MILITARY LEGACY OF WAYNE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA AND BEYOND

GENEALOGY ~ PHOTOGRAPHS ~ LETTERS ~ HISTORY

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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)    
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WAYNE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN, MARINES

REMEMBER AND NAME, P - Z

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DISTINQUISHED SERVICE CROSS MEDAL RECIPIENT:

QUEEN, BILLY SCOTT (1920-1944), OF CRUM, WAYNE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA,
U. S. ARMY, DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS MEDAL, KILLED IN ACTION,
ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE,
IN THE BATTLE OF LANZERATH RIDGE, BELGIUM, WORLD WAR II.

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PAULEY

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PAULEY, NORMAN THOMPSON (1908 – 1944), U. S. ARMY, KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Fort Gay, Wayne County, West Virginia, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Lincoln and Wayne in Wayne County, West Virginia.
DATE OF BIRTH: 3 September 1908 in Wayne County, West Virginia.
PARENTS: Ona O. Thompson and William Pauley.
GRANDPARENTS: Mary Frances and Marion F. Thompson.
GRANDPARENTS: Elizabeth Kyle Jarrell and William Harvey Pauley.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Susanna Skaggs and John Pauley.
WORLD WAR II MILITARY DRAFT CARD: Signed 16 October 1940.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: West Virginia.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 6 April 1942 and 18 March, 1942 in Huntington, West Virginia.
DISCHARGE DATE: 25 November 1944, Killed In Action, World War II.
SERVICE NUMBER: 35425962.
RANK: Private First Class.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion, 4th Armored Division, U. S. Army, World War II.
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES: European Theatre.
U. S. ARMY DIVISION, 4TH ARMORED DIVISION, NOVEMBER 1944:
~ “… the Division … returned to combat 9 November [1944] with an attack in the vicinity of Viviers. The 4th cleared Bois de Serres, 12 November, and advanced through Dieuze and crossed the Saar, 21 – 22 November, to establish and expand bridgehead and took Singling and Bining …” Source: armydivs.com.
DATE OF DEATH: 25 November 1944, U. S. Army, Killed In Action, Kirrberg, France, World War II.
STATUS: Killed In Action. Battle Casualty, In the Line of Duty.
FIRST BURIAL:
REPATRIATED: Yes, 1948.
WAYNE COUNTY NEWS, WEST VIRGINIA, REBURIAL NOTICE, 10 SEPTEMBER 1948.
MILITARY HEADSTONE APPLICATION SIGNED FEBRUARY 2, 1949 BY WILLIAM PAULEY.
SECOND BURIAL, CEMETERY: Jarrell Cemetery, Fort Gay, Wayne County, Virginia.
U. S. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, MEDALS: Purple Heart Medal.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. National Archives & Records Administration War Department Files. U. S. Army Division, 4th Armored Division; armydivs.com. U. S. Headstone Applications For Military Veterans. U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. U. S. World War II Draft Cards. U. S. World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954. West Virginia Memory Project; wvculture.org. World War II Memorial Registry.

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PLYMALE

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PLYMALE, DORSEL E. (ca 1924 – 1942), U. S. NAVY, ABOARD THE U.S.S. YORKTOWN AT THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY, KILLED IN ACTION, MISSING, LOST AT SEA OR BURIED AT SEA, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Greens Brier Creek, Butler, Wayne County, West Virginia, USA.
DATE OF BIRTH: circa 1924 in West Virginia.
PARENTS: Amanda Angeline Staley and James Garland Plymale, married 1920.
BROTHER: Raphael James Plyman.
HALF-BROTHER: Merlin Lee Ball, who was the son of Amanda Angeline Staley and George Paris Ball. Merlin was listed as a Vietnam War Veteran in his obituary.
ON THE 1930 CENSUS, ANGELINE WAS LISTED AS A WIDOW, WHO WAS TAKING CARE OF HER SONS, DORSEL, AGE 6 AND RAPHAEL PLYMALE, AGE 8.
IN 1938 DORSEL, RAPHAEL AND MERLIN SUFFERED THE LOSS OF THEIR MOTHER, ANGELINE.
1940 CENSUS, BUTLER, WAYNE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA:
~ Dorsel, age 16, and Raphael Plymale, age 18, were Foster Sons in the home of Cuzzie and Abraham Crabtree. In 1935, the Plymale brothers were living in Williamson, Mingo County, West Virginia, hopefully with their mother.
1940 CENSUS, UNION, WAYNE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA:
~ Merlin Lee Ball, age 7, was living in the home of his uncle, Allan Ball.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: West Virginia.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 12 August 1941 in Richmond, Virginia.
DISCHARGE DATE: 4 June 1942, Missing In Action, U.S.S. YORKTOWN, Battle of Midway, World War II.
SERVICE NUMBER: 2664854.
RANK: Seaman Second Class.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Navy.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: U. S. S. YORKTOWN (CV5), U. S. Navy, World War II.
RECEIVED ON BOARD FOR DUTY, SHIP, U.S.S. YORKTOWN ON 13 DECEMBER 1941.
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES: Battle of Midway. Pacific Theatre.
DATE OF DEATH: 4 June 1942, Battle of Midway aboard the U.S.S. YORKTOWN, Killed In Action or Missing In Action or Lost at Sea or Buried at Sea, World War II.
U. S. WORLD WAR II NAVY MUSTER ROLLS, 1938-1949, REPORT OF CHANGES FOR THE MONTH ENDING 19 JUNE 1942:
~ Plymale, Dorsel “E”, 266 48 54, Seaman Second Class, USN, Died June 4, 1942, Killed In Action, Buried At Sea.
STATUS: Killed In Action. Missing In Action. Lost At Sea. Buried At Sea.
MEMORIALIZED: National Memorial Cemetery Of The Pacific, Courts Of The Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
U. S. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, MEDALS: Purple Heart Medal.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. United States Naval Casualties, Bureau of Naval Personnel Entries By Name; naval-history.net. U. S. Headstone And Interment Records For U. S. Military Cemeteries On Foreign Soil. U. S. Military Personnel Missing In Action Or Lost At Sea, 1941-1946. U. S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945. U. S. World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas. U. S. World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949. West Virginia Marriages Index. West Virginia Vital Research Records. World War II Memorial Registry; wwiimemorial.com.
NOTE: I placed Dorsel E. Plymale 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.
NOTE: I placed Dorsel E. Plymale on my ~ Sammons Bradshaw Ferguson Wooton Castle Hopkins Daniel Spencer; McCoy Stafford Stanley May Rutherford Brashear Williamson Ball ~ In-law Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.

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QUEEN

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QUEEN, BILLY SCOTT (1920 – 1944), U. S. ARMY, DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS MEDAL, KILLED IN ACTION ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, IN THE BATTLE OF LANZERATH RIDGE, BELGIUM, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Crum, Wayne County, West Virginia, USA.
DATE OF BIRTH: 20 November 1920 in Wayne County, West Virginia on Military Draft Card.
PARENTS: Mary Copley and William Mason Queen.
GRANDPARENTS: Elizabeth Crum and Larkin C. Queen.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Elizabeth Williamson and Johnson Queen.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Elizabeth Pack and William Crum.
WORLD WAR II MILITARY DRAFT CARD SIGNED 16 FEBRUARY 1942.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: West Virginia.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 1 December 1942 in Huntington, West Virginia.
DISCHARGE DATE: December 1944, Killed In Action, World War II.
SERVICE NUMBER: 35642420.
RANK: Private. Technician Fifth Grade.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army.
DATA SOURCE FOR MILITARY UNIT, BATTLES, DEATH AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS MEDAL:
~ First Lieutenant Lyle J. Brouck, Jr., Distinguished Service Cross, Battle of the Bulge, World War II.
~ The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of WWII’s Most Decorated Platoon by Alex Kershaw, c. 2004.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: Charlie Battery, 371st Field Artillery Battlion (105mm), 99th Infantry Division, U. S. Army, World War II.
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES: Battle of the Bulge, European Theatre.
DATE OF DEATH: 16 December 1944, on The First Day of the Battle of the Bulge, in The Battle of Lanzerath Ridge, Killed In Action, Belgium, World War II.
~ “His body would lay where he died, in the dugout, covered in snow, and not be recovered til the early part of 1945.”
STATUS: Killed In Action, World War II.
BODY UNABLE TO BE RECOVERED UNTIL SPRING OF 1945.
FIRST BURIAL: 1945.
REPATRIATED: Yes.
SECOND BURIAL, CEMETERY: Crum Cemetery, Crum, Wayne County, West Virginia.
U. S. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, MEDALS: Distinguished Service Cross.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. First Lieutenant Lyle J. Brouck, Jr., Distinguished Service Cross, Battle of the Bulge, World War II. National Archives & Records Administration War Department Files. The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of WWII’s Most Decorated Platoon by Alex Kershaw, c. 2004. U. S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945. U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. U. S. World War II Draft Cards, 1940-1947. U. S. World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954. World War II Memorial Registry.
NOTE: I placed my husband’s fourth-cousin-thrice removed, Billie Scott Queen on my ~ Sammons Bradshaw Ferguson Wooton Castle Hopkins Daniel Spencer; McCoy Stafford Stanley May Rutherford Brashear Williamson Ball ~ In-law Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.
NOTE: I placed Billie Scott Queen on my ~ Lowe Stephenson Rose Burchfield Murphy Whitt; Littleton Caudill Salisbury Crace Adams Wiley Webb Boone ~ Paternal Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.

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RATTLIFF

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RATTLIFF, GOLDEN (1917 – 1943), U. S. ARMY, KILLED IN ACTION, ITALY, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Stonewall, Wayne County, West Virginia, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Triadelphia, Logan County, West Virginia. Kistler, Logan County, West Virginia.
DATE OF BIRTH: 13 July 1917 in East Lynn, Wayne County, West Virginia.
PARENTS: Ada Sarah Dunn and C. S. Rattlife, married 1901.
GRANDPARENTS: Elizabeth Ferguson and Jeremiah Dunn.
WORLD WAR II MILITARY DRAFT CARD SIGNED 16 OCTOBER 1940.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: West Virginia.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 26 October 1942 in Huntington, West Virginia. 9 November 1942.
DISCHARGE DATE: 18 November 1943 in Italy, Killed In Action, World War II.
SERVICE NUMBER: 35636989.
RANK: Private.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: Company C, 504th Infantry Regiment, U. S. Army.
~ “The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment was … attached to the 82nd Airborne Division.” Source: The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment Unit History.
WORLD WAR II HOSPITAL ADMISSION AND DISCHARGE CARD FILES, NOVEMBER 1943, ITALY: 35636989, Diagnosis, Wound, Thorax, Abdomen by a bullet, Injured in the line of duty (battle casualty).
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES: Italy, European Theatre.
DATE OF DEATH: 18 November 1943 in Italy, Killed In Action, World War II.
STATUS: Killed In Action.
REPATRIATED: Yes, 1948.
CEMETERY: Elmwood Cemetery, Elmwood, Wayne County, West Virginia.
MILITARY HEADSTONE APPLICATION SIGNED 27 SEPTEMBER 1948 BY ADA RATTLIFF OF WAYNE, WEST VIRGINIA.
U. S. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, MEDALS:
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. National Archives & Records Administration. The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment Unit History; ww2-airborne.us. U. S. Headstone Application For Military Veterans. U. S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945. U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. U. S. World War II Draft Cards, 1940-1947. U. S. World War II Hospital Admission Card Files. West Virginia Vital Research Records. World War II Memorial Registry.
NOTE: I placed Golden Rattliff on my ~ Sammons Bradshaw Ferguson Wooton Castle Hopkins Daniel Spencer; McCoy Stafford May Rutherford Brashear Williamson Ball ~ In-law Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.

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SALMONS

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SALMONS, DORSEY LEE (1919 – 1943), U. S. ARMY, KILLED IN ACTION, ITALY, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Missouri Branch, Wayne County, West Virginia, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Twelve Pole, Lincoln District, Wayne County, West Virginia.
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 May 1919, Missouri Branch, Wayne County, West Virginia.
PARENTS: Mary Ann Maynard and Chapman Howard Salmons.
GRANDPARENTS: Rhoda Jane Wooton and Bennett Salmons.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Nancy Cox and Rowland Salmons II. His first wife was Elizabeth Osborne.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Frances “Frankie” Carter and Rowland Salmons I. His first wife was Elizabeth Philpot.
SPOUSE: Mildred Bashaw, daughter of Madge Thompson and John Raymond Bashaw. Did Dorsey and Mildred have a son, Dennis Lee Salmons?
WORLD WAR II MILITARY DRAFT CARD: Dorsey Lee Salmons, age 21, born Missouri Branch, West Virginia, Marshall College Student, Signed October 16, 1940.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: West Virginia.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 26 or 29 June 1942 at Fort Thomas Newport, Kentucky.
DISCHARGE DATE: 21 October 1943, Italy, Killed In Action, World War II.
SERVICE NUMBER: 15115599.
RANK: Private. Corporal.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: 133rd Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, 5th Army, U. S. Army, World War II.
WORLD WAR II DIVISIONAL COMBAT CHRONICLES, 34TH INFANTRY DIVISION:
~ “After continuing its training in Ireland … first [saw] combat in the North African invasion, 8 November 1942, landing at Algiers and seizing the port and outlying airfields.”
~ “In April 1943 the Division Assaulted Hill 609, capturing it on 1 May 1943 .. . “
~ “Contacting the enemy at the Calore River, 28 September 1943, drove north to take Benevento …’
UNITED STATE ARMY IN WORLD WAR II: SPECIAL STUDIES CHRONOLOGY 1941-1945, 78-Volume, c. 1946 by Kent Greenfield, Bryon Fairchild, Robert W. Coakley (and many more).
~ 20 October 1943, Italy. 34th Division is to drive on Capriati at Volturno in region E of the river. 133rd Infantry opens drive on S. Angelo d’Alife.”
FROM THE VOLTURNO TO THE WINTER LINE: REAR GUARD ACTION UP THE VOLTURNO VALLEY, U. S. ARMY CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY:
~ “… Early on the afternoon of 21 October, fourteen enemy tanks were sighted among the willows in the direction of the river. The division dug in and the divisional artillery fired periodic concentrations during the next four hours … four tanks destroyed and four immobilized … heavy casualties on the 133rd Infantry.”
133RD INFANTRY REGIMENT – WWII NARRATIVE HISTORY:
~ “September 23rd, 1943, when the Regiment landed at Salerno, [Italy[ … The Italian Campaign.”
~ “The Battle For S. Angelo. October 21 1943 … Early that afternoon an enemy tank attack was repulsed, casualties were heavy, however.”
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES: North Africa. The Italian Campaign.
WORLD WAR II HOSPITAL ADMISSION CARD: Admission and Discharge Date, October 1943 in Italy, Diagnosis, Head Wound, Penetrating, Shrapnel, Battle Casualty, Injured in the Line of Duty.
DATE OF DEATH: 21 October 1943 in Italy, Killed In Action, World War II.
STATUS: Killed In Action.
DISPOSTION: Buried.
FIRST BURIAL:
REPATRIATED: Yes, 1948.
SECOND BURIAL, CEMETERY: Salmons Family Cemetery, Dunlow, Wayne County, West Virginia.
MILITARY HEADSTONE APPLICATION SIGNED NOVEMBER 29, 1948 by C. H. Salmons of Dunlow, West Virginia.
U. S. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, MEDALS:
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. From The Volturno To The Winter Line: Rearguard Action up The Volturno Valley, 133rd Infantry Regiment – WWII Narrative History; 34ida.org. United States Army in World War II: Special Studies Chronology, 1941-1945, 78-Volume, c. 1946 by Kent Greenfield, Bryon Fairchild, Robert W. Coakley (and many more). U. S. Army Center of Military History; history.army.mil. U. S. Headstone Applications For Military Veterans, 1925-1963. U. S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945. U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. U. S. World War II Draft Cards, 1940-1947. U. S. World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954. West Virginia Memory Project; wvaculture.org. World War II Divisional Combat Chronicles, 34th Infantry Division, Combat Chronicle; history.army.mil.
NOTE: I placed my husband, Calvin Ray Sammons’ second-cousin-once-removed, Dorsey Lee Salmons on my ~ Sammons Bradshaw Ferguson Wooton Castle Hopkins Daniel Spencer; McCoy Stafford Stanley May Rutherford Brashear Williamson Ball ~ In-law Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.

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SPAULDING

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SPAULDING, SHERMAN AVERY (1925-1944), U. S. ARMY, ABOARD TROOP SHIP, S.S. LEOPOLDVILLE, CROSSING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, DESTINATION FRANCE, WHEN THE SHIP WAS TORPEDOED AND SUNK ON CHRISTMAS EVE 1944 BY GERMAN SUBMARINE U-486, KILLED IN ACTION, MISSING IN ACTION, LOST OR BURIED AT SEA, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Webb, Wayne County, West Virginia, USA.
DATE OF BIRTH: 30 October 1925 in Webb, Wayne County, West Virginia.
PARENTS: Susan Evans and Samuel Spaulding.
EMPLOYER: Norfolk & Western Railroad Company.
WORLD WAR II MILITARY DRAFT CARD: Signed 30 October 1943.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: West Virginia.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 22 December 1943 in Huntington, West Virginia.
DISCHARGE DATE: Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, December 1944, Killed In Action, Missing In Action, Lost or Buried at Sea, English Channel, World War II.
SERVICE NUMBER: 35778582.
RANK: Private
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: 262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division, U. S. Army, World War II.
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES: European Theatre.
CHRISTMAS EVE, DECEMBER 24, 1944, BELGIUM TROOP SHIP, S.S. LEOPOLDVILLE LEFT SOUTH HAMPTON, ENGLAND, SAILED TOWARD FRANCE, DURING THE CROSSING OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, GERMAN SUBMARINE U-486 TORPEDOED AND SUNK THE SHIP WITH OVER 2,000 AMERICAN SOLDIERS ON BOARD.
DATE OF DEATH: Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, December 1944, Killed In Action, Missing In Action, Lost or Burial At Sea, English Channel, S.S. Leopoldville, World War II.
STATUS: Killed In Action, Missing, Lost Or Buried At Sea, English Channel, World War II.
MEMORIAL CEMETERY: Monument, Tablets of the Missing, Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, France.
U. S. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, MEDALS: Purple Heart Medal.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. National Archives & Records Administration War Department Files. U. S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Un-accounted-for Remains, Group B (unrecoverabel), 1941-1975. U. S. Headstone and Interment Records For Military Cemeteries On Foreign Soil, 1942-1949. U. S. World War II And Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas. U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. U. S. World War II Draft Cards, 1940-1947. U. S. World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954. World War II Memorial Registry.

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VARNEY

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VARNEY, WILLIAM LESTER (1918 – 1944), U. S. ARMY, KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Crum, Wayne County, West Virginia, USA.
DATE OF BIRTH: 25 October 1918 in Crum, West Virginia.
PARENTS: Ruth May Prince and Thomas Varney.
GRANDPARENTS: Chloe Parsley and Samuel Varney.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Sarah Marcum and Jesse B. Parsley.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: West Virginia.
MILITARY REGISTRATION DATE: 16 October 1940 at Crum, Wayne County, West Virginia.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 22 October 1941 in Huntington, West Virginia.
DISCHARGE DATE: 15 September 1944, Killed In Action, World War II.
SERVICE NUMBER: 35214046.
RANK: Private First Class.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: Headquarters Company, 109th Infantry Regiment, U. S. Army, World War II.
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES:
DATE OF DEATH: 15 September 1944, Killed In Action, World War II.
STATUS: Killed In Action, World War II.
CEMETERY: Parsley Cemetery, Crum, Wayne County, West Virginia.
MILITARY HEADSTONE APPLICATION FORM: Signed by Tom Varney on 21 August 1948.
U. S. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, MEDALS:
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. National Archives & Records Administration War Department Files. U. S. Headstone Applications For Military Veterans. U. S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945. U. S. World War II Draft Cards, 1940-1947. West Virginia Vital Research Records. World War II Memorial Registry.

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WEBB

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WEBB, CHESTER (1921 – 1944), U. S. ARMY AIR FORCE, DIED NON BATTLE, B-24 AIRCRAFT AND CREW DISAPPEARED, LOST AT SEA, AMERICAN THEATRE, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Sidney, Wayne County, West Virginia, USA.
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 December 1921 in Sidney, Wayne County, West Virginia.
PARENTS: Frances “Frankie” Watts and Fred Webb.
GRANDPARENTS: Sarah Copley and John Mack Webb, Jr.
MILITARY DRAFT CARD SIGNED 16 FEBRUARY 1942.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: West Virginia.
ENLISTMENT DATE:
DISCHARGE DATE: 7 April 1944, Aircraft Disappeared, Lost At Sea, Died Non Battle, American Theatre, World War II.
SERVICE NUMBER: 15300911.
RANK: Sergeant.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army Air Force.
AIRCRAFT: B-24 H Liberator # 42-7525.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: 804th Bomb Squadron, 471st Bomb Group, Westover Field, Massachusetts, U. S. Army Air Force, American Theatre, World War II.
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES: American Theatre.
DATE OF DEATH: 7 April 1944 (Aircraft and Crew, Lost At Sea), American Theatre, World War II.
~ “Chester Webb, Radio Operator, on board B-24 Liberator # 42-7525.”
~ “The B-24 H Liberator # 42-7525 on a two-ship flight from Westover Field…”
~ “The aircraft was on a high altitude mission, which was to take them to Montauk Gunnery Range area.”
~ “… the airplane reported to its sister ship, that it was suffering engine trouble and was breaking off.”
~ “… no trace of the missing B-24 and its eleven-man crew was ever found.”
~ “The B-24 was believed to have crashed into the sea …”
Source: Global Findagrave. New England Aviation History, Atlantic Ocean – April 7, 1944.
STATUS: Died Non Battle, Lost At Sea.
U. S. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, MEDALS:
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. New England Aviation History, Atlantic Ocean – April 7, 1944; newenglandaviationhistory.com. U. S. World War II Draft Cards, 1940-1947. West Virginia Memory Project; wvculture.org. World War II Memorial Registry.

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WOODS

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WOODS, EUGENE LEROY (1920-1944), U. S. ARMY, BATTLE OF LEYTE, PHILIPPINES, KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Kenova, Wayne County, West Virginia, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: In 1935, Lawrence County, Kentucky.
~ On the 1940 Census, Fort Logan, Arapahoe County, Colorado, Private Eugene Woods, age 19, single, 1st Battalion, 18th Engineers, U. S. Army.
DATE OF BIRTH: 7 May 1920 in Lawrence County on his Kentucky Birth Record as Leroy E. Woods.
PARENTS: Elizabeth Wellman and John Roy Woods.
GRANDPARENTS: Roe Ella Butler and James Hamilton Woods.
GRANDPARENTS: Jane Lynch and Calvin Melvin Wellman.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Margaret Small and Wayne Wellman.
FOURTH-GREAT GRANDPARENTS: Mary Mulligan and Bennett Wellman, an American Revolutionary War Soldier.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: West Virginia.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 9 January 1940 at Fort Thomas, Kentucky.
DISCHARGE DATE: 25 October 1944, Killed In Action, Battle of Leyte, Philippines.
SERVICE NUMBER: 6988517.
RANK: Private First Class.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: Engineers, U. S. Army.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: 1st Battalion, 18th Engineers, U. S. Army. 69th Engineers Topographic Company, Army Service Command (ASCOM), U. S. Army, World War II.
~ “The … Army Service Command was responsible for organizing the beachhead supply units ashore and constructing or improving roads and airfields.” Source: Leyte, The U. S. Army Campaigns of World War II, a Brochure prepared in the U. S. Army Center of Military History by Charles R. Anderson.
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES: Australian Theatre. Battle of Leyte, Philippines ( 23 – 26 October 1944).
U. S. WORLD WAR II HOSPITAL ADMISSION CARD FILES:
~ Eugene Woods, 06988517, age 24, Admission and Discharge Date, October 1944, Engineers, Battle Casualty, Injured in the Line of Duty.
DATE OF DEATH: 25 October 1944, Battle of Leyte, Philippines, Killed In Action, World War II.
STATUS: Killed In Action, World War II.
FIRST BURIAL:
REPATRIATED: Yes, 1948.
WAYNE COUNTY NEWS, DEATH AND REBURIAL NOTICE, SEPTEMBER 2, 1948.
SECOND BURIAL, CEMETERY: Williams Cemetery aka Golden Oaks Memorial Gardens, Ashland, Boyd County, Kentucky.
MILITARY HEADSTONE APPLICATION SIGNED SEPTEMBER 7, 1948 BY: Roy Woods of 1086 Wayne Avenue, Kenova, Wayne County, West Virginia.
U. S. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, MEDALS: Good Conduct Medal. Purple Heart Medal.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. Kentucky Birth Records. Leyte, The U. S. Army Campaigns of World War II, a brochure prepared in the U. S. Army Center of Military History by Charles R. Anderson. National Archives & Records Administration War Department Files. U. S. Headstone Applications For Military Veterans, 1925-1970. U. S. Rosters Of World War II Dead, 1939-1945. U. S. World War II Hospital Admission Card Files. U. S. World War II Young American Patriots, 1941-1945. Wayne County News, Death and Reburial Notice. West Virginia Memory Project; wvculture.org. World War II Memorial Registry.
NOTE: I placed my husband’s fifth-cousin, Eugene Leroy Woods on my ~ Sammons Bradshaw Ferguson Wooton Castle Hopkins Daniel Spencer; McCoy Stafford Stanley May Rutherford Brashear Williamson Ball ~ In-law Family Tree, that I created on Ancestry.

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