MILITARY LEGACY OF PERRY COUNTY, KENTUCKY AND BEYOND
GENEALOGY ~ PHOTOGRAPHS ~ LETTERS ~ HISTORY
Written And Compiled By Waukesha Lowe Sammons
Daughter of Daskum Combs (1917 - 2005) and Technical Sergeant, Albert Roy "Jake" Lowe (1917 - 1944),
who was awarded a Silver Star Medal for Action Taken on The Fourth of July 1944 in France,
and who was Killed In Action on September 16, 1944 in World War II.
Copyright 2017 ~ info@perrycountykentuckymilitarylegacy.com ~ All Rights Reserved
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WORLD WAR II (1941 - 1945)
PERRY COUNTY, KENTUCKY SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN, MARINES
REMEMBER AND NAME, W - Z
A World War II Introduction With Medal Of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross And Silver Star Medal Recipients Were Placed In The A Section.
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WARD
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WARD, CHARLES LLOYD (1922-1945), KILLED IN ACTION, IWO JIMA, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: WALKERTOWN, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio.
Date of Birth: 31 July 1922, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Mary Walker and Thaddeus Stephen Ward.
Grandparents: Elvira Combs and John J. Walker.
Entered Service From: Ohio.
Service Number: 449403.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Marine Corps.
Combat Organization: 5th Marine Division, WWII. ~ “On the morning of 24 February [1945] ... the 5th Division sector crossed ... to attack along the western portion of the airfield ... The fight that followed proved bitter ... Marines of the 5th Division advanced some 500 yards.” Source: The United States Marines on Iwo Jima, The Battle and the Flag Raisings by Bernard C. Nalty and Danny J. Crawford, History And Museums Division Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps, Washington, D. C., 1995. Website: marines.mil.
Date of Death: 25 February 1945.
Place of Death: IWO JIMA, WORLD WAR II.
Status: Presumed KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial. “Death Occurred Overseas; Returned From Overseas Iwo Jima, 5th Marine Division Cemetery in Kazan-Retto.” Source: U. S. National Cemetery Internment Control Forms.
Repatriated: 23 May 1948.
Cemetery: Mill Springs National Cemetery, Nancy, Pulaski County, Kentucky. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: CHARLES L. WARD carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky..
NOTE: I placed my fifth-cousin-1-time-removed, Charles Lloyd Ward on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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WATKINS
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WATKINS, BENJAMIN F. (1917 - 1944), KILLED IN ACTION, FRANCE, WORLD WAR II. Hometown: Hardburley, Perry County, Kentucky, USA. Other Residence: Born in Breathitt County, lived in Perry County in 1930 and listed in the WWII Honor List of Dead and Missing State Of Kentucky in Rockcastle County.
Date of Birth: 17 April 1917, Breathitt County, Kentucky.
Parents: Mary Jane Vires and Elijah Watkins.
Grandparents: Elizabeth Little and James Buck Watkins.
Great-grandparents: Celia Hollon and John Preston Watkins.
1940: Military soldier at Fort Thomas, Campbell County, Kentucky.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 1940.
Service Number: 6988882.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 95th Infantry Division, 377th Infantry Regiment, Company K, WWII. ~ “During the night of 16 November the attack of the 377th and 378th had turned into a pursuit along roads strewn with abandoned equipment, half-loaded trucks, and artillery pieces. The following day [17 November 1944] the two regiments mopped up the German works ...” Source: Chapter IX, The November Battle for Metz, The Lorraine Campaign by High M. Cole, Historical Division, United States Army, Washington, D. C., 1993.
Date of Death: 17 November 1944.
Place of Death: FRANCE, WORLD WAR II.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Currently Unknown.
Repatriated: 1948.
Cemetery: McIntire or Elijah Watkins Cemetery, Levi, Owsley County, Kentucky, which are located next to each other. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: BEN F. WATKINS carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed Benjamin F. Watkins on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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WATKINS, ROBERT LEE (1921-1944), KILLED IN ACTION, ENGLAND, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: HAZARD, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Bracken County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 6 October 1921, Bracken County, Kentucky.
Parents: Emma Bowling and Jesse Lee Watkins.
Grandparents: Rosa Bell Back and Russell Bolling.
Grandparents: Mary Polly Salyers and Louis Watkins.
Service Number: 15097758.
Rank: Staff Sergeant.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army
Combat Organization: Unknown.
Date of Death: 1944, U. S. Military Airplane crashed during take-off at Cambridge, England before completing its mission over Germany. Source: Newspaper Clipping.
Place of Death: ENGLAND
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, WWII.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Currently Unknown.
12 May 1948: After years of grieving, his mother committed suicide on May 12, 1948, a few weeks before his funeral was held in Lothair in Perry County. Source: Newspaper clipping.
Repatriated: May 1948.
Cemetery: Englewood Cemetery, Christopher, Perry County, Kentucky. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: ROBERT LEE WATKINS carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
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WATSON
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WATSON, JAMES CLIFTON (1920-1941), UNKNOWN, HAWAII, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: GLOMAWR, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 13 January 1920.
Parents: Sarah Agnes Green and Bruce Watson.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Service Number: 289178.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Marine Corps, World War II.
Combat Organization: UNKNOWN.
Date of Death: Tuesday, 23 December 1941.
Place of Death: HAWAII.
Status: UNKNOWN.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Halawa Naval Cemetery, Oahu.
Repatriated/Interment: 28 January 1949. “Remarks: WWII Dead. From: Halawa Naval Cemetery, Oahu. Flag Sent.” Source: U. S. National Cemetery Control Forms.
Cemetery: U. S. National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: JAMES WATSON carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
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WATTS
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WATTS, ASHFORD (? - ?) AND / OR WATSON, ASHFORD, UNKNOWN.
Memorial Plaque: ASHFORD WATTS, WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
Monument: ASHFORD WATSON carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: Information found concerning one, Ashford Watts (1895 – 1917); Born in Lost Creek, Kentucky; Son of Polly Noble and Hiram Watts; Hometown: Breathitt County, Kentucky; While serving in the U. S. Army, he was Killed by a Train in Carter County, Kentucky; L. H. Watts of Leatherwood, Perry County, Kentucky signed his Headstone Application on 12 October 1940.
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WELLS
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WELLS, DENVER ( -1945), KAMIKAZE HIT THE USS CURTISS, OKINAWA, KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: VIPER, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth:
Parents:
Spouse: Mary McQueen.
Service Number: 8286125.
Rank: Hospital Apprentice, First Class
Branch of Service: U. S. Navy.
Combat Organization: U. S. S. CURTISS (AV 4), Received on Board on 28 April 1945, World War II. ~ USS CURTISS “Departed for San Francisco for repairs, then departed for Okinawa, arriving on May 22, 1945 to serve as flagship for Commander, Fleet Air Wing 1. On June 21 a kamikaze and its bomb ripped two holes in her hull and exploded on the third deck, killing 35 and wounding 21 of her crew. Effective damage control kept her afloat...” Source: Pacific Wrecks, USS Curtiss AV-4; website: pacificwrecks. ~ “Killed In Action, Hospital Corps Enlisted. Name: Denver Wells. Rate: HA1c, USNR. Date of Death: 21 June 1945. Activity: USS CURTISS. Location: Okinawa.” Source: The History Of The Medical Department Of The United States Navy In World War II, A Compilation Of The Killed, Wounded And Decorated Personnel, Volume II, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, 1953. Website: theblackvault.com.
Last Action: 22 May to June 21, 1945, Okinawa Gunto Operation.
Date of Death: 21 June 1945.
Place of Death: USS CURTISS. “On Board. Due to Enemy Action. Remains Transferred to USS GOSPER APA-170 for burial.” The USS GOSPER was a Victory ship that had been converted to a battle casualty ship and hospital evacuation transport with operating rooms.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial:
Repatriated:
Cemetery: Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: DENVER WELLS carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
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WELLS, JOHN H. (1924-1945), DIED OF WOUNDS, LUXEMBOURG, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: HAZARD, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 28 September 1924 in Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Henrietta Angelyn Rose and Courtney Clarence Wells.
Grandparents: Virginia James and John Henry Rose.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Service Number: 35873853.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 94th Infantry Division, 376th Infantry Regiment, WWII. ~ “....the Division took positions in the Saar-Moselle Triangle.....7 January 1945, and shifted to offensive, 14 January [1945], seizing Tettingen and Butzdorf that day. The following day, the Nennig Berg-Wies area was wrested from the enemy....” Source: 94th Infantry Division WWII Combat Chronicle; website: army.mil.
Date of Death: 16 January 1945.
Place of Death: LUXEMBOURG, WORLD WAR II.
Status: DIED OF WOUNDS, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Temporary Cemetery 6020. Permanent Cemetery 6001.
Cemetery: Luxembourg American Cemetery, Hamm, Luxembourg. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: JOHN H. WELLS carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
U. S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal.
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WHITAKER
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WHITAKER, PETE (1917-1945), UNKNOWN, FRANCE, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: BIG CREEK, Perry County, Kentucky, USA. Other Residence: In 1935, Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. In 1940, Pete was divorced and a Soldier at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.
Date of Birth: 7 November 1917, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Eunice Shepherd and Wesley Whitaker.
Grandparents: Mary Crawford and Peter Whitaker.
Spouse: Annis L. (maiden name unknown) Whitaker of Tell City, Indiana.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Service Number: 6985929.
Rank: Private.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army
Combat Organization: 17 Replacement Depot, WWII. ~ “... the 17th Replacement Depot, which was based in England ... and then sent to France after June 1944, where it participated in rear echelon operations including the Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland and Central European campaigns. It handled reception of reinforcements (replacements) as well as wounded sent for recuperation. --- Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard.” Source: All Experts, Military History/Replacement Battalions In WWII; website: allexperts.com.
Date of Death: Sunday, 25 March 1945, WORLD WAR II.
Place of Death: FRANCE, WORLD WAR II.
Status: UNKNOWN.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Temporary Cemetery 3530. Permanent Cemetery Hamm 6001.
Cemetery: Luxembourg American Cemetery, Hamm, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: PETE WHITAKER carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed Pete Whitaker on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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WHITE
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WHITE, EUGENE “GENE” (circa 1925 - 1944), DIED OF WOUNDS, FRANCE, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: HAZARD, Perry County, Kentucky, USA. Date of Birth: Born circa 1925 in Tennessee.
Other Residence: In 1930, Campbell County, Tennessee. In 1935, Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. In 1940, U. S. Army military service at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Marion County, Indiana.
Parents: Hettie Snodderly and George D. White.
Grandparents: Minnie Bullock and Henry C. Snodderly.
Step-father: Virgil Weaver.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Service Number: 15333239.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 743rd Tank Battalion, World War II. ~ “... the 743rd and 30th [Division] redeployed to secure newly sized Mortain ... when the Germans launched a major counter-attack on 7 August [1944] ... The Americans ... held on to ... Hill 314 ... and the German attack failed ...” Source: 743rd Tank Battalion; website: oaktreesys.com.
Date of Death: Monday, 14 August 1944.
Place of Death: FRANCE.
Status: DIED OF WOUNDS.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Temporary Cemetery 3543. Permanent Cemetery 3504.
Cemetery: Brittany Cemetery, St. James, Manche, France. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: GENE WHITE carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
U. S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal.
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WHITE, JOHNNY (1919-1945), DIED NON BATTLE, UNKNOWN, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: PERRY COUNTY, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 10 March 1919 in Perry County, Kentucky. Per Birth Index.
Parents: Dora White and Elijah White.
Maternal Grandparents: Louisa Couch and John F. White.
Paternal Grandparents: Hannah and Elijah White.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 19 August 1943.
Service Number: 35464962.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 14th Armored Division, 68th Armored Infantry Battalion, Company B, World War II.
Date of Death: 1 June 1945.
Place of Death:
Status: DIED NON BATTLE.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: First Burial Unknown.
Repatriated: 1949. Headstone Application signed by Marry Johnson of Crothersville, Indiana. Marry was Johnny’s sister, who married Floyd Johnson.
Cemetery: Russell Chapel Cemetery, Crothersville, Indiana. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: JOHNIE WHITE carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed my fifth-cousin-1-time-removed, Johnny White on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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WILDER
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WILDER, GLENN E. (1927-1945), DIED OF WOUNDS, EUROPE, WORLD WAR II.
Name: His Middle Name may have varied from Eugene to Gene. On birth record, WWII Memorial Registry, Findagrave, and Headstone Application, his middle initial was E. On the Memorial Plaque, his middle initial was G.
Hometown: MILLSTONE, Letcher County, Kentucky, USA. On the World War II Honor List, Wilder was placed in Letcher County, Kentucky.
Other Residence: Perry County, Kentucky?
Date of Birth: 8 January 1927, Letcher County, Kentucky.
Parents: Freda Mae Balsinger and Roy Wilder.
Brother: Earl Lafayett Wilder, who married Martha Catherine Duncil of Perry County, Kentucky.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 30 June 1942.
Service Number: 13065096.
Rank: Private. Technician Fifth Grade.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army Air Corps.
Combat Organization: Company G, 325 Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Infantry AirBorne Division. “Served as Technician Fifth Grade with Hq DET Armored Artillery Group.” Both were written on his Headstone Application. ~ “On February 1st [1945] the men attacked 3 miles into Germany to capture Neuhof and Undenbreth.” Source: 327gir.com; 325th Glider Infantry Regiment ... 82nd Airborne Division.
Battles, Campaigns, Theatres:
Date of Death: 18 February 1945, World War II.
Place of Death: “Died in European Area.” Per Headstone Application.
Status: DIED OF WOUNDS, WORLD WAR II.
Repatriated: 1947. Headstone application signed on 24 November 1947 by Freda Wilder of London, Kentucky.
Cemetery: A. R. Dyche Memorial Park, London, Laurel County, Kentucky.
Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
Monument: GLENN S. WILDER carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
U. S. Awards, Certificates, Medals: Purple Heart.
NOTE: I placed Glenn G. Wilder on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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WILLIAMS
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WILLIAMS, CARL, JR. (1919-1974), PRISONER OF WAR, EUROPEAN THEATRE, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: HAZARD, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: KARLES, Perry County, Kentucky. Montgomery County, Ohio. Breathitt County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 10 May 1919, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Chloe Kennard and Carl Williams, Sr.
Step-father: Clarence Davis.
Spouse: Mollie Joyce Bach / Back.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 30 May 1944, Fort Thomas Newport. Second Enlistment: 30 May 1945. Discharge Date: 30 October 1945. Latest Report Date: 25 November 1945.
Rank: Private.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army Infantry.
Combat Organization: Unknown.
Battles, Campaigns, Theatres: North African Theatre, Italy.
Status: Survived, PRISONER OF WAR, Detaining County, Germany, World War II.
Date of Death: 24 May 1974.
Place of Death: Fayette County, Kentucky.
Cemetery: William Cemetery, Gauge, Breathitt County, Kentucky.
Source: World War II Prisoners of War. U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File.
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WILLIAMS, GEORGE ( - ), DIED, UNKNOWN, UNITED STATES, WORLD WAR WII.
Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
Monument: GEORGE WILLIAMS carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
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WILLIAMS, IRVIN (1924 - ), UNKNOWN, GERMANY, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: SECOND CREEK, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 25 June 1924, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Bessie Deaton and Chester Williams.
First Cousin of: Irvin Williams, Jr. (1925-1945), Died Non Battle, Austria, World War II.
Entered Service From: Perry County, Kentucky
Enlistment Date: 13 December 1939 (for the Panama Canal Department).
Service Number:
Rank: Private (in 1940, stationed at Fort Williams, Cape Elizabeth Town, Cumberland County, Maine).
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization:
Battles, Campaigns, Theatres:
Date of Death:
Place of Death: Germany (on Memorial Plaque).
Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. NOTE: I placed my fifth-cousin-3-times-removed, Irvin Williams on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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WILLIAMS, IRVIN, JR., (1925-1945), DIED NON BATTLE, AUSTRIA, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: DICE, Perry County, Kentucky. Other Residence: 1935, in Perry County, Kentucky. 1940, in Fort Williams, Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
Date of Birth: 23 August 1925, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Poppie Grigsby and Irvin Williams, Sr.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 8 December 1943.
Service Number: 35880136.
Rank: Corporal.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 824th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 7th Army, USAGF, WORLD WAR II. ~ Note: “... on 25 April the 824th was assigned to the 103rd Infantry Division, headed through Bavaria toward Austria.” Source: 824th Tank Destroyer Battalion Combat history; website: 100thww2.org.
Date of Death: 10 May 1945.
Place of Death: AUSTRIA.
Status: DIED NON BATTLE.
Disposition: Buried.
Burial:
Repatriated: 1949.
Cemetery: Lower Second Creek Cemetery, Dice, Perry County, Kentucky listed on Headstone Application. Eversole Cemetery, Bonnyman, Perry County, Kentucky listed on findagrave. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: IRVIN WILLIAMS JR. carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed my fifth-cousin-3-times-removed, Irvin Williams, Jr. on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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WILLIAMS, JOE (1924-1944), FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE, AMERICAN-CANADIAN “DEVIL’S BRIGADE” COMMANDO UNIT, KILLED IN ACTION, ITALY, WWII.
Hometown: SECOND CREEK, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Forked Mouth, Perry County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 23 March 1924, Perry County, Kentucky. Per Kentucky Birth Index.
Parents: Melda Noble and John Williams, Sr.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 5 July 1940.
Service Number: 35126993.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: First Special Service Force, 1st Regiment, 5th Company, “Devil’s Brigade,” American-Canadian Commando Unit, WWII. ~ “... Italy, 1944 ... When the 5th Army breakout offensive began on 25 May 1944, the 1st SSF [Special Service Force] was sent against Monte Arrestino, and attacked Rocca Massima on 27 May. The 1st SSF was given the assignment of capturing seven bridges in the city to prevent their demolition by the withdrawing Wehrmacht.” Source: History of the First Special Service Force; website: firstspecialserviceforce.net.
Date of Death: 28 May 1944.
Place of Death: ITALY.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Unknown.
Repatriated: 1948.
Cemetery: Second Creek Cemetery, Perry County, Kentucky listed on Headstone Application. Eversole Cemetery, Bonnyman, Perry County listed on findagrave.
Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: JOE WILLIAMS carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed my fourth-cousin-2-times-removed, Joe Williams on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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WILLIAMS, WILLIAM DAVID (1923-1945), KILLED IN ACTION, GERMANY, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: GLOMAWR, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: First Creek, Perry County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 5 August 1923, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Anna Belle Mercer and William L. Williams.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Service Number: 15044466.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 9th Armored Division, 27th Armored Infantry, World War II. ~ “The 9th now assumed a spearheading role, leading the way for First Army’s drive eastward. The race through Central Germany began April 10.” Source: “The 9th: The Story of the 9th Armored Division,” G. I. Stories, published by the Stars & Stripes in Paris in 1944-1945. Website: lonesentry.com.
Date of Death: 13 April 1945.
Place of Death: GERMANY, WORLD WAR II.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Currently Unknown.
Repatriated: 1950.
Cemetery: Englewood Cemetery, Christopher, Perry County, Kentucky. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: WILLIAM D. WILLIAMS carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
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WOODS
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WOODS, EUGENE (1923 - 2016), WOUNDED, SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE USS COOPER IN THE BATTLE OF ORMOC BAY, LEYTE ISLAND, PHILIPPINES, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: VIPER, MASON’S CREEK (Middle Fork), Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Groton, Connecticut.
Date of Birth: 7 April 1923 in Viper, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Louise Branson and Elhannon “Hanon” Woods.
Paternal Grandparents: Ella Jane Sumner and John C. Woods. John married second, Louanna Walker.
Maternal Grandparents: Marilda Jane Stamper and Wilkerson Branson.
Great-grandparents: Juda Cornett and Theophilus Asher Woods (1844-1919), Union Army, American Civil War.
Great-grandparents: Martha Combs and Robert “Robin” Sumner.
Great-great-grandparents: Nancy Adams and James Sumner, Sr.
Great-great-grandparents: Maragaret “Peggy” Kelley and William Lorenzo “Carnegie Bill” Combs.
Brother: Lloyd Glenn Woods, U. S. Army, World War II.
Spouse: Maude Hammons.
Entered Service From: Connecticut.
Enlistment Date: 9 June 1943 in New Haven, Connecticut. Discharged 1945.
Service Number: 807 61 74.
Rank: Seaman First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Navy. Combat Organization: USS COOPER (DD-695), 3rd Fleet and 7th Fleet, Destroyer Group 60, WWII. When the USS COOPER sunk at Ormoc Bay, 191 Officers and Enlisted Men died. Seaman First Class, Eugene Woods was among the 168 sailors, who survived.
~ 27 March 1941, Commission Date, USS COOPER: The day Eugene Woods was first received on board and became a Plank Owner, a member of the Commissioning Crew.
~ 23 July 1944, USS COOPER left Boston; arrived Pearl Harbor on 4 September 1944.
~ 5 November 1944, USS COOPER arrived Ulithi.
~ 3 December 1944, 12:13 A. M., Battle of Ormoc Bay, Leyte Island, Philippines, Pacific Theatre: “Around midnight on the night of 2-3 December, 1944, COOPER, ALLEN M. SUMNER and MOALE were patrolling Ormoc Bay on the west side of Leyte Island in the Philippines. Japanese forces were trying to reinforce their Leyte garrison through the port of Ormoc. First, the destroyers were attacked by enemy aircraft, but the planes were beaten off by AA fire; Cooper shot down two dive bombers. At 0002, Cooper made her first surface contact and opened fire at 12,000 yards on an enemy destroyer close inshore, Cooper closing in fast and raking the Japanese ship from stern to stern for eight minutes until it caught fire and began to sink. Next, Cooper detected another one or two small transport ships to the south, again closing and opening fire. At least one of these ships, with troops on board, was sunk. At 1217, either a mine or a torpedo struck Cooper amidships; she listed 45 degrees, broke in two and sank within seconds, with the loss of half on board, ten officers and 161 crew members ...” Source: Navsource.org.
~ 3 December 1944, 12:13 A. M., Battle of Ormoc Bay, Leyte Island, Philippines, Pacific Theatre: “At about 0013 on 3 December, Cooper was torpedoed, suffered an explosion on her starboard side, broke in two and sank within a minute. The presence of enemy forces prevented rescue of survivors until about 1400, when “Black Cat” aircraft were able by sheer daring to save 168 of Cooper’s crew. Lost were 191.” --- Source: destroyerhistory.org.
~ The Japanese torpedo hit the USS COOPER right after midnight at 12:13 A. M. Rescue began at 2:00 P. M. by airmen in PBY Catalina “Black Cat” Patrol Bomber – Flying Boat crafts.
~ 3 December 1944, 12:13 A. M., Battle of Ormoc Bay, Leyte Island, Philippines, Pacific Theatre: “...Matsu-class tin can, the TAKE was given credit by the Japanese General Staff for a direct torpedo hit on the COOPER. It sent her to the bottom in less than a minute. Topside crews of the two other ships were horrified at the sight but inspired to see COOPER's guns continuing to fire as she settled beneath the surface.” --- Source: U.S.S. Allen M. Sumner DD-692, “The Forgotten Battle of World War II” by Irwin J. Kappes in Sea Classic Magazine (November 1996), website: dd-692.com.
~ Interview of Eugene Woods by his nephew, Charles Lloyd Caudill: “After the U.S.S. Cooper was sunk, I survived for approximately 18 to 24 hours alone in the water, before I was rescued,” stated Eugene Woods.
Battles, Campaigns, Theatres: Battle of Leyte Gulf, Philippines. Battle of Ormoc Bay. Pacific Theatre, World War II.
Awards, Certificates, Medals: Purple Heart, Pacific Campaign Medal.
Date of Death: 10 March 2016, Viper, Perry County, Kentucky.
Burial: Ben Cornett Memorial Cemetery, Viper, Perry County, Kentucky.
Source: Charles Lloyd Caudill.
NOTE: I placed my second-cousin-one-time-removed, Eugene Woods on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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WOOTEN
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WOOTEN, WALLACE (1919-1945), KILLED IN ACTION, PACIFIC, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: HAZARD, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 4 March 1919, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Mollie Cottongame [Collinggams was the spelling on Wallace’s Kentucky Birth Index] and Elisha Wooton.
Grandparents: Martha and Barton Cottongame.
Great-grandparents: Cyntha Sizemore and William R. Cottongame.
Great-great-great-grandparents: Rhoda Sizemore and Chief Red Bird Aaron Brock.
Fourth-great-grandparents: Agnes Shepherd and George All Sizemore.
Step-father: Clayde Eldridge.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 11 June 1942.
Service Number: 35458129.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 98th Field Artillery Battalion (Mule Pack), 136th Infantry Regiment, Company C, WWII. ~ “Soldiers of the 98th Field Artillery (Pack) Battalion ... leading mules loaded with artillery. Mules were still used in World War II to pack artillery into areas not accessible by motor vehicles.” Source: Tacoma Public Library, Image Archives, Field Artillery; website: tacomapubliclibrary.org.
Date of Death: 20 February 1945.
Place of Death:
Status: “KILLED IN SERVICE.” Source: Headstone Application and Rosters of WWII Dead.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Currently Unknown.
Repatriated: 1949.
Cemetery: Riverside Cemetery, Allais-Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: WALLACE WOOTEN carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed my fifth-cousin-2-times-removed, Wallace Wooton on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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YOUNG
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YOUNG, BUSTER ARTHERN (1917-1944), KILLED IN ACTION, FRANCE, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: VICCO, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Pittsburg in Laurel County. Lothair in Perry County. Fayette County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 19 March 1917, Jackson County, Kentucky.
Parents: Julia Campbell and James Ira Young. James died, when Buster was age 7.
Grandparents: Elizabeth Maggard and John Henry Campbell.
26 December 1924: Loss of his father.
21 March 1930: Glendale Road, Fayette County, Kentucky, House of Reform.
8 April 1930: Lothair, Perry County, Kentucky, in household of A. C. Bush.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 15 October 1942. On Headstone Application enlisted 10 November 1942.
Service Number: 35666017.
Rank: Sergeant.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 4th “Ivy” Division, 22nd Infantry, 2nd Battalion, Company E, World War II. ~ “On July 7 [1944] ... the 22nd Infantry attacked ... beginning ... the Carentan-Periers operation (otherwise known as ‘The Battle of the Hedgerows.’). Source: 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry; website: 1-22infantry.org.
Date of Death: 9 July 1944, World War II.
Place of Death: FRANCE.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, World War II.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Currently Unknown.
Repatriated: 1949. Headstone Application Signed by Julie Young of Vicco, Perry County, Kentucky on 4 March 1949.
Cemetery: Cornett Cemetery, Cornettsville, Perry County, Kentucky.
Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: BUSTER YOUNG carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed my third-cousin-1-time-removed, Buster Arthern Young on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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YOUNG, FRANK (1921-1944), KILLED IN ACTION, FRANCE, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: FARLER, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Mason’s Creek, Perry County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 23 April 1921, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Juda Engle and William Young, Jr.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Service Number: 35473591.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 4th Infantry “Ivy” Division, 8th Infantry Regiment, WWII. ~ “The 8th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Division was one of the first Allied units to hit the beaches at Normandy on D-day, 6 June 1944.” Source: 4th Infantry Division WWII Combat Chronicle; website: army.mil. ~ “The Ivy Division’s 8th Infantry Regiment was first on the beaches of Normandy, D-Day, June 6, 1944. It broke through the vital road center of St. Mere Eglise. In four days, the 4th pushed to Le Theil ...” Source: Wartime Press, 4th Infantry Division; website: wartimepress.com. ~ “Selected as the spearhead amphibious division for the D-Day landing on the Normandy coast of France, led by the 8th infantry Regiment, which landed as first wave, the men of the 4th Infantry Division stormed ashore slightly in advance on the H-Hour (0630 hours) on a stretch of the French coast named for this operation, Utah Beach ... For his actions during D-Day, the supernumerary assistant division commander, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr ... earned the first Medal of honor in the division.” Source: Combat Chronicle 4th Infantry Division; website: Utah-musee-liberation.com.
Date of Death: Sunday, 11 June 1944.
Place of Death: FRANCE, WORLD WAR II.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: Buried.
Burial: Temporary Cemetery 3586. Permanent Cemetery 3505.
Cemetery: Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-su-Mer, Normandy, France. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: FRANK YOUNG carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
U. S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal.
NOTE: I placed Frank Young on my ~ Combs Collins Sumner Adams Holbrook Caudill Kelley Mullins; Brashear Young Campbell Cornett Woods Dorton Asher Bowling Sizemore ~ Maternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
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