Military Legacy Of Leslie County, Kentucky And Beyond

MILITARY LEGACY OF LESLIE 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.

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LESLIE COUNTY, KENTUCKY SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN, MARINES

REMEMBER AND NAME, A - Z

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AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

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SIZEMORE

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SIZEMORE, WILLIAM "NAVY BILL," (1845 - 1925), UNION ARMY, AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.
HOMETOWN: Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Flat Creek, Clay County, Kentucky. Middle Fork River Road, Bull Creek, Leslie County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 1845 in Clay County, Kentucky.
PARENTS: Polly Wilder and Wilkerson Sizemore. PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Nancy Bowling and John Rockhouse Sizemore (1770 - 1850). MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Rhoda Sizemore (1785 - 1826) and Joseph Wilder.
SPOUSE: Sally Ann Muncy (1854 - ).
GRANDSON: Marvin James Sizemore, World War II U. S. Navy Seaman, USS HOUSTON. In early 1942, he was captured by the Japanese, while he was receiving medical treatment at a Dutch / Netherlands East Indies Military Hospital in Java. He became a Prisoner of War and was taken to Japanese Camp Thailand 13-100. For nearly three and one-half years, he survived brutal forced labor and starvation, during the construction of the Burma / Thai “Death” Railway. When Marvin Sizemore was Liberated in September 1945, he weighed 90 pounds. At 89 years of age, he was awarded 14 medals and ribbons for his military service.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 10 December 1862. DISCHARGE DATE: 24 March 1864.
RANK: Private.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: Cavalry.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: Company L, 14th Kentucky Cavalry, Union Army, American Civil War.
1890 VETERANS SCHEDULES: Leslie County, Kentucky, William Sizemore.
SOURCES: Census. 1890 Veterans Schedules. U. S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865. Marbeth Sizemore Ramirez, great granddaugher of Navy Bill. DATE OF DEATH: November 18, 1925. CEMETERY: The Navy Bill Cemetery, which is located about 4 miles from Hyden on the Dry Hill Road. Source: Marbeth Sizemore Ramirez.
NOTE: I placed my first-cousin-five-times-removed, William Sizemore 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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WORLD WAR I

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ASHER

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ASHER, JOHN (1897-1933), U. S. ARMY, WORLD WAR I.
HOMETOWN: Hydentown, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Elkhorn, Leslie County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 8 November 1897 in Kentucky.
PARENTS: Emily Hibbard and Houston “Hugh” Asher.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Henrietta Bowling and Dillon Asher II.
SPOUSE: Hallie Johnson.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
DISCHARGE DATE: 3 February 1919.
RANK: Corporal.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: 1st Company, 1st Training Battalion. Company B, 9th BN, U. S. Guards. 158th D. B. (non-Div).
DATE OF DEATH: 5 October 1933, Veterans Hospital, Woods, Kentucky.
CEMETERY: Bowling Cemetery, Shoal, Leslie County, Kentucky.
SOURCES: Census. Kentucky County Marriages. Kentucky Death Records. U. S. Headstone Application For Military Veterans.
NOTE: I placed my second-cousin-three-times-removed, John Asher 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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NAPIER

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NAPIER, WILLIE (1895-1984), U. S. ARMY, WORLD WAR I.
HOMETOWN: Roark, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Marrowbone, Bad Creek, Jacks Creek and Howard in Leslie County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 29 April 1895.
PARENTS: Malinda and John H. Napier.
SPOUSE: Millie Roark.
SON: Edgar Napier, MIA-KIA, Non-recoverable, U. S. Navy, World War II.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 20 September 1917.
DISCHARGE DATE: 28 August 1919.
SERVICE NUMBER: 1558537.
RANK: Private First Class.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: Army Infantry.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: Company L, 4th Infantry, U. S. Army, World War I.
U. S. ARMY TRANSPORT SERVICE, PASSENGER LISTS:
~ ANCHISES sailed 12 June 1918 from Hoboken, New Jersey. Private Willie Napier, 5th Company, Infantry, Camp Shelby.
~ KAISERINE AUGUSTE VICTORIA sailed 13 August 1919 from Brest, France; arrived T. C. Camp Merritt, Brooklyn on 22 August 1919. Private First Class, Willie Napier, Company L, 4th Infantry.
DATE OF DEATH: 24 October 1984.
SOURCES: Census. U. S. Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists. U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File.

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SANDLIN

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SONS OF LUCINDA ABNER (FIRST WIFE) AND JOHN SANDLIN:
CHARLIE SANDLIN, WORLD WAR I.
JOHN SANDLIN, WORLD WAR I.
MATHEW SANDLIN, MEXICAN BORDER – WORLD WAR I – PEARL HARBOR – GUADALCANAL – WWII.
WILLIE SANDLIN, CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR, WORLD WAR I.

SANDLIN, CHARLIE (1888-1950), U. S. ARMY, WORLD WAR I.
HOMETOWN: Wooton, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Bull Creek and Confluence in Leslie County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 25 November 1888, Gays Creek, Kentucky.
PARENTS: Lucinda Abner and John Sandlin.
SPOUSE: Ella Jane.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
FIRST ENLISTMENT DATE: 8 February 1911. DISCHARGE DATE: 31 October 1912.
SECOND ENLISTMENT DATE: 19 February 1914. DISCHARGE DATE: 29 October 1917.
RANK: Private First Class.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: Infantry.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: Company M, 9th Infantry. Headquarters, 47th Infantry, 4th Division, U. S. Army, World War I.
DATE OF DEATH: 19 October 1950.
CEMETERY: Sandlin Cemetery / Bull Creek Cemetery, Confluence, Leslie County, Kentucky.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. Kentucky Death Index. U. S. Headstone Applications For Military Veterans.
NOTE: I placed Charlie Sandlin 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.

SANDLIN, JOHN JR. (1892-1972), UNITED STATES MILITARY, WORLD WAR I.
HOMETOWN: Hell For Certain, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Bull Creek, Confluence, Shoal and Wooton in Leslie County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 11 August 1892, Gays Creek, Perry County, Kentucky.
PARENTS: Lucinda Abner and John Sandlin, Sr.
SPOUSE: Hallie Wooton.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 23 May 1918. DISCHARGE DATE: 9 December 1918.
DATE OF DEATH: 29 November 1972.
CEMETERY: Sandlin Cemetery, Confluence, Leslie County, Kentucky.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File. U. S. World War I Draft Registration Cards.
NOTE: I placed John Sandlin, 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.

SANDLIN, MATHEW (1896-1987), MEXICAN BORDER EXPEDITION – WORLD WAR I – PEARL HARBOR ATTACK AND THE BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Wooton, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Camp Lee, Prince George, Virginia. District of Columbia, Virginia. Schofield Barracks, Wahiawa, Honolulu, Oahu Island, Hawaii. Shumaker, Ouachita, Arkansas. Neosho, Newton County, Missouri.
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 December 1896 in Crockettsville, Breathitt County, Kentucky.
PARENTS: Lucinda Abner and John Sandlin, Sr.
SPOUSE: Louise M. Englefried. Lillie Viloa Windike.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 1 November 1915.
DISCHARGE DATE: 31 March 1944.
RANK: MSGT. Master Sergeant.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: 31st & 2nd. Company E, 29th Infantry. Mexican Border Expedition. World War I. 27th Infantry Regiment (The Wolfhounds), 25th Division, U. S. Army, World War II.
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRE: Mexican Border Expedition. World War I. Pearl Harbor Attack and Guadalcanal, World War II.
PEARL HARBOR ATTACK, 7 DECEMBER 1941: Sergeant Matthew Sandlin was stationed at Schofiled Barracks on Oahu Island, Hawaii.
~ “When the Japanese attacked, the 27th Infantry Regiment (the Wolfhounds) fired back at the enemy planes from D-Quad rooftops.” Source: wolfhoundpack.org.
~ Guadalcanal, 1942-1943.
DATE OF DEATH: 3 November 1987.
CEMETERY: Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Hiwasse, Benton County, Arkansas.
SOURCES: Census. District of Columbia, Marriage Records. Findagrave. U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File. U. S. World War II Draft Registration Cards. wolfhoundpack.org. NOTE: I placed Mathew Sandlin 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.

SANDLIN, WILLIE (1890-1949), CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR, WORLD WAR I
HOMETOWN: Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky
OTHER RESIDENCE: When Willie was ten-years-old, his mother died. Who cared for him next? Did he stay with relatives in Leslie County or Breathitt County, Kentucky? Or did he live with his father and step-mother in Perry County, Kentucky, where they had been married?
Breathitt County, Kentucky. Wooton, Asher Branch and Owls Nest Creek in Leslie County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 1 January 1890 in Breathitt County, Kentucky, (per his Passport Application). Born January 1891 on the 1900 census.
PARENTS: Lucinda Abner (1870-1900) and John Sandlin (1866-1947).
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Ludema Riley and Andrew Jackson Sandlin, Union Army, American Civil War.
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Almirah Chaney Baker and Willis Abner.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Zelphia Baker and James W. Sandlin.
SANDLIN SIBLINGS: Charlie, John, Jr., Elihu, Matt, Lula (children of Lucinda and John).
SECOND COUSIN: William Eversole “Willie” Sandlin, born 1893 in Perry County, Kentucky, died 1961 in Indiana, son of Polly J. Eversole and James J. Sandlin. Willie Sandlin and William Eversole Sandlin were the great-grandsons of Zelphia Baker Sandlin and James W. Sandlin.
STEP-MOTHER: Lydia Bowling, daughter of Sarah Jane Baker and William “Old Speck” Bowling. On 18 October 1906 in Perry County, Kentucky, Willie’s father, John Sandlin married a second wife, Lydia Bowling, with witnesses, Elijah Baker and Houston Riley. Source: Perry County Kentucky Stuff Page, Marriage Book J. John and Lydia named one of their sons, William Berry Sandlin (1908-1950). Many mistake Willie and his younger, half-brother, William Berry to be the same person.
SANDLIN HALF-SIBLINGS: William Berry, Edward, Earl, Laura, Irvin (children of Lydia and John).
STEP-SISTER: Martha Bowling, daughter of Lydia Bowling.
NOTE: Do NOT combine Willie Sandlin, his younger, half-brother, William Berry Sandlin and their second cousin, William Eversole Sandlin into one person, as many have done.
SPOUSE: Belvia Roberts, daughter of Sally Ann Roberts and William Roberts. Sally Ann was the daughter of Malinda Davidson and David W. Roberts and the granddaughter of Arrah Orah Asher and Pharis Roberts. William was the son of Margaritt “Peggy” McIntosh and Thomas Roberts.
5 JUNE 1900 CENSUS: Wooton, Leslie County, Kentucky. On that date his mother, Lucinda was head of household, declared a widow and raising six children alone.
11 JUNE 1900 CENSUS: On that date his father, John was in the Kentucky State Penitentiary.
8 AUGUST 1900: Death of Willie’s mother in Kentucky.
HOMETOWN FROM 1901 to 1906: After his mother’s death, did he stay with relatives in Leslie County or Breathitt County, Kentucky? Or did he live with his father and step-mother in Perry County, Kentucky, where they had been married?
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky.
FIRST ENLISTMENT DATE: 17 April 1913.    DISCHARGE DATE: 16 April 1917. Corporal.
SECOND ENLISTMENT DATE: 17 April 1917.                                                                                                                     DISCHARGE DATE: 30 May 1919. Sergeant.
SERVICE NUMBER: 2078103. PENSION NUMBER: 228151.
RANK: Sergeant.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: 33rd Division, 132nd Infantry Regiment, Company A., American Expeditionary Forces, WWI.
26 SEPTEMBER 1918: Willie Sandlin “showed conspicuous gallantry in action” at Bois-de-Forges, France in WWI and would later receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
9 FEBRUARY 1919, SUNDAY: At the quadrangle at General Headquarters, Willie Sandlin and other recipients were presented with a Congressional Medal of Honor by General John J. Pershing.
10 FEBRUARY 1919, MONDAY: Willie Sandlin and other medal recipients were luncheon guests of General John J. Pershing at his chateau, Valdes Escaliers.
14 FEBRUARY 1919, FRIDAY, NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: The Stars and Stripes, France, Friday, February 14, 1919, VOL. 2 – No. 2. “Medal of Honor Winners C. – IN – C.’S LUNCHEON GUESTS.” Willie Sandlin’s hometown was listed as Haydan [Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky] in an article celebrating his being a recipient of the CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR, which was presented to him in France by General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing.
30 MAY 1919, DISCHARGED FROM MILITARY SERVICE. Throughout the rest of his life, Willie Sandlin suffered from the terrible effects of chemical warfare gas, which was used by the enemy during World War I.
22 DECEMBER 1919, U. S. PASSPORT APPLICATION WITH PHOTO: Traveling to Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Italy, England. Sailing on 5 January 1920 on the U.S.S. Pocahontas. Checker, Graves Registration Bureau. He declared he was born on 1 January 1890 in Breathitt County, Kentucky, and that his father, John was born in Perry County, Kentucky.
DATE OF DEATH: 29 May 1949.
PLACE OF DEATH: Veterans Administration Hospital, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
FIRST BURIAL: 1949, Sandlin Cemetery, Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky.
SECOND BURIAL: September 1990, Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.            THIRD BURIAL: May 2018, Kentucky Veterans Cemetery South East, Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky.
MEDAL OF HONOR DONATED IN YEAR 2000: “In 2000, the family of Willie Sandlin donated his Medal of Honor to the Kentucky Military History Museum.” Source: National Guard Museum, website: ky.gov.
MEMORIAL HONOR PLAQUE: Bronze Plaque, Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky.
U. S. AWARDS: For action taken Willie Sandlin was awarded the CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR, which was presented to him in France by General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing.
MEDAL OF HONOR CERTIFICATE: “Willie Sandlin, Sergeant, U. S. Army, Company A, 132d Infantry, 33d Division. Place and Date: At Bois-de-Forges, France on 26 September 1918. He showed conspicuous gallantry in action by advancing alone directly on a machinegun nest which was holding up the line with its fire. He killed the crew with a grenade and enabled the line to advance. Later in the day he attacked alone and put out of action 2 other machinegun nests, setting a splendid example of bravery and coolness to his men. Entered service at Hyden, Ky. G. O. Number: 16, W. D., 1919. Date of issue, December 31, 1919.” Source: Congressional Medal of Honor Society, website: cmohs.org.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. Kentucky Death Records. Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Press Release, 2018. The Stars And Stripes, France, Friday, February 14, 1919, Medal of Honor Winners. U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File. U. S. Headstone Applications For Military Veterans. U. S. Passport Applications. U. S. World War II Draft Registration Cards.
NOTE: I placed Willie Sandlin 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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WORLD WAR II

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BEGLEY

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BEGLEY, EARL C. (1924-1957), U. S. MARINE CORPS, WOUNDED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Wooton, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Camp Branch, Leslie County, Kentucky. Veterans Administration Hospital, Christian County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 21 October 1924 in Leslie County, Kentucky.
SON OF: Dora Maggard and Elijah “Lige” Begley.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
REGISTRATION DATE: 19 December 1942, Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 6 August 1843. DISCHARGED 29 November 1945. WWII.
SECOND ENLISTMENT DATE: 30 June 1948. SECOND DISCHARGE DATE: 31 October 1950.
SERVICE NUMBER: 878 – 575.
RANK: Private First Class.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Marine Corps.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: U. S. Marine Corps, Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina.
DATE OF DEATH: 17 May 1957, Veterans Administration Hospital, Christian County, Kentucky.
STATUS: Wounded In Action, World War II.
CEMETERY: Brewer Cemetery, Wooton, Leslie County, Kentucky.
U. S. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, MEDALS: Purple Heart.
SOURCES: Census. Kentucky Death Records. U. S. Navy Casualties Books. U. S. WWII Draft Cards. U. S. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, June 1946.

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COUCH

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COUCH, MANUEL (1917-1945), DIED OF WOUNDS, IWO JIMA, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Bear Branch, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Collins Fork Road, Big Creek and Hyden in Leslie County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 1 June 1917.
PARENTS: Mary Jane Couch and John Couch.
MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Lucy Lewis and Felix Couch.
PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Polly Jane Napier and William Couch.
SPOUSE: Lucy Marie Roberts.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: January 1944.
DISCHARGE DATE: 17 March 1945. DISCHARGED BY DEATH: 17 March 1945.
SERVICE NUMBER: 934138.
RANK: Private First Class.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Marines.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: Company L, 3rd BN, 9th MAR, 3rd MAR DIV, FMF, U. S. Marine Corps Reserve.
BATTLES, CAMPAIGNS, THEATRES: IWO JIMA.
DATE OF DEATH: 17 March 1945, Iwo Jima, WWII.
STATUS: Died of Wounds, World War II. Purple Heart Medal.
BURIAL: First Burial Currently Unknown.
REPATRIATED: Yes. 1955.
CEMETERY: Wild Dog Cemetery / Couch Cemetery, Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. Kentucky Birth Index. U. S. Headstone Applications For Military Veterans. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing.

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LEWIS

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LEWIS, CORBIN (1923-1944), KILLED IN ACTION, KAMIKAZE ATTACK ON THE USS NASHVILLE, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Cutshin, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Trace Fork Road and Yeaddiss, Leslie County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 2 December 1923, Leslie County, Kentucky.
PARENTS: Polly Turner and Jesse Lewis.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 28 March 1944 in Louisville, Kentucky on Navy Muster Rolls. Enlisted June 1944 on Headstone Application.
12 AUGUST 1944: on board the USS GEN’L R. L. HOWZE (AP 134), sailed from San Francisco to FRAY DITO BEVY.
8 SEPTEMBER 1944: First Received on board the U.S.S NASHVILLE.
DISCHARGE DATE: 13 December 1944, Killed In Action aboard the U.S.S. NASHVILLE.
SERVICE NUMBER: 9586110.
RANK: Seaman 2nd Class, S2c.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Navy Reserve.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: U.S.S. NASHVILLE, (CL43), Brooklyn-class Light Cruiser.
DATE OF DEATH: 13 December 1944, Killed In Action on board the USS NASHVILLE, when the ship was attacked by a Japanese Kamikaze plane, resulting in explosions, fires and a fight to save the ship and each other.
HISTORY CENTRAL: USS NASHVILLE CL-43. “ ... on 13 December she was struck by a kamikaze off Negros Island. The aircaft crashed into her port 5-inch mount, both bombs exploding about 10 feet off the deck. Gasoline fires and exploding ammunition made her midships area an inferno, but although 133 were killed and 190 wounded, her remaining 5-inch guns continued to provide antiaircraft cover.” Source: historycentral.com.
NEWSPAPER CLIPPING: “Test of Men Nobly Met When Big Cruiser Is Hit” by Murlin Spencer, Aboard Adm. Stuble’s Flagship, Dec 13. (Delayed) (AP). “A shattering explosion staggers the cruiser, NASHVILLE ... and flames leap skyward, trailing a dense cloud of black smoke ... a Japanese bomber ... crashes into the number one stack just aft of the bridge ... a suicide crash.” Newspaper clipping courtesy of WLewis324 on Ancestry.
STATUS: Killed In Action, World War II.
BURIAL: Yes, First Burial Currently Unknown.
REPATRIATED: 1948.
CEMETERY: Second Burial. Felix Lewis Cemetery, Yeaddiss, Kentucky.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. History Central; historycentral.com. Kentucky Birth Index. Test of Men Nobly Met When Big Cruiser Is Hit by Murlin Spencer. U. S. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963. U. S. World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949. WWII Navy, Marine corps and Coast Guard Casualties, 1941-1945.
NOTE: I placed Corbin Lewis 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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NAPIER

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NAPIER, EDGAR (1924-1945), MISSING IN ACTION - KILLED IN ACTION, U. S. NAVY, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: Roark, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Bowens Creek, Bad Creek and Jacks Creek Road in Leslie County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 24 June 1924, Leslie County, Kentucky.
PARENTS: Millie Roark and Willie Napier, U. S. Army, World War I.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
DISCHARGE DATE: 20 April 1945. Discharge By Death.
SERVICE NUMBER: 8284689.
RANK: Seaman, First Class.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Navy Reserve.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: United States Navy, World War II.
DATE OF DEATH: 20 April 1945, World War II.
STATUS: Missing.
DISPOSITION: Nonrecoverable.
CEMETERY: Tablets of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Plot: Missing in Action or Buried at Sea.
SOURCES: Census. Kentucky Birth Index. Kentucky Soldiers in World War II. U. S. Navy Casualties Books. U. S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945. World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas. WWI, WWII and Korean War Casualty Listings.

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ROBERTS

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A. B. / ABIJAH B. “BIGE” ROBERTS (1917-1944), CREWMAN ON BOARD THE USS ALBACORE (SS 218),
WHICH WAS SUNK BY MINES, ALL HANDS LOST, MIA-KIA, PACIFIC THEATRE, WORLD WAR II.

ALTHOUGH BORN IN LESLIE COUNTY, KENTUCKY, U. S. NAVY CHIEF QUARTERMASTER, A. B. ROBERTS WAS PLACED IN THE PERRY COUNTY, KENTUCKY WORLD WAR II SECTION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.

IN 1930 IN LESLIE COUNTY, ABIJAH (AGE 12) AND HIS SISTER, WILMA (AGE 14), WERE LIVING WITH THEIR GRANDMOTHER, SOPHIA HYDEN EVERSOLE.

IN 1930 IN 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 LOST HIS FIRST WIFE, HAZEL IRENE STAMPER ROBERTS, AND THEIR SON, STEWART, WHO WERE BURIED IN THE STAMPER CEMETERY AT DWARF IN PERRY COUNTY, KENTUCKY.

IN 1940 WHEN ABIJAH REGISTERED FOR THE DRAFT, HE RESIDED IN JEFF, PERRY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. ON THE DRAFT CARD, HIS EMPLOYER AND NEXT OF KIN WAS FLOYD HALL, WHO HAD MARRIED SALLIE GRACE ROBERTS, AUNT OF ABIJAH.

ABIJAH’S NAME WAS CARVED ON THE PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS, A HAZARD AND PERRY COUNTY WAR MEMORIAL. A PHOTOGRAPH OF HIS NAME CAN BE VIEWED IN THE PLACE OF THE PATRIOTS SECTION.

HIS BOBBY DAVIS MEMORIAL PLAQUE IS CURRENTLY HANGING IN THE HAZARD MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM IN PERRY COUNTY. A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PLAQUE WAS INCLUDED IN HIS SECTION.

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SIZEMORE

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MARVIN SIZEMORE, U. S. NAVY, USS HOUSTON, WORLD WAR II.
WHEN HE WAS A PATIENT IN NETHERLANDS MILITARY HOSPITAL IN JAVA,
HE WAS CAPTURED BY THE JAPANESE IN 1942.
HE BECAME A PRISONER OF WAR AND PLACED IN JAPANESE CAMP THAILAND.
HE SURVIVED BRUTAL FORCED LABOR AND STARVATION,
DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BURMA / THAI “DEATH” RAILWAY.
MARVIN SIZEMORE WEIGHED 90 POUNDS, WHEN HE WAS LIBERATED IN 1945.

SIZEMORE, MARVIN JAMES (1923- ), USS HOUSTON (CA-30), PRISONER OF WAR, SURVIVED THE CONSTRUCTION OF BURMA / THAI “DEATH” RAILWAY, PACIFIC THEATRE, U. S. NAVY, WORLD WAR II.
NAME AT BIRTH: James Marvin Sizemore.
MILITARY SERVICE NAME: Marvin Sizemore.
HOMETOWN: Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Krypton Road, Wooton, Leslie County, Kentucky. Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio.
DATE OF BIRTH: 13 March 1922, James Marvin Sizemore, born in Leslie County, Kentucky.
PARENTS: Ellen Napier and Grover Sizemore.
GRANDPARENTS: Sally Ann Muncy and William Sizemore, Union Army, American Civil War.
SPOUSE: Helen Catherine Mallicote.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 26 June 1940 in Louisville, Kentucky. Trained at NTS, Great Lakes, Illinois.
TRANSFERRED 21 SEPTEMBER 1940: To the USS ASTORIA.
DISCHARGE DATE: 25 September 1945, Latest Report date.
SERVICE NUMBER: 2874154.
RANK: Seaman Second Class.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Navy.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: USS HOUSTON (CA-30), Pacific Theatre, World War II.
~ 2 November 1940, First received on board the USS HOUSTON (CA-30).
~ 8 February 1942, Transferred To Netherlands Military Army Hospital in Java for treatment.
~ 28 February 1942, SINKING OF THE USS HOUSTON (CA-30). Because Marvin Sizemore had not returned from medical treatment in Java, he was not on board. The Japanese removed him from the hospital, and he became a Prisoner of War on March 1, 1942.
THE DUTCH / NETHERLAND EAST INDIES ARMY SURRENDERED TO THE JAPANESE: 8 March 1942.
PRISONER OF WAR:
~ Captured 1 March 1942.
~ Southwest Pacific Theatre: Java.
~ Detaining Country: Japan.
~ Camp: NIKE # 3, POW Camp Thailand 13-100
~ Survived brutal forced labor and starvation during the construction of the Burma / Thai “Death” Railway.
~ Liberated on the 25th of September 1945; weighed 90 pounds.
STATUS: Released, Returned to U. S. Military Control, Liberated.
MILITARY PRESENTATION CEREMONY, MIAMI UNIVERSITY, OXFORD, OHIO, 5 DECEMBER 2011: “ ... Sizemore, now 89, was awarded 14 medals and ribbons ...” Source: USS HOUSTON CA 30; usshouston.net; Meagan Engle, Staff Writer.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. The Hall of Valor; militarytimes.com. U. S. Navy Casualties Books, Released Prisoners, Kentucky. usshouston.net. U. S. World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949. wikipedia.org. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing. World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1946.
NOTE: I placed my third-cousin-once-removed, James Marvin Sizemore 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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WOODS

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WOODS, HAMLIN (1918-1944), U. S. ARMY, KILLED IN ACTION, WORLD WAR II.
ALTERNATE SPELLING: Hamblin.
HOMETOWN: Thousandsticks, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
OTHER RESIDENCE: Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky.
DATE OF BIRTH: 21 January 1918 in Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky.
PARENTS: Drucilla Napier and Henry Woods.
GRANDPARENTS: Morning Napier and Joseph Woods.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Mahala Sizemore (second wife) and Lilburn Woods.
GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Sarah Dorton and Reuben Woods.
THIRD-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: Agnes Shepherd and George All Sizemore, Cherokee.
SPOUSE: Stella Woods. (Did a separation and a divorce occur?)
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 12 June 1942 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Stated that he was separated without dependents.
DISCHARGE DATE: 28 September 1944, Discharged by Death. SERVICE NUMBER: 35481628.
RANK: Sergeant.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Army.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: Company M, 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division, U. S. Army, World War II.
DATE OF DEATH: 28 September 1944 in France, carved on family headstone.
SEPTEMBER 1944, FRANCE, 79TH INFANTRY DIVISION, WORLD WAR II: “The 79th cut across the Moselle and Meurthe Rivers, 13 – 23 September [1944], cleared the Foret de Parroy in a severe engagement, 28th September – 9 October [1944] ....” Source: wikipedia.org.
STATUS: Killed In Action, WWII.
CEMETERY: Woods Cemetery, Thousandsticks, Leslie County, Kentucky.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. Kentucky Birth Index. Pioneer Families Of Leslie County by Sadie W. Stidham, 1986. 79th Infantry Division; army.mil. 79th Infantry Division (United States); wikipedia.org. U. S. Rosters of World War II Dead. U. S. WWII Draft Cards. World War II Memorial Registry.
NOTE: I placed my second-cousin-two-times-removed, Hamlin 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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WOOTON

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WOOTON, WALLACE (1913-1984), U. S. NAVY, WORLD WAR II.
HOMETOWN: McIntosh Creek Road, Wooton, Leslie County, Kentucky, USA.
DATE OF BIRTH: 11 July 1913, Kentucky.
PARENTS: Nancy Margaret “Maggie” Feltner and Felix General Wooton.
SPOUSE: Joyce Combs, daughter of Hettie Ethel King and Anthony Wayne Combs, Sr.
ENTERED SERVICE FROM: Kentucky.
ENLISTMENT DATE: 22 May 1945. DISCHARGE DATE: 15 February 1946.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U. S. Navy.
COMBAT ORGANIZATION: U. S. Navy, World War II.
DATE OF DEATH: 22 January 1984, Butler County, Ohio.
CEMETERY: Butler County Memorial Park, Trenton, Butler, County, Ohio.
SOURCES: Census. Findagrave. Kentucky Birth Index. Ohio Deaths. U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File.
NOTE: I placed my third-cousin-two-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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