Military Legacy Of Perry County, Kentucky And Beyond

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.

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WORLD WAR II (1941 - 1945)

PERRY COUNTY, KENTUCKY SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN, MARINES

REMEMBER AND NAME, R
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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RALEIGH

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RALEIGH, WILLIAM “WILLIE” (1921-1945), KILLED IN ACTION, GERMANY, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: HARDBURLEY, Perry County, Kentucky.
Note: Date of birth varied on documents. Birth Date and Parents have not been totally confirmed. Where were they in 1930?
Date of Birth: 8 October 1921 in Perry County, Kentucky; mother: Sitha Smith. Source: Kentucky Birth Index.
~ On the Headstone Application Card, the date of birth on front was 5 November 1921 and on the back was 11 May 1921.
~ On his Headstone the date of birth was 5 November 1921.
Parents: Sitha Smith and Walter Raleigh. Sitha and Walter married on 23 December 1920 in Perry County, Kentucky. Source: familysearch.org.
Sisters: Naomi Raleigh and Vilona Raleigh.
Half-brother: Grover Raleigh.
Grandparents: Alice Engle and Lorenzo Dow Smith.
Grandparents: Sarah Miller and Absalom C. Raleigh.
Step-mother: Martha Francis (first wed Simeon Fugate); married Walter Raleigh circa 1931.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 14 July 1940 or 1 August 1940.
Service Number: 15053872.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 54th Armored Infantry Battalion, 10th Armored “Tiger” Division, Company A, WWII.                           ~ “... on 20 February 1945 the Division returned to the attack, and took part in the clearing of the Saar-Moselle triangle ... Source: 10th Armored Division, WWII, Combat Chronicle, website: army.mil.
Date of Death: 27 February 1945.
Place of Death: GERMANY.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Currently Unknown.
Repatriated: 1949. Headstone Application signed by Walter Raleigh of Wiscoal, Knott County, Kentucky, presumed to be William’s father.
Cemetery: Cornett Hill Cemetery, Sassafras, Knott 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: WILLIE RALEIGH carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.

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RAY

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RAY, JOSEPH E. “JOE” (1925-1945), MISSING, KILLED IN ACTION, OKINAWA, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: HAZARD, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 22 December 1925, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
Parents: Florence Baker and Joseph Manuel Ray.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 7 July 1944 at Huntington, West Virginia.
Service Number: 35780568.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 77th Infantry “Statue of Liberty” Division, 307th Infantry Regiment, WWII. ~ “... on 16 April 1945, the 77th landed on le Shims, captured the airfield and engaged in a bitter fight for ‘Government House Hill’ and ‘Bloody Ridge’. It was in this operation that Ernie Pyle was killed. On 25 April, it left le Shims for Okinawa, relieving the 96th Division, 28 April 1945. Fighting its way slowly against extremely heavy Japanese resistance, the Division drove to Shuri ...” Source: 77th Infantry Division, website: army.mil. ~ Ernest Taylor Pyle (1900- 18 April 1945), War Correspondent, Pulitzer Prize-winning American. “Wireless to The New York Times. Ernie Pyle died today on Ie Island, just west of Okinawa ... by Japanese machine gun fire.” Source: nytimes.com. Date of Death: Tuesday, 1 May 1945, WWII.
Place of Death: OKINAWA, WORLD WAR II.
Status: MISSING, KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: NONRECOVERABLE. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: JOSEPH E. RAY carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
Memorialized at: Honolulu Memorial, ABMC Tablets of the Missing, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
U. S. Awards: Bronze Star, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.

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REED

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REED, EMMETT J. JR. (1926-1944), U. S. ARMY INFANTRY, KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: SCUDDY, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Rockhouse, Letcher County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 7 July 1926.
Parents: Polly Ann “Sassie” Seals and Emmitt Reed, Sr.
Grandparents: Alice Amburgey and James Seals.
Spouse: Juanita.
1930 Census: Lived in Rockhouse, Letcher County, Kentucky with his uncle, Delzie Seals.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 27 November 1943.
Service Number: 35776745.
Rank: Private.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army Infantry.
Date of Death: 6 September 1944
Status: KILLED IN ACTION.
National Archives Honor List: Listed in the Letcher County, Kentucky Section.
November 25, 1944, The Courier Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, Page 3, 3 Louisvillians Among 55 Kentuckians Slain: Reed, Pvt. Emmett J., husband of Mrs. Juanita S. Reed, Scuddy.
Unknown Date, Newspaper Clipping: 58 More State Soldiers Are Among The Dead: Pvt. Emmet J. Reed, husband of Mrs. Juanita S. Reed, Scuddy.
Repatriated: 1948.
Cemetery: Charlie Logan Cemetery, Knott County, Kentucky. Headstone Application signed on 30 April 1948 by his uncle, Delzie Seals of Colson, Kentucky.
Monument: EMMETT J. REED carved on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.

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REEVES

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REEVES, WALTER ORLANDO (1927-1945), KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: CHRISTOPHER, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 3 May 1927, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Mollie Raynor and Corless/Carlos Reeves.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Service Number: 6356900.
Rank: Seaman, Second Class.
Branch of Service: United States Navy Reserve.
Combat Organization: UNKNOWN.
Date of Death: 25 October 1945. Could this be the date he was officially declared dead, because Japan formally signed the document of surrender on the USS Missouri on 2 September 1945?
Place of Death: UNKNOWN.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Unknown.
Repatriated: Yes.
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: WALTER O. REEVES carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.

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REEVES, WILLIS WARD, JR. (1924-1944), KILLED IN ACTION, FRANCE, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: HAZARD, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 4 December 1924, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Effie Duke and Willis Ward Reeves, Sr.
Siblings: Effie, Jack and Emily (Mrs. Robert Kinnaird of Lexington, Kentucky).
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Service Number: 821781.
Rank: Second Lieutenant.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army Air Force.
Combat Organization: 358th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group, WWII. ~ “The group provided fighter cover for Allied forces landing in Normandy on 6 June 1944, and afterwards hit transportation facilities to cut enemy supply lines. Hit fuel dumps, locomotives, and other targets in support of ground forces ...” Source: 355th Fighter Wing WWII; website: wikipedia.org.
Date of Death: Monday, 19 June 1944.
Place of Death: FRANCE.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, WWII.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Temporary Cemetery 3527. Permanent Cemetery 3504. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: WILLIS WARD REEVES carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
Memorialized at: Brittany American Cemetery, Saint James, Department de la Manche, Basse-Normandie, France.
U. S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal.

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RICE

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RICE, JAMES C. (1923-1945), FINDING OF DEATH, TWO B-25S MID-AIR COLLISION, ITALY, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: GLOMAWR, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Bulan, Perry County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 7 August 1923, Morgan County, Kentucky.
Parents: Flora Lykins and Walter Rice.
Brother: Clyde Rice.
Step-father: H. W. Warnie Stacy, second spouse of his mother.
Step-mother: Dicey, second spouse of his father.
Grandparents: Rissie Ferguson and William T. Lykins.
1940 Census: On 18 April, James was in Bulan in the home of his mother and step-father.
~ On 20 May 1940, James was in Glomawr in the home of his father and step-mother.
Service Number: 7041656.
Rank: Staff Sergeant.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army Air Corps.
Combat Organization: 488th Bomb Squadron, "8U" 43-4064, U. S. Army Air Forces, WWII. ~ “The Mid-air Collision of 488th Bomb Squadron B-25s 8U and 8P ... After the bombing of San Michele ... a strong blast of wind unbalanced the "8U" 43-4064 ... The 8U collided with the 8P tail ...The 8U came down in a spin and crashed with all the crew members (KIA).” Source: Dominique Taddei and “The Mid-air Collision of 488th Bomb Squadron B-25s 8U and 8P”; website: warwingsart.com.
Date of Death: 21 January 1945, in a mid-air collision of two B-25s returning from bombing San Michele to the base at Alesani, Corsica.
Place of Death: ITALY.
Status: FINDING OF DEATH, DIED ON ACTIVE DUTY.
Disposition: BURIED. “Died on Active Duty, Overseas WW 2, Group Burial, 6 bodies in 1 casket, interred in common grave were: Pilot, 1st Lt William Y. Simpson; Co-Pilot, 1st Lt Frederick C. Greening; Staff Sergeant James C. Rice; Sgt Robert J. Jackson; Sgt Doyle G. Shipley and Corporal Fred B. Hicks.” Source: U. S. National Cemetery Control Forms.
Burial: First Burial Unknown.
Repatriated: 29 March 1949.
Cemetery: Jefferson Barracks national Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri. 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 C. RICE carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.

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RICE, WILLIAM HURST (1917-1941), KILLED IN ACTION, DECEMBER 7, 1941, PEARL HARBOR, JAPANESE ATTACK ON THE U.S.S. PENNSYLVANIA, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: DIABLOCK, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 23 July 1917, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Mary Rebecca Alison and Elijah Daniel E. D. “Ed” Rice.
Grandparents: Genoah Gambill and James Allison.
Grandparents: Martha and Granville Rice.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 10 January 1940 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
Service Number: 02873594.
Rank: Gunner’s Mate, Third Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Navy.
Combat Organization: USS PENNSYLVANIA, U. S. NAVY, WWII. ~ “... morning of December 7, 1941, the USS PENNSYLVANIA was sitting in dry-dock in the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard ... Suddenly and with complete surprise, Japanese dive bombers and torpedo bombers roared out of the high overcast. The PENNSYLVANIA was one of the first ships in the harbor to open fire.” Source: The United States Battleship USS PENNSYLVANIA BB-38; website: usspennsylvania.org.
Date Received on Board: 26 March 1940, The USS PENNSYLVANIA.
Date of Death: Sunday, December 7, 1941
Place of Death: PEARL HARBOR, USS PENNSYLVANIA BB-38.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial, Nuuanu Cemetery, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii.
Repatriated, Interment Date: 11 February 1949. Remarks: “WWII Dead From Nuuanu Cemetery, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. Flag Sent.”
Cemetery: Honolulu Memorial National Cemetery, Honolulu, Hawaii, U. S. A. Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky. Monument: HURST RICE carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed William Hurst Rice 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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RILEY

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RILEY, ELDEN (1919-1944), DIED OF WOUNDS, WORLD WAR WII
Hometown: LOTHAIR, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Hardburley, Hazard, Algoma Mining Camp, Lothair, Perry County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 25 September 1919, Breathitt County, Kentucky.
Parents: Lizzy Helton and Jerry Riley.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 8 August 1942, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Service Number: 35467312.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 35th Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division, World War WII. ~ “... on the outskirts of the city [Rome] ... the soldiers of the 88th ran into strong German resistance. Still, on 4 June [1944], the Eternal city fell to the Allies...on 4 June, the all-draftee 88th became the first division to enter the city ... The 88th received its new orders: follow the Germans north.” Source: “The 88th Infantry Division in Italy” by Jami Bryan. Website, armyhistory.org.
Date of Death: 8 June 1944.
Place of Death: UNKNOWN.
Status: DIED OF WOUNDS, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: Buried.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Unknown.
Repatriated: 1949.
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: ELDEN RILEY carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.

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RILEY, JAMES SANDLIN “JIM” (1912-1943), DIED NON BATTLE, USA, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: BUCKHORN, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 14 April 1912, Perry County, Kentucky (Kentucky Birth Index.) Date of Birth: 3 April 1915 with 14 April 1913 marked through on Headstone Application.
Parents: Isabel Sandlin and Orville Baker Riley
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 12 November 1942.
Service Number: 35671755.
Rank: Private.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 8th Service Command Replacement, Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, U.S.A., WWII.
Date of Death: 15 May 1943, DIED NON BATTLE.
Place of Death: Sebastian County, ARKANSAS, USA.
Status: DIED NON BATTLE, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: BURIED.
Cemetery: Buckhorn Cemetery, Chavies, 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: JIM RILEY carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.

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RITCHIE

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RITCHIE, ARNOLD (1913-1944), KILLED IN ACTION, FRANCE, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: WALKERTOWN, Perry County, Kentucky, USA. On his Headstone and Interment Card, his next of kin was his mother, Mrs. Nancy Ritchie of Walkertown, Perry County, Kentucky.
Other Residence: Sassafras, Knott County, Kentucky. It is possible that he entered service from Knott County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 6 February 1913, Knott County, Kentucky.
Parents: Nancy Young and Stephen Ritchie.
Grandparents: Darcus Ritchie and Hiram Young.
Great-grandparents: Oriah Ritchie and Reece Young.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Service Number: 6269958.
Rank: Technician, Fourth Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, WWII. ~ “On D-Day plus 4, June 10th, 1944, the 47th Infantry Regiment landed on Utah Beach in Normandy, France. By June 14th, 1944, combat patrols were in combat with the Germans and by night fall of the 16th [June 1944] the 47th Regiment blocked the last escape route for the Germans in the Cotentin Peninsula.” Source: “47th Infantry Regiment, WWII”; website: 9thinfantrydivision.net.
Date of Death: Saturday, 17 June 1944.
Place of Death: FRANCE, WWII.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, WWII.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Temporary Cemetery 3584. Permanent Cemetery 3505.
Cemetery: Normandy American Cemetery, Saint Laurent, Colleville-sur-Mer, 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: ARNOLD RITCHIE 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 Arnold Ritchie 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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RITCHIE, DOCK MASON (1925-1944), KILLED IN ACTION, FRANCE, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: MONTGOMERY CREEK, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: KENMONT COAL CAMP, Jeff, Perry County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 25 June 1925, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Zeldia Gibbs and George W. Ritchie.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: circa 15 July 1943.
Service Number: 35805794.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 863rd Antiaircraft Artillery, Automatic Weapons Battalion (AAA A.W. BN) Btry D; Company D; 51st AAA BG, Coast Artillery Corps, U.S. Army, WWII.
Date of Death: 10 August 1944.
Place of Death: FRANCE, WWII.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, WWII.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Unknown.
Repatriated: 1948.
Cemetery: Rose Cemetery, Campton, Wolfe 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: DOCK M. RITCHIE carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.

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ROACH

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ROACH, EARL (1919-1945), KILLED IN ACTION, GERMANY, WORLD WAR II
Hometown: COMBS, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 21 June 1919.
Parents: Alice Gertrude Roark and John Roach.
Entered Service From: Tennessee.
Enlistment Date: 7 August 1942.
Service Number: 35467407.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: Co I, 279th Infantry Regiment, 95th Infantry “Victory” Division, WWII. ~ “... the 95th assembled near Julich, Germany, 1 March ... Assembling east of the Rhine at Beckham, 3 April, it launched an attack across the Lippe River, 4 April [1945] ... Assignments in the ETO on 4 April 1945: XIX Corps, Nineth Army, 12th Army Group.” Source: 95th Infantry Division, WWII, Combat Chronicle; website: army.mil.
Date of Death: 4 April 1945.
Place of Death: GERMANY, WORLD WAR II.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Unknown.
Repatriated: 1948.
Cemetery: Pond Cemetery, Lafollette, TN (Headstone Application) or Demory, Campbell County, Tennessee (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: EARL ROACH carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.

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ROARK

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ROARK, FERNANDO “NANDO”, JR. (1925-2017), U. S. NAVY, PACIFIC THEATRE, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: KODAK, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 29 August 1925.
Parents: Mallie Combs and Fernando Roscoe Roark.
Grandparents: Clarinda Collins Combs and Taylor C. Combs.
Grandparents: Mary Ann “Polly” Madden and Fernando Curtis “Doc” Roark.
Spouse: Mary Jacquiline Combs.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 1942-1945.
Service Number:
Rank: Slc, S2c, Quarter Master 2nd Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Navy.
Combat Organization: LCT FlOTILLA FIVE – GROUP THIRTEEN (LCT’s), USS BARRAGE BALLOON UNIT, LST, PT BOAT, LANDING CRAFT TANK (LCT) 63, South Pacific Theater, Communications, Transporting Troops, Barrage Balloon Unit, Australian Field hospital for Malaria.
U. S. Awards: Philippine Liberation Certificate, Asiatic Pacific Medal, WWII Victory Medal. Date of Death: 15 March 2017.
Place of Death: Happy, Perry County, Kentucky.
Burial: 17 March 2017.
Cemetery: George Washington Combs Cemetery, Kodak, on Montgomery Creek, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed my first-cousin-1-time-removed, Fernando “Nando” “Junior” Roark 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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ROARK, JOHN (1920-2001), U. S. NAVY, AMERICAN THEATRE, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: KODAK, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 10 September 1920 in Kodak on Montgomery Creek, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Mallie Combs and Fernando Roscoe Roark.
Grandparents: Clarinda Collins Combs and Taylor C. Combs.
Grandparents: Mary Ann “Polly” Madden and Fernando Curtis “Doc” Roark.
Spouse: Emma Fowler.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 17 August 1942 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
Discharge Date: 7 December 1945, at U. S. Navy Personnel Separation Center, Great Lakes, Illinois.
Service Number: 634-53-26.
Ratings Held: Apprentice Seaman (AS). S2c. Seaman first class (S1c). SM3c. SM2c. Signalman First Class (SM1c).
Rank: Signalman First Class (T) V-6 USNR.
Branch of Service: U. S. Navy.
Combat Organization: Naval Training School, Great Lakes, Illinois. Naval Training School (Signals), University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Naval Air Station (NAS), Great Exuma, Bahamas. Naval Air Station (NAS), Guantanamo Bay (Gtmo), Cuba.
Awards, Theatres: Good Conduct Medal. WWII Victory Medal and Ribbon. American Theatre.
Date of Death: 6 November 2001.
Burial: Turner Cemetery, Cornettsville, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed my first-cousin-1-time-removed, John Roark 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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ROARK, KERMIT (1917-1980), U. S. NAVY SEE BEES, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: KODAK, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 18 February 1917 on Montgomery Creek, Perry County, Kentucky.
Parents: Mallie Combs and Fernando Roscoe Roark.
Grandparents: Clarinda Collins Combs and Taylor C. Combs.
Grandparents: Mary Ann “Polly” Madden and Fernando Curtis “Doc” Roark.
Spouse: Cinda Colwell.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 15 June 1945. Released Date: 2 April 1946.
Branch of Service: U. S. Navy.
Combat Organization: SEE BEES.
Date of Death: 26 April 1980.
Cemetery: George Washington Combs Cemetery, on Montgomery Creek, Perry County, Kentucky.
NOTE: I placed my first-cousin-1-time-removed, Kermit Roark 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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ROBERTS

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ABIJAH B. “BIGE” ROBERTS (1917-1944), USS ALBACORE (SS 218) SUNK BY MINES, ALL HANDS LOST, MIA-KIA, PACIFIC THEATRE, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWNS: Jeff, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky. West Palm Beach, Florida.
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 August 1917, Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky.
PARENTS: Jessie Eversole and Charles Roberts.
GRANDPARENTS: Sophia Hyden and Abijah B. Eversole.
GRANDPARENTS: Mary Lewis and William B. Eversole.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Sophia Hacker and John Hyden, Jr. John was a County Judge of Perry County and a Kentucky State Senator from Clay County. His namesake, the town of Hyden, was declared the county seat of Leslie County.
GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Elizabeth Brashear and John “Jack” Hyden, Sr.
THIRD-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Nancy Vaughn (1/2 Choctaw) and Robert Turner Brashear (1/2 Choctaw).
FOURTH-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Turner Brashear and Unknown Choctaw.
SPOUSE: Hazel Wooton (first wife). Madge Halcomb (second wife).
RESIDENCE:
~ 1930 Census, Kentucky, Leslie County; Abijah (age 12) and his sister, Wilma (age 14) were living with their grandmother, Sophia Hyden Eversole.                                                                                                                                                                      ~ 1930 Census, Kentucky, Perry County; Abijah’s aunt, Sallie Grace Roberts Hall and her husband, Floyd Hall, were taking care of Floyd Pearl Roberts (age 7), who was Wilma and Abijah’s younger brother.
~ In 1939 at Hazard in Perry County, Abijah suffered the loss of his first wife, Hazel Irene Stamper Roberts and their son, Stewart. Both were buried in the Stamper Cemetery at Dwarf in Perry County, Kentucky.
~ In 1940 when Abijah registered for the draft, he resided at Jeff in Perry County, Kentucky. On the Draft Card, his employer and his next of kin was Floyd Hall, who had married Sallie Grace Roberts, who was an aunt of Abijah.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 4 May 1942 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
DISCHARGE DATE: 7 November 1944, sinking of the USS ALBACORE (SS-218), WWII.
SERVICE NUMBER: 6341913.
RANK: Chief Quartermaster (AA) (T).
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Navy.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: USS ALBACORE (SS-218), U. S. Navy Reserve, World War II.
U. S. NAVY MUSTER ROLLS:
~ USS NAUTILUS: Received on Board on 11 April 1944.
~ USS ALBACORE (SS-218), Received on Board on 23 May 1944.
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES: Pacific Theatre.
DATE OF DEATH: 7 November 1944, sinking of USS ALBACORE (SS-218), Pacific Theatre, World War II.                           ~ USS ALBACORE (SS-218) FINAL DISPOSTION: “... sunk on ... patrol by mines off eastern coast of southern Hokkaido’s Kamed Peninsula ... in water ... while running submerged ... on 7 November 1944 ... All hands lost; struck from Naval Register 30 March 1945.” Source: navsource.org.
STATUS: Missing In Action / Killed In Action / Lost At Sea, World War II.
DISPOSITION: Nonrecoverable.
MONUMENT: National Cemetery of the Pacific, Tablets Of The Missing, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.                               Memorial Plaque: WWII Memorial Plaque, first displayed at the Bobby Davis Living Memorial; currently displayed at Memorial Gym in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
Monument: BIGE ROBERTS 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. The USS ALBACORE was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and nine Battle Stars.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. Kentucky Birth Index. oneternalpatrol.com. Pioneer Families Of Leslie County by Sadie W. Stidham, 1986. navsource.org. The Brashear Story A Family History by Troy L. Back and Leon Brashear, 1962. U. S. Navy Casualty Books. U. S. Navy Muster Rolls. U. S. WWII Draft Cards. World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas.
NOTE: I placed my eighth-cousin, Abijah B. Roberts 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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ROBINSON

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ROBINSON, HOMER (1915-1945), KILLED IN ACTION, LUXEMBOURG, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: HILTON, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Duane, Perry County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: 22 May 1915, Breathitt County, Kentucky.
Parents: Nannie Clemons and Robert Robinson.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 23 September 1940.
Service Number: 15056664.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 5th Infantry Division, 10th Infantry Regiment. ~ “On the 16th of December the Germans launched their winter offensive, and on the 18th the 5th [Division] was thrown in against the southern flank of the Bulge, helping to reduce it by the end of January 1945.” Source: 5th Infantry Division, WWII, Combat Chronicles; website: army.mil.
Date of Death: 18 January 1945, World War II.
Place of Death: LUXEMBOURG, WORLD WAR II.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Unknown.
Repatriated: 1948.
Cemetery: Back Cemetery, Menifee 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: HOMER ROBINSON carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.

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ROGERS

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ROGERS, KENNETH BRUCE (circa 1922-1945), KILLED IN ACTION, GERMANY, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: BULAN, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Other Residence: Ajax Coal Camp, Perry County, Kentucky.
Date of Birth: about 1922.
Parents: Leda Stidham and Leonard Rogers.
Entered Service From: Ohio.
Enlistment Date: 1 April 1945.
Service Number: 35796335.
Rank: Corporal.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 26th Infantry “Yankee” Division, 104th Infantry Regiment, World War II. ~ “... east of the Rhine ... German opposition became fluid ... The 26th Division continued its rapid advance ... broke out of the Main River bridgeheads, reaching Fulda on the 1st of April [1945] ...” Source: “The Yankee Division in World War II.” Website: yd-info.net.
Date of Death: 1 April 1945.
Place of Death: GERMANY.
Status: KILLED IN ACTION, WWII.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Temporary Cemetery 3574. Permanent Cemetery 3503.
Cemetery: Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, Mossell, Lorraine, 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: KENNETH B. ROGERS carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.
Memory Stone: Englewood Cemetery, Christopher, Perry County, Kentucky. “Killed In Action April 1st Schluctern, Germany.”
U. S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal.

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ROREX

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ROREX, WILLIAM H. (1919-1945), DIED NON BATTLE, GERMANY, WORLD WAR II.
Hometown: HAZARD, Perry County, Kentucky, USA.
Date of Birth: 5 March 1919, Whitley County, Kentucky. (Kentucky Birth Index.)
Parents: Nellie Allen (1906-1983) and Homer Lemuel Rorex (1892-1940). Nellie Allen Rorex was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery, Maryville, Blount County, Tennessee.
Grandparents: Sarah and Absalome B. Rorex.
Entered Service From: Kentucky.
Enlistment Date: 8 September 1942, Cincinnati, Ohio
Service Number: 35470601.
Rank: Private First Class.
Branch of Service: U. S. Army.
Combat Organization: 847th Engineer Aviation Battalion, Company C, U. S. Army, World War II.
Date of Death: 14 July 1945.
Place of Death: GERMANY.
Status: DIED NON BATTLE, WORLD WAR II.
Disposition: BURIED.
Burial: Battlefield Burial Unknown.
Repatriated: 1949.
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 H. ROREX carved within the WWII military section on PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, a memorial located in Hazard, Perry County, Kentucky.

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MILITARY LEGACY OF PERRY COUNTY, KENTUCKY AND BEYOND

GENEALOGY ~ PHOTOGRAPHS ~ LETTERS ~ HISTORY