas and organized supplies for the first troops into Normandy. His unit served as infantry supply troops and burial detail in the 3rd wave on D-Day, and he remembered vividly the day his men buried Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. in Normandy. Jones recalled sustaining heavy fire from German 88mm artillery and sleeping in trenches in an apple orchard before being moved down the road by a “nervous Chaplain.” The next morning, the entire orchard was destroyed by enemy shelling, but the 356th survived to spend much of the remainder of the war near Cherbourg, France, unloading ships to supply Patton’s tank corps which was pushing toward Germany. At the war’s end, Patton promised the 356th they would be some of the first soldiers sent home because of their valuable service. Following his discharge, Jones worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 30 years until his retirement in1975. He passed away three months after this interview on December 30, 2007.
Pvt. Simeon Alexander
Gray
U.S. Army
Augusta, GA native, Alex Gray, emerged from the movie, “Sgt. York,” to hear of the December 7th, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Drafted while a student at Clemson University, Gray then completed basic training in Macon at Camp Wheeler in December of 1944. He was hurriedly deployed with the 94th Infantry Division as the Battle of the Bulge still raged in Europe. By January of 1945, he was occupying a post on the front line as a rifleman in freezing weather, before being moved into the “compost woods” to continue the Allied offensive against heavy German resistance. On February 19th, the Allies stormed Muzigen Ridge, taking the heart of the Saar-Moselle Triangle. Gray was engaged under heavy fire near anti-tank obstacles, known as Dragon’s Teeth, when he was wounded in the chest by shrapnel and eventually returned to an aid station near Buren carried by two German POW’s. Gray was sent to the 108th General Hospital in Paris for several months before being transferred to the 48th General Hospital in England. There a portion of his right lung was removed by surgeon W.L. Shaw who would later operate on Texas governor Connelly following the Kennedy assassination. Gray returned to the US aboard a Liberty Ship in April of 1945 to convalesce before being discharged from active duty. Gray, who retired from the Post Office after 42 years of service, returned to Buren, Germany in 2001 to visit the American cemetery near Luxembourg.
U.S. Army
Augusta, GA native, Alex Gray, emerged from the movie, “Sgt. York,” to hear of the December 7th, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Drafted while a student at Clemson University, Gray then completed basic training in Macon at Camp Wheeler in December of 1944. He was hurriedly deployed with the 94th Infantry Division as the Battle of the Bulge still raged in Europe. By January of 1945, he was occupying a post on the front line as a rifleman in freezing weather, before being moved into the “compost woods” to continue the Allied offensive against heavy German resistance. On February 19th, the Allies stormed Muzigen Ridge, taking the heart of the Saar-Moselle Triangle. Gray was engaged under heavy fire near anti-tank obstacles, known as Dragon’s Teeth, when he was wounded in the chest by shrapnel and eventually returned to an aid station near Buren carried by two German POW’s. Gray was sent to the 108th General Hospital in Paris for several months before being transferred to the 48th General Hospital in England. There a portion of his right lung was removed by surgeon W.L. Shaw who would later operate on Texas governor Connelly following the Kennedy assassination. Gray returned to the US aboard a Liberty Ship in April of 1945 to convalesce before being discharged from active duty. Gray, who retired from the Post Office after 42 years of service, returned to Buren, Germany in 2001 to visit the American cemetery near Luxembourg.
Henry Kenyon Erwin
Quartermaster
U.S. Merchant Marines
Born May 2, 1920, in Damascus, GA, to Methodist missionaries, Rev. Irwin was only two when his family witnessed the Bolshevik occupation of Vladivostok, Russian. Having returned to the U.S. and already a Methodist minister, Irwin graduated from high school on December 7, 1941. Following a year’s recuperation from malaria, Irwin joined the Merchant Marines in 1943 where he was eventually assigned to the Deck Department aboard the S.S. Henry Hadley as an Ordinary Seaman with duties ranging from standing lookout to mooring of the ship in dock. Later assigned to the position of Quartermaster, he crossed the Atlantic 11 times aboard tankers, Liberty (cargo), and ammo ships, often in the center of convoys for protection from German torpedo subs; on at least one trip, he discovered his ship was carrying over 3500 tons of TNT in the form of massive “blockbuster” bombs. Irwin was aboard the S.S. Modoc Point carrying 130,000 barrels of light diesel when forced to drop anchor for 20 days offshore from Yokosuka Naval Base. The war over, he returned to San Diego and eventually to Columbus, GA where he met his future wife and ended his service. He finished his education at Georgia Southern College and eventually retired in Waynesboro, GA, having served as pastor at the First United Methodist Church for four years during the 1960’s. Irwin was remembered during his service as an unofficial “chaplain” to the men with whom he served but was initially denied “veteran” status, as were all members of the Merchant Marines until 1988, and recalls that 46% of all Merchant Seamen were killed in action without receiving military honors.
Quartermaster
U.S. Merchant Marines
Born May 2, 1920, in Damascus, GA, to Methodist missionaries, Rev. Irwin was only two when his family witnessed the Bolshevik occupation of Vladivostok, Russian. Having returned to the U.S. and already a Methodist minister, Irwin graduated from high school on December 7, 1941. Following a year’s recuperation from malaria, Irwin joined the Merchant Marines in 1943 where he was eventually assigned to the Deck Department aboard the S.S. Henry Hadley as an Ordinary Seaman with duties ranging from standing lookout to mooring of the ship in dock. Later assigned to the position of Quartermaster, he crossed the Atlantic 11 times aboard tankers, Liberty (cargo), and ammo ships, often in the center of convoys for protection from German torpedo subs; on at least one trip, he discovered his ship was carrying over 3500 tons of TNT in the form of massive “blockbuster” bombs. Irwin was aboard the S.S. Modoc Point carrying 130,000 barrels of light diesel when forced to drop anchor for 20 days offshore from Yokosuka Naval Base. The war over, he returned to San Diego and eventually to Columbus, GA where he met his future wife and ended his service. He finished his education at Georgia Southern College and eventually retired in Waynesboro, GA, having served as pastor at the First United Methodist Church for four years during the 1960’s. Irwin was remembered during his service as an unofficial “chaplain” to the men with whom he served but was initially denied “veteran” status, as were all members of the Merchant Marines until 1988, and recalls that 46% of all Merchant Seamen were killed in action without receiving military honors.