World War II

   
   


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TWO
OPPOSING
SIDES

The "ALLIES"

The "AXIS"


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The
Connection
Between Religion
& Democracy


World War II
Memorial

Newton, NC


FAMILY
MEMBERS WHO
SERVED

The ADERHOLTs
Aderholt, John Newell

The BEATTYs
Beatty, Charles Manson
Beatty, Cyrus Thomas
Beatty, Ora Howard
Beatty, Eugene Parks
Beatty, Roy Franklin
Beatty, Willard Smith
Gabriel, Henry Clay


The LOFTINs
Abernathy, Paul Edward
Carpenter, Floyd Jennings
Drum, Garvin Loftin
Ellers Jr, William Simeon
Herman, Ruel Franklin
Loftin, Ben Taylor Sr.
Loftin, Clifford Edwin
Loftin, Coyte James
Loftin, Enoch Bidwell
Loftin, Floyd Stokes
Loftin, Foy Max
Loftin, Fred Murckeson
Loftin, Grady Adams Jr.
Loftin, Grady Lee Roy Sr.
Loftin, Grady Woodrow
Loftin, Ivey Pinkney
Loftin, Larry Henry
Loftin, L.D.
Loftin, Leonard Thompson
Loftin, Marshal Alexander
Loftin, Paul Jones
Loftin, Paul Roosevelt
Loftin, Wade Foy
Loftin, Walter Charles
Loftin, William Ray
Loftin, Yates Thurston
Murray, Billy Keith
Rufty, Robert Bristol
Peeler, James Calvin
Wilson, Jack Thomas


The McCOLKLEs
McCorkle, Charles Milton Jr.

The SETZERs
Setzer, Charles Ralph
Sigmon, Floyd Eugene

The WITHERSPOONs
Witherspoon, Osborn Denford


The GOBLEs
Bunton, Ralph Franklin
Goble, Harlee
Goble, J.C.
Goble, William Coleman
Sigmon, Floyd Eugene


The JOHNSONS


___________
___________

The EASONS,
GRISWOLDS,
HARRELLS,
WEEKS

Eason, John Bryant Jr.
Weeks, Martin Luther
Weeks, Mayon Jerome


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Catawba County
WAR MEMORIAL

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WWII Music

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FAMILY
NAMES &
DESCENDANCYS

LOFTIN:
Beatty
Corzine
Cranford
Fisher
Givens
Harwell
Kaiser
Lanier
Lomax
McCorkle
Rudisill
Sherrill
Upright
Washington
Work


SETZER:
Aderholdt
Barringer
Bovey
Bushart
Deal
Heavner
Herman
Ikert
Miller
Motz
Rankin
Witherspoon

GOBLE:
Babst/Bobst
Douglas
Faber
Fink
Fulbright
Hefner
Meinhert

Miller
Muller
Pabst/Bobst
Robinson

JOHNSON:
Corzine
Fink
Hamilton
Kaiser
Leslie
Lewis
Moore
Sherrill
Upright
Wilkinson


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Our Family in World War II

 
 

 

01 Sep 1939 - 02 Sep 1945

LOCATION:  Europe, Pacific, Atlantic, South-East Asia, China, Middle East,
Mediterranean, Africa, and briefly North America

 

 

 
When WWII started in 1939, it divided the world into two alliances - the "Allies" (which consisted of the United Kingdom and France) and the "Axis" powers (consisting of Germany, Italy and Japan).
 

 
 
 
 

"Allies" during World War II

 
 
 

The United States was not involved in WWII at the beginning. Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 07 Dec 1941, without a declaration of war or any warning that hostilities were being commenced, sinking most of the US battle fleet there.

The day after the attack, President Roosevelt went before the US Congress and asked for a formal Declaration of War with Japan in retaliation. With the exception of Janet Rankin (Montana), the US Congress voted unanimously for War.

President Roosevelt never asked for war with Italy or Germany before the Congress. Instead, three days after December 7th, Italy and Germany declared war on the United States.

 

The United States, China and the Soviet Union joined the Allies and before the war was over they had added Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa and Yugoslavia to the list of "Allies".

 

USA WWII military uniforms for "Military Timeline" at Fort Dobbs, Statesville, NC

Photo courtesy of Curtis Loftin

 
"Allies" commanders and leaders during World War II were Franklin D. Roosevelt (The United States), Winston Churchill (United Kingdom), Charles de Gaulle (France) Joseph Stalin (Russia) and Chiang Kai-shek (China).  Harry S. Truman replaced Franklin Delano Roosevelt as President of the United States upon Roosevelt's sudden death before the war was over.
 
UNITED STATES   UNITED KINGDOM   FRANCE   UNITED STATES
     
32nd President   Prime Minister   President   33rd President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt   Winston Churchill   Charles de Gaulle   Harry S. Truman
30 Jan 1882 - 12 Apr 1945   30 Nov 1874 - 24 Jan 1965   22 Nov 1890 - 09 Nov 1970   08 May 1884 - 26 Dec 1972

 

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died as the result of a stroke just months before the war was over.  Vice-President Harry S. Truman became the 33rd President of the United States on 20 Jan 1945.

 
RUSSIA   CHINA   AUSTRALIA   CANADA
     
General Secretary   Chairman   Prime Minister   Prime Minister
Joseph Stalin   Chiang Kai-shek   John Curtin
(& Robert Menzies )
  William Lyon Mackenzie King
18 Dec 1878 - 05 Mar 1953   31 Oct 1887 - 05 Apr 1975   08 Jan 1885 - 05 Jul 1945   (17 Dec 1874 - 22 Jul 1950

 

POLAND   NEW ZEALAND   SOUTH AFRICA   GREECE
     
King   Prime Minister   Prime Minister   King
Ignacy Moscicki   Peter Fraser   Jan Smuts   George II
 
YUGOSLAVIA   NORWAY   NETHERLANDS   BRAZIL
     
King   Prime Minister   Queen   President
Peter II   Johan Nygaardsvold   Wilhelmina   Getulio Vargas
 
BELGIUM   CZECHOSLOVAKIA   INDIA   DENMARK
     
King   President   Viceroy   King
Leopold III   Edvard Benes   Marquess of Linlithgow   Christian X
             

 

 
 

The U.S. printed numerous war posters to encourage young men to join the military

 

     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

"Axis" during World War II

 
 
Those we fought against during World War II were called "Axis" powers.  The three main "Axis" commanders and leaders were Adolph Hitler/Germany, Hirohio/Japan and Benito Mussolini/Italy.
 

In Germany, the Nazi Party led by Adolf Hitler, sought to establish a fascist government in Germany.  With the onset of the Great Depression, domestic support for the Nazis rose and in 1933 Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany - eventually creating a totalitarian single-party state led by the Nazis.

 
GERMANY   JAPAN   ITALY   BULGARIA
     
Fuhrer   Emperor   Prime Minister   Tsar
Adolf Hitler   Hirohito   Benito Mussolini   Boris III
20 Apr 1889 - 30 Apr 1945   29 Apr 1901 - 07 Jan 1989   29 Jul 1883 - 28 Apr 1945   30 Jan 1894 - 28 Aug 1943
 

Of the three major "Axis" leaders from World War II, only Emperor Hirohito from Japan survived.
Adolf Hitler committed suicide on 30 Apr 1945 and was succeded by Karl Donitz as President.
Benito Mussolini was assassinated (shot) on 28 Apr 1945 and was succeeded by Pietro Badoglio.

 
In addition to Germany, Japan and Italy, the Axis powers also included Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Iraq, Romania and Thailand.
 
HUNGARY   IRAN   IRAQ   ROMANIA
     
Head of State   Shah of Iran   King   Prime Minister
Miklos Horthy   Reza Shah   Faisal II of Iraq   Ion Antonescu
 
 
U.S. cartoonists kept the public informed with their satirical cartoons 
 
  
 
On 23 Aug 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact, stunning the world. But despite the appearances, the dictators were both playing to their own political needs.    After Germany invaded France, military commander Maxime Weygand became a figurehead in France for Hitler and the right.
 
 
 

 

Although Japan was already at war with China in 1937, the world war is generally said to have begun on 01 Sep 1939, with the invasion of Poland by Germany, and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by France and most of the countries of the British Empire.  Germany set out to establish a large empire in Europe and from late 1939 to early 1941 Germany conquered or subdued much of continental Europe.

 

Germany invaded France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg on 10 May 1940 and began an air campaign over Britain to prepare for an invasion.  Throughout this period, the neutral United States took measures to assist China and the Western Allies.  On 07/08 Dec 1941, Japan attacked British and American holdings with near-simultaneous offensives - including the attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, landings in Thailand and Malaya and the battler of Honk Kong.

 
 

 

 

Several changes in leadership occurred as the years passed.  On 12 April 1945 U.S. President Roosevelt died and was succeeded by Harry TrumanBenito Mussolini was killed by Italian partisans on 28 April 1945.  Two days later, Adolph Hitler committed suicide and German forces surrendered in Italy on 29 April 1945.The United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August 1945 forcing Japan to surrender on 15 August 1945.

 
 

US Newspaper "Hitler Dead"

      

 
 

The end of World War II saw the United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union emerge as primary victors with all 5 countries (United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, China and France) allotted permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council.

 
 

WWII uniform and jeep displayed for "Military Timeline" at Fort Dobbs, Statesville, NC

Photo courtesy of Curtis Loftin

 
 

World War II was the most widespread war in history with more than 100 million people serving in military units.  In a state of "total War", the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources.

 

World War IIresulted inresulted in 70 - 85 million fatalities.  These deaths make this war the deadliest conflict in human history. There were 11-17 million deaths in Nazi concentration camps, including 6 million Jews, 250,000 Handicapped, 3.1 million POWs (Prisoners of War), 1.9 million Ethnic Poles, 500,000 Serbs, 15,000 Homosexuals, 2,000 Roman Catholic Clergy, 1,000 Jehovah's Witnesses, as many as 500,000 Gypsies and an unknown number of Freemasons.

 
 
World War II Conclusions: Allied victory, dissolution of the Third Reich, creation of the United Nations, emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as Superposers, and the beginning of the Cold War.
 
 
 

WWII weapons demonstration for the "Military Timeline" at Fort Dobbs, Statesville, NC
The USA was the only one with access to repeating rifles

   

 

Photos courtesy of Curtis Loftin

 
 
 
 

The Connection Between Religion & Democracy

 
 

 

The following excerpt from Franklin D. Roosevelt's State of the Union to Congress in 1939 underscores how, until recent years, America's leadership understood the vital connection between religion and democracy.  With Hitler on the move in Europe, President Roosevelt said:

     
  Storms from abroad directly challenge three institutions indispensable to Americans, now as always.  The first is religion.  It is the source of the other two - democracy and international good faith.  
     
  Religion, by teaching man his relationship to God, gives the individual a sense of his own dignity and teaches him to respect himself by respecting his neighbors.  
     
  Democracy, the practice of self-government, is a covenant among free men to respect the rights and liberties of their fellows.  
     
  International good faith, a sister of democracy, springs from the will of civilized nations of men to respect the rights and liberties of other nations of men.  
     
  In a modern civilization, all three - religion, democracy and international good faith - complement and support each other.  
     
  Where freedom of religion has been attacked, the attack has come from sources opposed to democracy.  Where democracy has been overthrown, the spirit of free worship has disappeared.  And where religion and democracy have vanished, good faith and reason in international affairs have given way to strident ambition and brute force.  
     
  An ordering of society which relegates religion, democracy and good faith among nations to the background can find no place within for the ideals of the Prince of Peace.  The United States rejects such an ordering and retains its ancient faith.  
     
  There comes a time in the affairs of men when they must prepare to defend, not their homes alone, but the tenants of faith and humanity on which their churches, their governments, and their very civilization are founded.  The defense of religion, of democracy, and of good faith among the nation, is all the same fight.  To save one we must now make up our minds to save all.  
     
  There comes a time in the affairs of men when they must prepare to defend, not their homes alone, but the tenants of faith and humanity on which their churches, their governments, and their very civilization are founded.  The defense of religion, of democracy, and of good faith among the nation, is all the same fight.  To save one we must now make up our minds to save all.  
     

Franklin D. Roosevelt further said:

 
  We cannot read the history of our rise and development as a nation without reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances of the Republic.  Where we have been the truest and most consistent in obeying its precepts we have attained the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity.  
 
 

WWII uniform display for "Military Timeline" at Fort Dobbs, Statesville, NC

Photo courtesy of Curtis Loftin

 
 
 

WWII Family Involvement

 

 
Members of various branches of our family served in some capacity in the military during World War II.
 
 

Catawba County War Memorial in Newton, North Carolina
The middle plaque lists the names of those who died during World War II

Photo courtesy of Curtis Loftin

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

A closer look at the from side of the Catawba County War Memorial (3:05)

Korean Conflict 1950 - 1955
World War I 1917 - 1918
World War II 1941 - 1945
Vietnam Era 1964 - 1975

 
 
 
 
 
 

The Aderholts

 
 

 
 
ADERHOLT, John Newell

b. 21 Jan 1918 - d. 28 Sep 1981

 
John Aderholt was the son of Martin Beverly Aderholt (1876-1951) and Addie Katherine Mullen (1880-1965)
He was the Grandson of Emanuel Marcus Aderholt (1820-1907) and Rebecca Elizabeth Brown (1832-1927)
He was the Husband of Margie Hoyle
He was the Great Grandson of Jacob Israel Aderholt (1775-1853) & Elizabeth Heavner (1779-1856)
He was the Grand Nephew of Sarah Elizabeth Aderholt Witherspoon (1817-1887)
He was the 2nd Cousin Once Removed of Margaret Ann Elizabeth Witherspoon Setzer (1845)
He was the 2nd Cousin of Ida Lillian Setzer Loftin (1884-1963)
 
Enlistment Date: 02 Sep 1942
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 24

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private; Sergeant
Education: 4 Yrs. High School
Civil Occupation: Sales Clerk

Marital Status: Married
Height: ???
Weight: ???

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 06 Jan 1946
 
John Newell Aderholt, b. 1918, (SS# 246-18-4699), enlisted in the US Army on 02 Sep 1942 at Camp Croft, South Carolina. His educational status was "grammar school" and his Civil Occupation was "Truck Driver" according to his enlistment records an the 1940 Lincoln County Census.
 

John stared off as a Private in the Army but eventually rose in rank to that of Sergeant.

 
Sgt. John Newell Aderholt 28 Sep 1981
and was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Lincolnton, Lincoln County, NC
Find-A-Grave
 
The John Newell Aderholdt and Alonzo Lester Loftin Family Connection
Family Names & Relationships
Jacob Israel Aderholt (1775) & Elizabeth Heavner (1979)
(Husband & Wife)
Emanuel Marcus Aderholt (1820) Sarah Elizabeth Aderholt
Witherspoon
(1817)
Siblings
Martin Beverly Aderholt (1873)  Margaret Elizabeth Witherspoon Setzer (1845) 1st Cousins
John Newell Aderholt (1918) Ida Lillian Setzer Loftin (1884)
(Wife of Alonzo Lester Loftin)
2nd Cousins
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Beattys

 
 

 
 
BEATTY, Charles Manson "Pete"

b. 27 Jun 1918 - d. 09 Jan 2002

 
Charles Manson "Pete" Beatty was the son of
Charles Manson "Lee" Beatty Jr. (1863-1928) & Fannie Bell Setzer (1880-1964)

He was the son of Ora Taptola Howard
He was the Grandson of Gilbert Mason Beatty (1828-1902) and Adeline Susan Beatty (1829-1878)
He was the Great Grandson of Charles Manson Beatty (1795-1863) and Judith Sherrill (1801-1858)
He was the Great Great Grandson of William Able Beatty(1761-1818) & Isabella McCorkle (1771-1842)
3rd Cousin of Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876-1937)
 

Sgt. Pete Beatty with his wife Ora Taptola Howard Beatty
Enlistment Date: 04 Nov 1942
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 24

Branch: U.S. Air Corps
Grade: Private
Education: 4 Yrs. High School
Civil Occupation: Repairman

Marital Status: Single
Height: 69 inches (5 ft. 9 in.)
Weight: 223 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 11 Jul 1944
 
 
Charles Manson "Pete" Beatty (b. 1918) enlisted in the US Air Corps during World War 2 on 04 Nov 1942 at the age of 24 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was 5 ft. 9 in. tall and weighed 223.
 

Pete stared off as a Private in the US Army Air Force but eventually rose in rank to that of Sergeant.

 

Before World War II, Pete worked for his half-brother Jack Beatty in Charlotte delivering pies. Jack owned Piedmont Pie Company. After the war, Jack and Pete moved the baker to Greensboro where there was less competition. Pete's mother worked as a house mother/cook at the Junior Order Home in Lexington and one of his sisters went to King's Business College in Greensboro. That might have been the reason they chose to move the baker to Greensboro.

 
Sgt Charles Manson "Pete" Beatty died 09 Jan 2002
and was buried in the Westminster Gardens Cemetery in Greensboro, NC
 
The Willard Smith Beatty and Alonzo Lester Loftin Family Connection
Family Names & Relationship
William Able Beatty (1761) & Isabella Mccorkle (1971)
(Husband & Wife)
Charles Manson Beatty (1795) Sally Lovina Beatty (1798) Siblings
Gilbert Manson Beatty (1828) James Franklin Loftin (1827) 1st Cousins
Charles Manson "Lee" Beatty (1863) William Alexander Loftin (1851) 2nd Cousins
Charles Manson "Pete" Beatty (1918) Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 3rd Cousins
 
 
BEATTY, Ora Taptola Howard

b. 03 Apr 1919 - d. 26 Jul 2004

 
Ora Taptola Howard was the daughtetr of Seab Duret Howard, Sr. (187701948) and Georgiana Barker (1889-1987)
She was the wife of Sgt. Charles Manson "Peter" Beatty (1918-2002)
 

Ora Taptola Howard Beatty & Sgt. C. M. "Pete" Beatty
Enlistment Date: ???
Enlistment State: Maryland ??
Enlistment City: Baltimore ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ???

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: WAVES
Education: ???
Civil Occupation: Spinner

Marital Status: Single
Height: 5 ft. 7 in.
Weight: Slender

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 26 Oct 1945
 

After Ora graduated from Rock Springs High School she went to work at the Cascade Textile Plant in Mooresville as a spinner.

 

When World War II struck the country, Ora went to work in Baltimore, Maryland, for the large aircraft manufacturer at the time, Glenn L. Martin. After working here for a while, Ora joined the Navy in the WAVES program. During WWII more hospital facilities were needed on the west coast to deal with wounded soldiers coming from the Pacific theater. To help accomplish this Ora was stationed at a navy hospital in Seattle, Washington, where her title was Pharmacist 3rd mate. She greatly enjoyed her time in the WAVES.

 

Ora met Pete Beatty at Rock Springs Campground. Lib Calloway dared Ora to go walk around with Pete. She decided to do so because he was overweight and she thought he might buy her some ice cream at the shack. When they finally decided to get married, both were at home on twenty-one furloughs from the military during World War II. Pete was in the Army Air Core stationed in Greenland. He was a mechanic for bombers flying out to bomb Germany. At the beginning of their furloughs, Pete and Ora went to York, SC, on 07 Sep 1944 to get married as was the norm then to avoid the NC required blood tests for marriage. After the wedding they went to Charlotte where Ora's sister Leona lived, and Leona cooked them their first meal. During the rest of their furloughs they traveled around Denver, Sherrills Ford, Newton and Greensboro seeing family and friends. While in Greensboro, they had a reception with Pete's mother Fanny, Pete's sister Lib (called Boo by some family members), Pete's brother Jack, Jack's wife Genia, some of Pete's cousins and some family friends.

 
(Left) Pete and Ora Beatty at their wedding reception in Greensboro
((Right) Ora standing on the left with military friends
 
 
Ora Taptola Howard Beatty's Honorable Discharge from the US Navy
 
Ora Howard Beatty died 26 Jul 2004
and was buried in the Westminster Gardens Cemetery in Greensboro, NC
PHM3: Pharmacist 3rd Mate
 
 
 
BEATTY, Cyrus Thomas "C.T."

b. 16 Apr 1917 - 07 May 1993

 
Son of Oyha/Other Locke Beatty (1917) and Lala Virginia Howard (1893)
Grandson of Francis/Franklin Lockmon "Locke" Beatty (1865) and Sarah Iola/Ola Beatty (1867)
Husband of Margie Odessa Hobbs (1993)
4th Cousin of Sam William Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: 21 Aug 1941
Enlistment State: ???
Enlistment City: ???
Age at Time of Enlistment: 24

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private

Marital Status: Married


Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 23 Sep 1945
 
Cyrus Thomas "C.T." Beatty's Family Connection to the Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
William Able Beatty (1761) & Isabella Mccorkle (1971)
(Husband & Wife)
Charles Manson Beatty (1795)
& Judith Sherrill (1801)
Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
& Thomas Loftin (1798)
Siblings
Gilbert Manson Beatty (1828)
& Adaline Susan Sherrill (1829)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
1st Cousins
Franklin/Franklin Lockmon Beatty (1865)
& Sara Iola/Ola Beatty (1867)
William Alexander (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
2nd Cousins
Otha Locke Beatty (1917)
& Margie Odessa Hobbs (1917)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
3rd Cousins
Cyrus Thomas "C.T." Beatty (1917) Sam William Loftin (1918)
& Willie Aleen Goble (1925)
4th Cousins
 
 
 
BEATTY, Eugene Parks, Jr.

b. 04 May 1923 - d. 13 Jun 2004

 
Son of Eugene Parks Beatty (1884) and Mamie Bell Smith (1888)
Grandson of Tyler Beatty (1840) and Nancy Adeline Parks (1848)
Husband of Cutine Arndt Beatty
Nephew of Mrs. J.B. (Luzetta Beatty) Loftin (1878)
3rd Cousin of Alonzo Lester Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: 18 Jan 1943
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 19

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 4 Yrs. High School
Civil Occupation: Sales Clerk

Marital Status: Single
Height: 70 inches (5 ft. 10 in.)
Weight: 150 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 11 Jul 1944
 
Eugene Parks Beatty, Jr., enlisted in the U.S. Army on 18 Jan 1943 at Camp Croft, South Carolina, at the age of 19 where he went on to eventually serve as Staff Sergeant. He was 19 years old at the time of his enlistment and single.
 
 
Thanks to Helen Loftin White for collecting WWII military newspaper clippings in the 1940s
 
Eugene Parks Beatty, Jr., was buried in the cemetery at St. James Lutheran Church in Newton, NC
 
 
The Eugene P. Beatty Jr. and Alonzo Lester Loftin Family Connection
Family Names & Relationship
William Able Beatty (1761) & Isabella Mccorkle (1971)
Husband & Wife
Charles Manson Beatty (1795) Sally Lovina Beatty (1798) Siblings
Tyler Beatty (1840) James Franklin Loftin (1827) 1st Cousins
Eugene Parks Beatty Sr. (1884) William Alexander Loftin (1851) 2nd Cousins
Eugene Parks Beatty, Jr. (1923) Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 3rd Cousins
 
 
 
GABRIEL, Roy Franklin

b. 14 May 1921 - d. 01 Nov 2007

 
Son of Dowd Ivey Geatty (1885) and Mattie Lou Howard (1890)
Grandson of Francis/Franklin Lockmon "Locke" Beatty (1865) and Sarah Iola/Ola Beatty (1867)
Husband of Dorothy Eugenia Hallyburton (1923)
3rd Cousin Twice Removed of Alonzo Lester Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: 12 Oct 1944
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 1

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 4 Yrs. High School

Marital Status: Married
Height: 68 inches (5 ft. 8 in.)
Weight: 196 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 10 Jun 1946
 

WWII Draft Registration Cards

 
OBITUARY

Roy Franklin Beatty, 86, of Island Ford Road, died Thursday, November 01, 2007, at Iredell Memorial Hospital. He was born in Iredell County, NC, on May 14, 1921, and was the son of the late Dowd Ivey Beatty and Mattie Howard Beatty.

Roy graduated from Scotts High School and on July 6, 1940 married Dorothy Halyburton Beatty who survives. He served his country during WWII in the U.S. Army.

Also surviving are daughters Mary Jean Watt of Salem, VA, and Angel Joy Campbell & husband Ellis of Statesville - along with grandchildren Jamey Watt & wife Patti and April Hartz and husband Jeff - and great grandchildren Haley, Heidi and Hunter Hartz.

Roy was preceded in death by siblings, Hoyle, Howard and Paige Beatty, Eva Watt and Joyce Crowson.

He was a member of New Sterling ARP Church where he was a Sunday School Teacher and Elder. He loved farming, and was recently awarded the Community Service Award from the West Iredell Ruritan Club.

Services celebrating his life will be held Saturday at 11:00 at New Sterling ARP Church with Rev. Rim R. Watson and Dr. Earl Linderman officiating. The body will lie in state thirty minutes prior to the service. Burial is to follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends following the service in the fellowship hall at the church.

 
Roy Franklin Beatty's Family Connection to the Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
William Able Beatty (1761) & Isabella Mccorkle (1971)
(Husband & Wife)
Charles Manson Beatty (1795)
& Judith Sherrill (1801)
Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
& Thomas Loftin (1798)
Siblings
Gilbert Manson Beatty (1828)
& Adaline Susan Sherrill (1829)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
1st Cousins
Franklin/Franklin Lockmon Beatty (1865)
& Sara Iola/Ola Beatty (1867)
William Alexander (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
2nd Cousins
Dowd Ivey Beatty (1885)
& Mattie Lou Howard (1890)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
3rd Cousins
Roy Franklin Beatty (1921) Sam William Loftin (1918)
& Willie Aleen Goble (1925)
4th Cousins
 
 
 
BEATTY, Willard Smith

b. 15 Jun 1919 - d. 11 Jul 1944 (France)

 
Son of Eugene Parks Beatty (1884) and Mamie Bell Smith (1888)
Grandson of Tyler Beatty (1840) and Nancy Adeline Parks (1848)
Nephew of Mrs. J.B. (Luzetta Beatty) Loftin (1878)
3rd Cousin of Alonzo Lester Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: 24 Jun 1941
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 25

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 4 Yrs. High School

Marital Status: Single
Height: 69 inches (5 ft. 9 in.)
Weight: 129 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 11 Jul 1944
 

WWII Draft Registration Cards

 
No indication as to why Willard had two Registration Cards
 

Willard Smith Beatty enlisted in the U.S. Army on 24 Jun 1941 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, at the age of 25.  Eventually Willard rose to the rank of Sergeant and served in Co. C, 105th Medical Battalion, 30th Division as part of the surgery unit.

 
 

Willard was killed in action while serving in France on 11 Jun 1944. He was buried in the Rehobeth Methodist Church Cemetery in Terrell, Catawba County, NC. 

 
Thanks to Helen Loftin White for collecting WWII military newspaper clippings in the 1940s
 
Willard Smith Beatty and Alonzo Lester Loftin's Family Connection
Family Names & Relationship
William Able Beatty (1761) & Isabella Mccorkle (1971)
(Husband & Wife)
Charles Manson Beatty (1795)
& Judith Sherrill (1801)
Sally Lovina Beatty (1798)
& Thomas Loftin (1798)
Siblings
Tyler Beatty (1840)
& Nancy Adeline Parks (1849)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
1st Cousins
Eugene Parks Beatty Sr. (1884)
& Mamie Bell Smith (1888)
William Alexander (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
2nd Cousins
Willard Smith Beatty (1919) Alonzo Lester Loftin 3rd Cousins
 
 
 
 
GABRIEL, Henry Clay

b. 09 Apr 1925 - d. 28 Aug 2003

 
Son of Wade Alexander Gabriel (1886) and Martha Bertha "Mattie" Robinson (1887)
Grandson of Bruce Alexander Gabriel (1861) and Cedona Lovenia Beatty (1867)
Husband of Catherine Rebecca Eades (1923-2003)
3rd Cousin Twice Removed of Alonzo Lester Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: 12 Oct 1944
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 1

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 4 Yrs. High School

Marital Status: Married
Height: 68 inches (5 ft. 8 in.)
Weight: 196 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 10 Jun 1946
 
Henry Clay Gabriel with Mary Helen Goble (Sigmon)
around 1939/1940 at the Balls Creek Campground
 
 

WWII Draft Registration Cards

 
Henry Clay Gabriel's Family Connection to the Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
William Able Beatty (1761) & Isabella Mccorkle (1971)
(Husband & Wife)
Charles Manson Beatty (1795)
& Judith Sherrill (1801)
Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
& Thomas Loftin (1798)
Siblings
Gilbert Manson Beatty (1828)
& Adaline Susan Sherrill (1829)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
1st Cousins
Charles Manson Beatty (1795)
& Judith Sherrill (1801)
William Alexander (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
2nd Cousins
Cedona Lovenia Beatty (1867)
& Bruce Alexander Gabriel (1861)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
3rd Cousins
Wade Alexander Gabriel (1886)
& Martha Bertha Robinson (1887)
Sam William Loftin (1918)
& Willie Aleen Goble (1925)
4th Cousins
Henry Clay Gabriel (1925) Curtis Dean Loftin (1953) 5th Cousins
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Loftins

 
 

 
 
ABERNATHY, Paul Edward

b. 06 Mar 1925 - d. 01 Apr 2008

Son of William Carlton Abernathy and Alice Lovina Brown
Husband of Betty Jo Loftin Abernathy
Brother of Leroy Franklin Abernathy, Charles Grady Abernathy and Jacob Ray Abernathy
 
 
Enlistment Date: 18 Feb 1943
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Raleigh
Age at Time of Enlistment: 18

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private
Education: ?? Yrs. High School

Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 19 Feb 1946
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 
 

Paul Edward Abernathy enlisted in the Navy during World War II on 18 Feb 1942 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He served in the European and Pacific Theatre stationed on a Mine Sweeper.

 
 

Paul served in the commissary while in the Navy. The Commissary Branch was responsible for provisioning and preparing food for the Navy's enlisted personnel. Paul rose in Rank from Apprentice Seaman (AS) to Ship's Cook 2nd Class (SC2c) during his time in the Navy.

U.S. Navy World War Enlisted Rates: Commissary Branch

 
The following report shows Paul's change of rank on 30 Apr 1943 to "S2c" - Seaman 2nd Class. This particular form gives his Date of Enlistment (Feb. 18, 1943), Place of Enlistment (Raleigh, NC), Rating or Rank (S2c) and his Service Number (656-36-98). The form also shows him serving in the U.S.S. Threat.
 
The following report, from the date 02 Aug, 1945, shows three changes for Paul during the month of July. His Rank or Rating is listed as "S1c" (Seaman 1st Class), but in the last paragraph you can see that his rank was changing to "SC3c" (Ship's Cook 3rd Class).
 
This last form shows that Pau's rank had changed again to "SC2c" (Ship's Cook 2nd Class). The report shows that Paul is being transferred to Camp Elliott in San Diego, California, for discharge.
Thanks to Helen Loftin White for the newspaper clipping about Paul Abernathy and his brother, Leroy.
 
 
Paul Edward Abernathy Family Connection to the Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
 
William Carlton Abernathy
Alice Lovina Brown
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
& Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
 
Paul Edward Abernathy
(husband of Betty Jo Loftin)
Theodore Roosevelt "Speedo" Loftin (1906)
& Marie Hoke
Father-in-Law
& Son-in-Law
 
 
 
 
CARPENTER, Floyd Jennings

b. 29 Oct 1915 - d. 30 Jul 1992

 
Son of Claude Burgin Carpenter and Ruby Gates
Husband of Philetus "Fletus" Mabel Loftin
Son-in-Law of Oliver Cromwell Loftin and Rachel Luzetta "Zettie" Abernathy McAlister
 
Enlistment Date: 19 Mar 1942
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Gragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 26

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: Grammar School

Marital Status: Single
Height: 68 inches (5 ft. 8 in.)
Weight: 161 lbs

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 26 Nov 1945
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 

Floyd Jennings Carpenter, age 26, enlisted in the US Army during WW2 on 19 Mar 1942 at Fort Brag, NC. He was single at the time and working at Long Shoals Cotton Mill. He was 5 ft. 8 in. and was 161 lbs.

 

Floyd was discharged at the end of the war on 26 Nov 1945 and married Philetus "Fletus" Mabel Loftin on 14 Feb 1946 (Valentine's Day) in Lincoln County, NC. Fletus was the daughter of Oliver Cromwell Loftin and Isabelle "Belle" Jane Moore. He was 30 and she was 32.

 
Floyd Jennings Carpenter's Family Connection to the Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
James Franklin Loftin (1827) and Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
(Husband & Wife)
Oliver Cromwell Loftin (1861)
& Rachel Luzetta Abernathy McAlister (1879)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
Siblings
Floyd Jennings Carpenter (1)
& Philetus "Fletus" Mabel Loftin (1887
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 1st Cousins
By Marriage
 
 
 
 
DRUM, Garvin Loftin

b. 16 Jul 1913 - d. 18 May 2003

 
Son of John Wesley Drum and Frances Ivey Loftin
Husband of Dorothy Dean Elam
Father of Dee Dee Drum Jordan
Grandson of William Alexander Loftin and Laura Cranford
 
Enlistment Date: 20 Aug 1943
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 30

Branch: U.S. Army, Medic
Grade: Private
Education: 3 Yrs. High School

Marital Status: Married
Height: ??
Weight: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 17 Dec 1943
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 

Garvin Loftin Drum enlisted in the U.S. Army on 20 Aug 1943 at Camp Croft, South Carolina, at the age of 30. 

 

Garvin's daughter, Dee Dee said this about her father: "My Dad said he was a Medic in the Army stationed in Texas – the discharge papers prove that. It states he was a Private in Company B 51, Medical Training Battalion at Camp Barkeley, Texas - inducted August 20 1943 at Camp Croft, SC. He was honorably discharged on December 17, 1943 at Camp Barkeley, Texas."

 

She further said, "It was a short service date.  My Dad wanted to enlist so much that he did not tell them about the “plate” in his hip. He had his hip crushed while working for a trucking company – got stuck between a truck and the loading dock. Guess back then they didn’t do x-rays or extensive checkups. On one of the army “field trips”, lasting for several hours, his hip became swollen and inflamed and from that they found out about the hip and discharged him."

 

Garvin was discharged on 17 Dec 1943 from Camp Barkley, Texas, and eventually married Dorothy Dean Elam. 

 

He died 18 May 2003.

 
Thanks to Dee Dee Jordan for the military photo and information about her Dad
 
Garvin Loftin Drum's Family Connection to the Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
William Alexander Loftin (1851) and Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
(Husband & Wife)
Frances Ivey Loftin (1878)
& John Wesley Drum (1880)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
& Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
Siblings
Garvin Loftin Drum (1913 Sam William Loftin (1918) 1st Cousins
 
 
 
 
ELLERS Jr., William "Bill" Simeon

b. 01 Apr 1924 - 25 Feb 2012

 
Bill was the son of William Simeon Ellers, Sr. and Floye Hovis Loftin
Bill was the husband of Beuna Vida Vaught
He was the grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin and Cornelia Estelle Lowrance
 
U. S. Army



Bill Ellers, Jr.
Enlistment Date: 18 Feb 1943
Enlistment State: Maryland
Enlistment City: Aberdeen Proving Ground
Age at Time of Enlistment: 18

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private / Technician 5th Grade
Education: High School Graduate

Marital Status: Single
Height: 65 inches (5 ft. 6 inches)
Weight: 142 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: Feb 1946
 
 
 

William "Bill" Simeon Ellers, Jr., enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II on 18 Feb 1943 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, as a Private.  Bill was 18 years old and weighed 142 lbs.  He was 65 inches tall (5 ft. 6 inches).

 

Bill served from Feb 1943 to Feb 1946 at Camp Polk, Louisiana; Okinawa, JAPAN, and KOREA - as a Technician 5th Grade.

 

Bill received the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal and the Victory Medal.

 

Bill married Beuna Vida Vaught.  He was Discharged on February 1946.

 

Garvin Loftin Drum's Family Connection to the Loftin Family

Family Names & Relationship

Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) & Cornelia Estelle Lowrance
(Husband & Wife)

Floye Hovis Loftin (1901)
& William Simeons Ellers, Sr.

Sam William Loftin (1918)
Willie Aleen Goble (1925)

Half-Siblings

William "Bill" Simeons Ellers, Jr. Curtis Dean Loftin 1st Cousins
 
 
 
 
HERMAN, Ruel Franklin
b. 02 May 1912 - d. 11 Dec 1986
 
Son of Kirby Leroy Herman & Claudia E. Miller
Husband of Daisy Pearl Loftin
Grandson of William Alexander Loftin & Laura Rossie Cranford
 
Enlistment Date: 18 Apr 1944
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 31

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 1 Year of High School

Marital Status: Married (Daisy Pearl Loftin)
Height: ??
Weight: ?? lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
WWII Draft Registration Card
 
 
Upon Ruel's death on 11 Dec 1986 he was buried at St. Stephens Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC
 
A special thanks to Ruel's daughter (Deanie Herman Hilton) for the photo of Ruel
 

Ruel Fanklin Herman's Family Connection to the Loftin Family

Family Names & Relationship

Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) & Ida Lillian Setzer (188e)
(Husband & Wife)
Ruel Franklin Herman (1912)
& Daisy Pearl Loftin (1914)
Sam William Loftin (1918) Brother-in-Laws
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Sr., Ben Taylor
b. 09 Jun 1924 - d. 26 Apr 1997
 
Son of Jasper Sinclair Loftin and Rena Harriet Henley
Grandson of Caleb Murchison Loftin (1849) and Rachel Ann Harar (1849)
Great-Grandson of Langdon A. Loftin (1825) and Sarah "Sena/Cenie" Ann Link (1826)
Great-Great-Grandson of Eldridge Edward Loftin (1872) and Mary Sherrill (1793)
Great-Great-Great Grandson of John Loftin (1740) and Martha Lanier (1740)
Husband of Nancy Jean Roberts and Father of Renee Loftin Clemmer
 
Enlistment Date: ??
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private
Education: 3 Yrs. High School

Marital Status: Married
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Discharged: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
Draft Registration Card
 

Ben Taylor Loftin, Sr., served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, advancing to the rank of S1C (Sergeant First Class).

 

Ben served on the Battleship USS Colorado.

 
Ben was Honorably Discharged on 30 Dec 1945 at the end of the war.
 

Ben was buried at the Hillcrest Gardens Cemetery in Mount Holly, Gaston County, NC

 
A special thanks to Renee Loftin Clemmer for sharing information on her father, Ben Taylor Loftin, Sr.
 

Ben Taylor Loftin, Sr.'s Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family

Family Names & Relationship

John Loftin (1740) & Martha Lanier (1740)
(Husband & Wife)
Eldridge Edward Loftin (1782)
& Mary Sherrill (1793
James Loftin (1768)
& Susannah Sherrill (1780)
Siblings
Langdon A. Loftin (1825)
& Sarah "Sena/Cenie" Ann Link (1926)
Thomas Loftin (1798)
& Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
1st Cousins
Caleb Murchison Loftin (1849)
& Rachel Ann Harar (1849)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
2nd Cousins
Jasper Sinclair Loftin (1892)
& Rena Harriet Henley (1897)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
3rd Cousins
Ben Taylor Loftin Sr. (1824) Alonzo Lester Loftin (1776) 4th Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Clifford Edwin
b. 05 Mar 1922 - d. 08 Sep 1989
 
Son of Stokes Mills Loftin
Husband of Nell Ruth Williams
Grandson of Thomas Smith Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: ??
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Seaman 1st Class
Education: ??

Marital Status: ??
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Discharged: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
Statesville Daily Record, Statesville, NC
1945, May 8
"Training At Norfolk"

     Wade Foy Loftin, 18, seaman second class, USNR, of Statesville, recently arrived at the Naval Training Station, Norfolk, VA, to undergo training for duties aboard a new destroyer of the Atlantic Fleet.  He has completed a period of training at the Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, MD.
     Son of Mr. and Mrs. Stokes Loftin of Statesville, Loftin has three brothers, Lloyd, 32, a corporal in the army, Clifford, 23, a seaman, first class in the Navy, and Walter, 20, a private first class in the Army.

 

Clifford Edwin Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family

Family Names & Relationship

James Loftin (1768) & Susannah Sherrill (1780)
(Husband & Wife)
Edmund Loftin (1815)
& Dovey Newman (1816)
Thomas Loftin (1798)
Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
Siblings
Thomas Smith Loftin (1863)
Mary Jane Marvine Hartline (1867)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
1st Cousins
Stokes Mills Loftin (1894)
& Vannie Mae Orren (1893
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
2nd Cousins
Cliftford Edwin Loftin (1922) Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 3rd Cousins
 
 
 
 

LOFTIN, Coyte James

b. 08 May 1918 - d. 16 Feb 1992
 
Son of Arthur Lee Loftin & Alice Josephine Gilleland
Husband of Kathleen Naomi Morrow
Grandson of William Alexander Loftin & Laura Rossie Cranford
 
Enlistment Date: 11 Jul 1944
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 26

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 2 years of high school

Marital Status: Married (Kathleen Morrow)
Height: ??
Weight: ?? lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
WWII Draft Registration Card
 

Information about Coyte from an Interview with Helen Loftin White (Coyte's sister):
  1. Coyte and Ray were in Europe at the same time.
  2. Coyte & Foy, both, went to school in Virginia and took welding before going into the military.  After
      that they went to Maryland and worked for Glenn L. Martin at an airplane factory.
  3. While in Europe getting ready for a battle Coyte's regiment was in a river all day long - and he just fell
      over.  His buddies thought he had been shot, but he said it was just fatigue.

 
Coyte with wife Kathleen and daughter, Judy
  
 
The footstone at Coyte's grave in the Claremont Town Cemetery
 
A special thanks to James Loftin & Judy Sims (Coyte's children) for the photos and information
Thanks to Coyte's sister (Helen Loftin White) for the additional information about Coyte
 
Coyte James Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
William Alexander Loftin (1851) & Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
(Husband & Wife)
Arthur Lee Loftin (1884)
& Alice Josephine Gilleland (1890)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
& Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
Siblings
Coyte James Loftin (1918) Sam William Loftin (1918) 1st Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Enoch Bidwell

b. 19 Feb 1916 - d. 31 Oct 1981

 
Enoch Bidwell Loftin was the son of Franklin Cleveland Loftin and Ellie Tressa Homesley
He was the grandson of Oliver Cromwell Loftin & Isabelle "Belle" Jane Moore
Husband of Thelma Jane Carpenter
Brother of Ivey Pinkney Loftin and Marshal Alexander Loftin who also served in WW2
 
Enlistment Date: 15 Aug 1945
Enlistment State: Unknown
Enlistment City: Unknown
Age at Time of Enlistment: 29
Social Security Number: 244-03-4454

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private
Education: Unknown

Marital Status: Married

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 16 Nov 1945
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 

Enoch Bidwell Loftin enlisted in the US Navy on 15 Aug 1945 but only served for three months. He was discharged on 16 Nov 1945 - just two months after the end of WW2. World War 2 ended on 02 Sep 1945 and was more than likely the reason for his short amount of time in the Navy.

 

No additional information about his military service is known at this time.

 
Enoch Bidwell Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
James Franklin Loftin (1827) & Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1926)
(Husband & Wife
Oliver Cromwell Loftin (1861)
& Isabelle "Belle" Jane Moore (1868)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
Siblings
Franklin Cleveland Loftin (1883)
& Ellie Tressa Homesley (1890)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
& Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
1st Cousins
Enoch Bidwell Loftin 1916) Sam William Loftin (1918) 2nd Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Floyd Stokes
b. 30 Jun 1916 - d. 09 Jul 1975
 
Floyd Stokes Loftin was the son of Stokes Mills Loftin
Husband of Camilla Waugh
Grandson of Thomas Smith Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: 18 May 1943
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Corporal
Education: 1 yr. high school

Marital Status: Married
Height: 98
Weight: ??
Discharged: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
Statesville Daily Record, Statesville, NC
1945, May 8
"Training At Norfolk"

     Wade Foy Loftin, 18, seaman second class, USNR, of Statesville, recently arrived at the Naval Training Station, Norfolk, VA, to undergo training for duties aboard a new destroyer of the Atlantic Fleet.  He has completed a period of training at the Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, MD.
     Son of Mr. and Mrs. Stokes Loftin of Statesville, Loftin has three brothers, Lloyd (actually Floyd), 32, a corporal in the army, Clifford, 23, a seaman, first class in the Navy, and Walter, 20, a private first class in the Army.

 

Floyd Stokes Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
James Loftin (1768) & Susannah Sherrill (1780)
(Husband & Wife)
Edmund Loftin (1815)
& Dovey Newman (1816)
Thomas Loftin (1798)
& Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
Siblings
Thomas Smith Loftin (1863)
& Mary Jane Marvline Hartline (1867)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
1st Cousins
Stokes Mills Loftin (1894)
& Vannie Mae Orren (1893)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
2nd Cousins
Floyd Stokes Loftin (1916) Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 3rd Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Foy Max
b. 24 Jul 1921 - d. 01 Dec 1943
 
Son of Arthur Lee Loftin & Alice Josephine Gilleland
Grandson of William Alexander Loftin & Laura Rossie Cranford
 


Foy Max Loftin
Enlistment Date: 18 Mar 1943
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 21

Branch: U.S. Air Force
Grade: Private
Education: 1 years of high school

Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ?? lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
WWII Draft Registration Card
 
Information about Foy from an Interview with Helen Loftin White (Foy's sister):
  1. Helen corresponded (hand written letters) with Foy while he was in the military.
  2. Foy hoped not to get drafted.  He had joined the Merchant Marines but was drafted into the Air Force.
  3. Foy was a mechanic in the Air Force
  4. He was trained at Fort Leonardwood, Missouri and maybe Ft Bragg, NC (as well as Camp Croft, SC)
  5. Foy said, "Fort Leonardwood is so far back in the hills, I have to use toilet tissue to wipe the dust off
      the clock just to see what time it it."  Helen always thought this was so funny.
  6. Helen said, "Foy was funny and a little mischievous."
  7. He was in the military less than a year - and ready to go oversees - when he died in the auto accident
      while on a date.
  8. After Foy's death, Helen said she wrote Coyte and Ray (who were also in the military) more frequently.
 
 
While home on leave Foy Max Loftin was involved in an automobile accident on 30 Nov 1943 when the car he was in "ran into a telephone pole".  The accident resulted in an intracranial hemorrhage, shock,  a fractured skull and clavicle, and eventually death on 01 Dec 1943 at 11:30 PM.  He was only 22 years old at the time of his death.
 

 

 
CERTIFICATE OF DEATH
 
According to a story that was passed on to me by James Loftin (Foy's nephew), there were actually several young people in the car when the accident occurred.  Apparently Foy was thrown from the car and the others left him unattended while they went to get help.  After a lengthy time, help arrived, but it was too late for Foy.
 

PFC Foy Max Loftin was buried at Center Methodist Church, Catawba, Catawba County, NC

 
Thanks to Foy's sister (Helen Loftin White) for information
A special thanks to Pam Loftin Williamson, James Boyd Loftin & Judy Loftin Sims for the photos
 
Foy Max Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
William Alexander Loftin (1851) & Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
(Husband & Wife)
Arthur Lee Loftin (1884)
& Alice Josephine Gilleland (1890)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
& Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
Siblings
Foy Max Loftin (1921) Sam William Loftin (1918) 1st Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Fred Murckeon
b. 29 Dec 1920 - d. 24 Feb 1965
 
Son of Jasper Sinclair Loftin and Rena Harriet Henley
Husband of Pearlee Vickery
 
U. S. Army


Fred Murchison Loftin
Enlistment Date: 25 Sep 1942
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 21

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: ??

Marital Status: Married
Height: 71 inches (5 ft. 9 inches)
Weight: 166 lbs.
Discharged: 30 Dec 1945

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
Draft Registration Card
 

Fred Murchison Loftin enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II on 25 Sep 1942 at Camp Croft, South Carolina, at the age of 21.

 

He served in Butner, North Carolina; at Camp Crowder, Missouri; in the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia and Hawaii.

 
 
Fred was awarded the 5 BS Campaign Medal as well as the Good Conduct Medal.
 

Fred served from 1941 to 1945 and was Honorably Discharged on 30 Dec 1945 at the end of the war.

 

Fred married Pearlee Vickery.  He suffered a heart attack in his 40s and died 24 Feb 1965.  He was buried at Hillcrest Gardens, Mt. Holly, Gaston County, NC. 

 
Fred's brothers Ben Taylor Loftin, Sr. and Yates Thurston Loftin also served in the military during WWII.
 
A special thanks to Renee Loftin Clemmer for sharing information on her uncle, Fred Murchison Loftin
 
Fred Murckeson Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
John Loftin (1740) & Martha Lanier (1740)
(Husband & Wife)
Eldridge Edward Loftin (1782)
Mary Sherrill (1793)
James Loftin (1768)
& Susannah Sherrill (1780)
Siblings
Langdon A. Loftin (1825)
& Sarah "Sena/Cenie" Ann Link (1826
Thomas Loftin (1798)
& Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
1st Cousins
Caleb Murchison Loftin (1849)
& Rachel Ann Harar (1849)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
2nd Cousins
Jasper Sinclair Loftin (1892)
& Rena Harriet Henley (1897)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855
3rd Cousins
Fred Murckeson Loftin (1920 Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 4th Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Grady Adams Jr.
b. 12 Jul 1924 - d. 28 Nov 2005
 
Son of Grady Adams Loftin Sr. and Sallie Akiss
Husband of Mary Emma Rush
 
Enlistment Date: 18 Oct 1943
Enlistment State: Virginia
Enlistment City: Richmond
Age at Time of Enlistment: 19

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: ??
Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Discharged: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 

Grady Jr. attended Virginia Episcopal School at the time of World War II.  The events of Pear Harbor affected him greatly and he enlisted in the US Army on 18 Oct 1943 in Richmond, Virginia.  He was living in Campbell County, VA, at the time. 

 
A special thanks to Sallie Loftin, Mike Talbot & Lynn Baker Loftin for the photo and information
 
 Grady Adams Loftin Jr's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
John Loftin (1740) & Martha Lanier (1740)
(Husband & Wife)
Eldridge Edward Loftin (1782)
Mary Sherrill (1793)
James Loftin (1768)
& Susannah Sherrill (1780)
Siblings
Langdon A. Loftin (1825)
& Sarah "Sena/Cenie" Ann Link (1826
Thomas Loftin (1798)
& Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
1st Cousins
Alonzo Kelley "A.K." Loftin (1858)
& Sarah Ida Octavis Sigmon (1868)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
2nd Cousins
Grady Adams Loftin, Sr. (1893)
& Sallie Akiss (1899)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
3rd Cousins
Grady Adams Loftin Jr. (1924) Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 4th Cousins
 
 
Son of Grady Adams Loftin Sr. and Sallie Akiss
 
LOFTIN, Grady Roy Lee, Sr.

b. 4 Aug 1923 - d. 18 Oct 1985

 
Grady Roy Lee Loftin Sr. was the son of Branton Lee Roy Loftin & Enda May Weathers
He was the grandson of Oliver Cromwell Loftin & Isabelle "Belle" Jane Moore
Husband of Rachel Elizabeth UNKNOWN
 
Enlistment Date: 03 Feb 1943
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 19
Social Security Number: 237-22-2567

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: Grammar School
Height: 5 ft. 9 in.
Weight: 125
Marital Status: Married

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 16 Nov 1945
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 

Grady Roy Lee Loftin Sr. enlisted in the US Army on 03 Feb 1943 at Camp Croft, SC, when he was 19. He was married at the time and had been working at the Long Shoals Cotton Mill.

 

No additional information about his military service is known at this time.

 
 Grady Roy Lee Loftin, Sr.'s Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
James Franklin Loftin (1827) & Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
(Husband & Wife)
Oliver Cromwell Loftin (1861)
& Isabelle "Belle" Jane Moore (1868)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
Siblings
Braxton Lee Roy Loftin (1896)
& Edna May Weathers (1898)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 1st Cousins
Grady Roy Lee Loftin, Sr. (1923) Sam William Loftin (1918) 2nd Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Grady Woodrow
b. 11 Jul 1916 - 07 Sep 1961
 
Son of William Fortney Loftin and Ellen Huffstetler
Husband of Helen Ruth Pruett
 
Enlistment Date: 09 Dec 1944
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 27

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 4th Grade
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Discharged: 18 Feb 1946

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
Draft Registration Card
 
Left to Right: Helen Ruth Pruett, Martha Fances Loftin, Harold Gene Loftin & Grady Woodrow Loftin

Photo provided by Terry Loftin at Find-A-Grave

 
 Grady Woodrow Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
John Loftin (1740) & Martha Lanier (1740)
(Husband & Wife)
Eldridge Edward Loftin (1782)
Mary Sherrill (1793)
James Loftin (1768)
& Susannah Sherrill (1780)
Siblings
Langdon A. Loftin (1825)
& Sarah "Sena/Cenie" Ann Link (1826)
Thomas Loftin (1798)
& Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
1st Cousins
Marion David Loftin (1847)
& Sarah Frances Beal (1845)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
2nd Cousins
William Forney Loftin (1875)
& Mary Ellen "Ella" Huffsteller (1877)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
3rd Cousins
Grady Woodrow Loftin (1916) Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 4th Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Iva/Ivey Pinky/Pinkney

b. 28 Feb 1908 - d. 05 Jun 1979

Enoch Bidwell Loftin was the son of Franklin Cleveland Loftin and Ellie Tressa Homesley
He was the grandson of Oliver Cromwell Loftin & Isabelle "Belle" Jane Moore
Husband of Mottie/Mattie May Rush
Brother of Enoch Bidwell Loftin and Marshal Alexander Loftin who also served in WW2
 
 
Enlistment Date: 22 Sep 1942
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 33
Social Security Number: 241-03-4445

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: Grammar School

Height: 5 ft. 8 in.
Weight:
156 lb.
Marital Status: Single

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 05 Dec 1945
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 

Iva/Ivey enlisted in the US Army on 22 Sep 1942 at Camp Croft, SC, at the age of 33. His occupation was listed as "Unskilled" and that he had worked in the manufacture of textiles. He was 5 ft. 8 in. tall and 156 lbs. at the time of his enlistment.

 

No additional information about his military service is known at this time.

 
 Ivey Pinky Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
James Franklin Loftin (1827) & Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
(Husband & Wife)
Oliver Cromwell Loftin (1861)
& Isabelle "Belle" Jane Moore (1868)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
Siblings
Franklin Cleveland Loftin (1883)
Ellie Tressley/Tressa Homesley (1890)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 1st Cousins
Ivey Pinky Loftin (1908) Sam William Loftin (1918) 2nd Cousins
 
 
 
 

LOFTIN, Larry Henry

b. 13 Jan 1927 - d. 01 Feb 2018
 
Son of Roy Henry Loftin & Sarah Mae Morrow
Husband of (1)Sarah "Sally" Finn
Husband of (2) Carmen Nichols
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Cornelia Estelle Lowrance
 
Enlistment Date: 1944
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Ashville
Age at Time of Enlistment: 17

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private
Education: High School

Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??

Terms of Enlistment: 2 years & 2 years

              Photo taken in 1950 - age 23

 
Information from a telephone interview that I conducted with Larry on 07 Jun 2012.  He was living in Beaver, WV.  He said:
 
"At the age of 16 I wanted to fly a B17 in the U.S. Air Force but Mom and Dad wouldn't sign the papers.  You could join at 17 but Mom and Dad thought there were too many air plane crashes and didn't want me to do that.  Eventually the Army Air Force dropped the age 17 requirement and you no longer need parental consent, but I wouldn't go against Mom & Dad's wishes."
 
"I was living in Statesville and Dad (Roy Henry Loftin) said, he knew 'I was gonna be drafted and it would be safer' for me 'in the Navy'.  I joined the Navy at Age 17 and Enlisted in Asheville, NC."
 
WWII Draft Registration Card
 
"I had tonsillitis as a kid and when I first joined the Navy they flared up. 
 
Before the tonsil surgery, "I was assigned to work at the Fired Department in Iceland.  Suddenly I heard a noise on the field and I was informed that there was a fire and I needed to stand by.  I was scheduled for a tonsillectomy at the hospital within the next few day, but it turned out that all the noise and confusion was at the hospital - it had burned down.  I had to get my tonsils out later."
 
"One doctor told me I was 'gold-bricking' and my tonsils didn't need to come out - another doctor scolded me and told me I should have come to see him sooner.  They needed to come out immediately.
 
"I remember Floye (Floye Hovis Loftin Eller) and Bill came to see me when I was in the hospital.  That was the last time I saw Aunt Floye and Uncle Bill."
 
Larry said, "I actually served in the later part of WWII.  It was the end of the war and we were on a ship headed to Iceland - and a German sub was following us.  I don't know if they hadn't heard the war was over or what.  I served in the U.S. Navy during World War II for a year-and-a-half to two years before I was discharged."
 
After your active duty term you will be placed in inactive reserves for, usually, an equal amount of time. You are completely touchable at this time. They can call you up, tell you to pack your bags, and you are theirs. It doesn't happen often, but it is within their right to call you to active duty if there is a need during your inactive reserve commitment. During inactive reserves you will be living a civilian life.
 
"After I went home, I was on the inactive reserves.  That group should have been one of the last groups called when the Korean War started but a mistake was made and we were one of the first groups called back."
 

1951
(Left to Right) Roy, Larry, Yvonne and Mae

 

1951 - Larry and his brother, Wayne

 

           

 
"During the Korean War I served on the ship USS Arcadia.  I was in my early twenties.  The Arcadia was a flag ship - there was an Admiral on board the ship and he was over a dozen destroyers.  The Arcadia served as a supply base and the Admiral was in charge of everything.  The ship was stationed in New Port, Rhode Island."
 
"I served for an additional year-and-a-half to two years.
 
"After World War II, I trained as a Medical Tech as well as an X-Ray Tech.  When I was recalled to service for the Korean War, I wanted to work in the Medical Core but the Commander wouldn't release me."
 
"One time I was assigned to work in the engine room of the ship.  I told the person who had given me the assignment that I had never done it before and that I had no training in that particular part of the ship.  He told me that was 'OK' - that I was just 'watching out for fires.'  Unfortunately while I was working there, I received a call asking me about the 'readings'.  I told him I had no idea what the 'readings' were.  He told me, 'look at the instruments and gages".  I told him there were instruments and gages everywhere and I didn't know how to read them.  He was a little upset with me.  To keep from getting into trouble, I called and reported the situation to the commander."
 
One of my favorite things about this second term in the military was baseball.  The ship had a baseball team in New Port and they were in a good league.  I played on the team and was a pitcher.  At one particular game I had tossed several 'balls'.  The Commander was Manager of the team and told me if I threw one more ball, I'd be stuck in the engine room on the ship!"
 
Larry had played basketball and baseball in high school.  "We won every game but one."
 
Larry was fortunate in that he saw no battle action during either World War II or the Korean War.
 
After the military, Larry spent his life working in Medical Labs and X-Ray.  He went to Wake Forrest and took Pre-Med courses but wasn't able to complete all the necessary requirements for graduation.  As an older man, Larry retired as a Hospital Administrator.  "I had worked with developing 9 Medical Clinics in West Virginia."
 
A special thanks to Larry Henry Loftin for sharing the information about his military service
 
Larry Henry Loftin Sr.'s Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
(Husband & Wife)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
& Cornelia Estelle Lowrance (1875)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
& Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
2 Wives
Roy Henry Loftin (1899)
Sarah Mae Morrow (1910
Sam William Loftin (1918)
& Willie Aleen Goble (1925)
Half-Siblings
Larry Henry Loftin, Sr. (1927) Curtis Dean Loftin (1953) 1st Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, L. D.

b. 103 Sep 1916 - d. 10 Oct 1999

 
L.D. Loftin was the son of Other Fredrick Loftin and Nannie Elizabeth Lowrance
He was the grandson of Washington Lafayette Loftin and Margaret Jane Lackey
Husband of Shasta Virginia Arudt
 
Enlistment Date: Unknown
Enlistment State: Unknown
Enlistment City: Unknown
Age at Time of Enlistment: Abt. 24
Social Security Number: Unknown

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: S2
Education: Unknown

Marital Status: Unknown

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: 07 Feb 1946
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 
L. D. Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
James Franklin Loftin (1827) & Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
(Husband & Wife)
Washington Lafayette "Fate" Loftin (1859)
Margaret Jane Lackey (1858)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
Siblings
Other Frederick "Fred" Loftin (1886)
& Nannie Elizabeth Lowrance (1883)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
& Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
1st Cousins
L. D. Loftin (1916) Sam William Loftin (1918)
& Willie Aleen Goble (1925)
2nd Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Leonard Thompson

b. 01 Nov 1917 - d. 11 Nov 1993

 
Leonard was the son of Frederick Thompson Loftin and Ida Edith Heileman
Leonard was the husband of Barbara Brake
He was the grandson of Jacob Philo Loftin and Rachel Patterson
He was the great-grandson of Langdon Loftin and Sarah Ann Link
He was the 4th Cousin of Alonzo Lester Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: 03 Feb 1942
Enlistment State: Indiana
Enlistment County: Marion County
Age at Time of Enlistment: 24

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 1 Year of College

Civil Occupation: Toolmaker

Marital Status: Single
Height:70 inches (5 ft. 10 inches)
Weight: 160 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 

 
 
Leonard Thompson Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
John Loftin (1740) & Martha Lanier (1740)
(Husband & Wife)
Eldridge Edward Loftin (1782)
Mary Sherrill (1793)
James Loftin (1768)
& Susannah Sherrill (1780)
Siblings
Langdon A. Loftin (1825)
& Sarah "Sena/Cenie" Ann Link (1826)
Thomas Loftin (1798)
& Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
1st Cousins
Jacob Philo Loftin (1854)
& Rachel Elizabeth Patterson (1861)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
2nd Cousins
Frederick Thompson Loftin (1889)
Ida Edith Heileman (1890)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
3rd Cousins
Leonard Thompson Loftin (1917) Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 4th Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Marshal Alexander

b. 16 Aug 1918 - d. 24 Jun 1980

 
Marshal Alexander Loftin was the son of Franklin Cleveland Loftin and Ella Tresa Homesley
He was the grandson of Oliver Cromwell Loftin and Isabele "Belle" Jane Moore
He was the brother of Enoch Bidwell Loftin & Ivey Pinkney Loftin who also served during WW2
 
Enlistment Date: 08 Jul 1941
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 22

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: Grammar School
Civil Occupation: Unskilled, Textiles Manufacturing

Marital Status: Single

Height:71 inches (5 ft. 11 inches)
Weight: 156 lbs.

Discharged Date: 23 Oct 1945

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
 
WWII Draft Registration Card
 

Marshal Alexander Loftin enlisted in the US Army on 08 Jul 1941 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was 22 years old at the time and was the first of his brother to enlist during WW2. He was 6 ft. 11 inches tall and weighed 156 lbs. He was single and his civil occupation was listed as "Unskilled; Manufacture of Textiles".

 
Marshal Alexander Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
James Franklin Loftin (1827) & Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
(Husband & Wife)
Oliver Cromwell Loftin (1861)
& Isabelle "Belle" Jane Moore (1868)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
Siblings
Franklin Cleveland Loftin (1883)
Ellie Tressley/Tressa Homesley (1890)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 1st Cousins
Marshal Alexander Loftin (1918) Sam William Loftin (1918) 2nd Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Paul Jones
b. 18 Dec 1911 - d. 22 Jun 1997
 
Son of Julius Commodore Loftin and Vertie Alice Hefner
Husband of Leona Mae Mullis
Grandson of Adolphus Pinkney Gamewell Loftin and Rebecca Malvina Drum
Great-Grandson of William A. Loftin and Catherine "Katie" S. Drum
Great-Great-Grandson of Thomas Loftin and his second wife Margaret Fisher
Great-Great-Great-Grandson of James Loftin and Susannah Sherrill
Paul Jones Loftin was a 3rd Cousin to Sam William Loftin (and all the children of Alonzo Lester Loftin)
 
Enlistment Date: 28 Aug 1943
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Charlotte
Age at Time of Enlistment: 31

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: ???

Social Security Number: 242-03-7572

Marital Status: Married
Discharged: 19 Oct 1945

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
WWII Draft Card
 
Paul enlisted in the US Navy on 28 Aug 1943 and was discharged two years later on 19 Oct 1945.
 
 
Paul Jones Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
Thomas Loftin (1798)
(Husband & Wife)
Thomas Loftin (1798)
& Margaret Fusger (1820)
Thomas Loftin (1798)
& Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
2 Wives
William A. Loftin (1833)
& Catherine "Katie" S. Drum (1833)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
& Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
1st Cousins
Adolphus Pinkney Gamewell Loftin (1859)
& Rebecca Malvina Drum (1860)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
2nd Cousins
Julius Commodore Loftin (1881)
& Vertie Alice Hefner (1881)
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876)
& Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
3rd Cousins
Paul Jones Loftin (1911) Sam William Loftin (1918) 4th Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Paul Roosevelt
b. 05 Mar 1927 - d. 30 Sep 1988
 
Son of Charlie Roosevelt Loftin & Edna S. Jones
Husband of Mildred Allen
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Ida Lillian Setzer
 


Paul Roosevelt Loftin
Enlistment Date: 27 Jun 1945
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 18

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 4 years of high school

Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ?? lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
WWII Draft Registration Card
 
Paul served in the U.S. Army and he's pictured here with a U.S. Navy friend, Eugene (No last name)
 
Additional photos of Paul in his U.S. Army uniform
 
 
 
Letter from Paul to his mother, Mrs. Charlie Roosevelt Loftin (Edna Jones Loftin)
 
Upon Paul's death in 1982, he was buried at Mathis Chapel Baptist Church, Catawba County, NC
 
A special thanks to Paul's sister (Louise Loftin Potter) for photos
 
Paul Roosevelt Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) & Ida Lillian Setzer (1884)
(Husband & Wife)
Charlie Roosevelt Loftin (1905)
& Edna S. Jones (1905)
Sam William Loftin (1918)
& Willie Aleen Goble (1925)
Siblings
Paul Roosevelt Loftin (1927) Curtis Dean Loftin (1953) 1st Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Wade Foy
b. 07 Jul 1926 - d.
 
Son of Stokes Mills Loftin
Husband of Hazel Elizabeth Anderson
Grandson of Thomas Smith Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: 18
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Seaman 2nd Class
Education: ??

Marital Status: ??
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Discharged: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
REGISTRATION CARD
 
Statesville Daily Record, Statesville, NC
1945, May 8
"Training At Norfolk"

     Wade Foy Loftin, 18, seaman second class, USNR, of Statesville, recently arrived at the Naval Training Station, Norfolk, VA, to undergo training for duties aboard a new destroyer of the Atlantic Fleet.  He has completed a period of training at the Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, MD.
     Son of Mr. and Mrs. Stokes Loftin of Statesville, Loftin has three brothers, Lloyd (actually Floyd), 32, a corporal in the army, Clifford, 23, a seaman, first class in the Navy, and Walter, 20, a private first class in the Army.

 

Wade Foy Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
James Loftin (1768) & Susannah Sherrill (1780)
(Husband & Wife)
Edmund Loftin (1815)
& Dovey Newman (1816)
Thomas Loftin (1798)
& Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
Siblings
Thomas Smith Loftin (1863)
& Mary Jane Marvline Hartline (1867)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
1st Cousins
Stokes Mills Loftin (1894)
& Vannie Mae Orren (1893)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
2nd Cousins
Wade Foy Loftin (1926) Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 3rd Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Walter Charles
b. 09 Apr 1924 - d. 15 Jul 1995
 
Son of Stokes Mills Loftin
Husband of Dorothy Lee Parker
Grandson of Thomas Smith Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: 16 Feb 1943
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 18

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: Grammar School

Marital Status: Single
Height: 72 inches (6 ft)
Weight: 168
Discharged: 28 May 1946

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
REGISTRATION CARD

   

 

 
Walter Charles Loftin's Family Connection to the Extended Loftin Family
Family Names & Relationship
James Loftin (1768) & Susannah Sherrill (1780)
(Husband & Wife)
Edmund Loftin (1815)
& Dovey Newman (1816)
Thomas Loftin (1798)
& Sally/Sarah Lavina Beatty (1798)
Siblings
Thomas Smith Loftin (1863)
& Mary Jane Marvline Hartline (1867)
James Franklin Loftin (1827)
Frances Elizabeth Fisher (1826)
1st Cousins
Stokes Mills Loftin (1894)
& Vannie Mae Orren (1893)
William Alexander Loftin (1851)
& Laura Rossie Cranford (1855)
2nd Cousins
Walter Charles Loftin (1916) Alonzo Lester Loftin (1876) 3rd Cousins
 
 
 
 
LOFTIN, William Ray
b. 19 Aug 1914 - d. 02 Oct 1988
 
Son of Arthur Lee Loftin & Alice Josephine Gilleland
Husband of Martha Goldann Null
Grandson of William Alexander Loftin & Laura Rossie Cranford
Enlistment Date: 17 Mar 1941
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 26
Discharged: 12 Sep 1945

Branch: Army, Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officer
Grade: Private
Education: 1 Year of High School

Marital Status: Single
Height: 64 inches
Weight: 132 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
In November of 1942, the position of Warrant Officer was defined by the War Department in the rank order as being above all enlisted personnel and immediately below all commissioned officers.  Warrant Officers were addressed as "Sir", saluted, and generally accorded all privileges of officer status.  They did not wear the insignia of the branch, but wore a distinctive insignia that only Warrant Officers wore.  Being a Warrant Officer in WW2 says a lot about the person.
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 
 
 

"GOLDEN ARROW"

DIVISION NEWS BULLETIN
Vol. III, NO. 98
Wednesday, 23 May 1945

Division Doin's


     WITH THE 121ST INFANTRY: ... Lt. Col. Roy W. Hogan of Macon, GA, fighting man and CO (Commanding Officer) of the 3rd Bn (Battalion) of the 121st Infantry Regt (Regiment), was minus a driver for a few anxious moments, but it paid off.
     The situation, militarily speaking, was fluid and the colonel was in a forward OP prior to an attack of the Grey Bonnet Regt. on Wulfrath, Germany.  His driver, Cpl. (Corporal) Wm. R. Loftin of Catawba, N.C., had taken off for a short stroll.  Loftin, according to all reports, merely wanted to enjoy the invigorating evening air.  He may also have desired to snatch up a few superfluous German pistols.  Who doesn't?
     At any rate, the capable corporal, accompanied by Pfc. (Private First Class) William J. Issentell of Philadelphia, PA, and Pfc. Floyd E. Powell of Kansas City, MO, was ambling along the road thinking and talking of all the blondes, brunettes and home.  Seeing an apparently deserted house, they casually entered with the innocent reasoning that (they) would run across a few eggs.  The eggs had undergone a startling metamorphosis, for they turned out to be four surly Germans, who although somewhat startled, surrendered without a struggle.  They were taken back to (by) Issertell.
     Loftin and Powell wended their merry way a few hundred yards further.  They stopped when they saw five German tanks.  The tanks had none of that "knocked-out appearance" and the guns, pointed toward Loftin and Powell, were in extraordinarily good condition.  Our boys, somewhat embarrassed by a development fraught with deadly possibilities, were speechless.  Loftin, overcoming the natural impulse to haul tail, called upon his latent North Carolina aplomb (self-confident assurance).  In an even though strained voice, he requested the enemy to surrender.
     Fortune must have had on one of her broad smiles, for out of the tanks and surrounding woods came 75 Germans, elements of a Panzer Corps (armored division of the German army).  No one was more surprised than Colonel Hogan when the enemy forces marched by, three abreast, accompanied by the nonchalant Powell and Loftin.

***********************************************************************************
AT THE CAPITOL THEATRE:
     Matinee today and Tomorrow: Ann Miller in "Eadie Was a Lady"  -1400 (2pm)
     Evening tonight:                     Russian Variety Stage Show        -1900 (7pm)
     Evening tomorrow (Thurs):     Live Talent Stage Show               -1900 (7pm)
AT THE SCHAUBURG (Grapefruit) THEATRE:
     Today, Matinee and Evening:   Jane Wyman in "Crime by Night"  -1400 (2pm); -1900 (7pm)

 
 
 
Ray in the local news again
 
William Ray Loftin was Honorably Discharged on 12 Sep 1945 toward the end of World War II.
 
Ray is buried in the Bethlehem Methodist Church Cemetery in Claremont, NC
 
A special thanks to Ray's daughter (Pam Loftin Williamson) for photos and information
 
 
 
LOFTIN, Yates Thurston
b. 17 Jan 1917 - d. 06 Dec 2010
 
Son of Jasper Sinclair Loftin and Rena Harriet Henley
Husband of Lottie Mae Blackmon
Enlistment Date: 23 May 1945
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 28

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 3 Yrs. High School

Marital Status: Married
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Discharged: 03 Jan 1946

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
Draft Registration Card
 

Yates Thurston Loftin enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II on 23 May 1945 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, at the age of 28.  He was married to Lottie Mae Blackmon at the time of his enlistment.

 

The war ended on 02 Sep 1945 and Yates was Honorably Discharged on 03 Jan 1946 after just 7 1/2 months.

 

After the war, Yates worked as a supervisor with SYDECO Chemical Company for 40 years - and also delivered Meals-on-Wheels for 40 years.

 
He died 06 Dec 2010 (at home) at the age of 93 and was buried at the Hillcrest Gardens (Mausoleum), Mt. Holly, Gaston County, NC.
 
Yate's brothers Ben Taylor Loftin, Sr. and Fred Murchison Loftin also served in the military during WWII.
 
A special thanks to Renee Loftin Clemmer for sharing information on her uncle, Yates Thurston Loftin
 
 
 
MURRAY, Billy Keith
b. 12 Jun 1929 - d. 17 Aug 2008
 
Son of Paul Abraham Murray and Sadie Elizabeth Loftin
Husband of (1) Betty Aiken & (2) Hassie (Unknown)
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin and Ida Lillian Setzer
Enlistment Date: 10 Dec 1946
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 17

Branch: U.S. Air Force
Grade: Private - Private First Class - Corporal
Education: ??

Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ?? lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: 3 years
 
 

 

Military Facts

 
According to Bill's son, Eddie:
 
Bill Enlisted on 10 Dec 1947 at Fort Bragg, NC, at the age of 17, as a Private in the U.S. Air Force.  Bill had been living in Greensboro prior to that.
 
Bill served as a Private for 8 months, when he was elevated to Private First Class.  After serving as PFC for 14 months, Bill rose in rank to Corporal and served in that rank for 14 months.
 
Bill was Discharged from Scott Air Force Base, IL on 09 Dec 1949.
 
He received the World War 2 Victory Medal.
 
 
A special thanks to Bill's son, Eddie Murray, for helping to piece together the information concerning Bill's service
 
 
 
PEELER, James "Jim" Calvin
b. 11 Aug 1927 - d. 04 Sep 1988
 
Son of Cortez & Mattie J. Peeler
Husband of Celia Jo Connor
Son-in-Law of Willie Thelma Loftin Connor Lanier
Date Enlisted: 05 Jan 1946
Enlisted State: Mississippi
Enlisted City: Camp Shelby
Age at Time of Enlistment: 16

Branch: U. S. Army
Grade: Private, SFC (Sergeant First Class)
Education: 1 Yr. High School

Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??

Length of Service: 25 years
 

James "Jim" Calvin Peeler was born 11 Aug 1927 in Cullman County, Alabama.  Jim enlisted in the U.S. Army toward the end of World War II on 05 Jan 1946 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, at the age of 16 - and one year of high school.  You couldn't joint the Army at age 16, so Jim told them he was 18 when he enlisted - making the military his career and serving for 25 years.

 

Jim started as a Private but rose to the rank of Sergeant First Class, serving as a E7 Medic.

 

Jim served in the military at the end of World War II, during the Korean War and also during Vietnam - marrying Celia Jo Connor and raising a family while he traveled all over the world and serving his country.

 
 Jim and Jo with Jeff and the twins, Jerry and Larry

 
Jim did a military tour in the Pacific, served in Northford, Virginia (where Jeff was born), Nuremberg, Germany (where the twins were born), in Ft. Benning, Georgia (where Tina was born), he did a tour in Europe, Vietnam, and also at Ft. George G. Meade, Maryland.
 
Jim's son Jerry said, "When Dad was doing the Tour in Europe, he'd work night shift - and he would take the kids with him sometimes.  I remember once a soldier came in who had a broke nose - he had been fighting.  He was drunk and when he got to the Emergency Room (after they had set his nose), he tried to fight again, so Dad took a metal tray and smashed him upside the face -  broke his nose again.  I thought it was cool!"
 

Jerry also said, "Dad was in a MASH Unit and that's where he learned his emergency skills.'

 

When asked about memorable events from his dad's time in the military, his son Larry said, "We were coming back to New York from Dad's second tour in Europe in 1968, Martin Luther King had been assassinated, and there were riots in New York.  Jeff was about 12, Jerry and I were about 9, Tina was about 4.  The rioters tried to turn our bus over - until they realized we were military families.  Our parents told us to get down on the floor and the men moved to the front of the bus.  It was scary."

 

Jim retired from the military after 25 years in 1971 and went to work at the Catawba Memorial Hospital where he started his second career.  He worked as a medic/male nurse in the Emergency Room for 15 years and an additional 6 years in Surgery.  His son Larry said, "Dad told me that he delivered between 400 - 700 babies in the Emergency Room during those years.  It was one of his favorite things to do."

 

Jim's son Jerry said, "Dad learned the 'EMERGENCY' business from the war, so when he went to work at the hospital, all the doctors wanted him in Emergency Room Units."

 

Jim died 04 Sep 1988 and was buried in the Bethlehem Methodist Church Cemetery, Claremont, NC

 
Thanks to Jim's sons, Jerry and Larry Peeler, for the photos and information about their dad
 
 
POTTER, Thomas Alexander "T.A."

b. 06 Jun 1925 - d. 08 May 2020

 
Son of Thomas A. Potter and Margaret Virginia Elizabeth Bowman
Husband of Elsie Louise Loftin
 
Enlistment Date: ???
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: ???
Age at Time of Enlistment: ???

Branch:
Grade: Staff Sergeant
Education: ???

Marital Status: ???
Height: ???
Weight: ???

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: ???
T.A. and Louise  
 

WWII Draft Registration Cards

 
 
Barbara Potter Edmonson: "Dad was a Sergeant who was at Normandy."
 
OBITUARY

Thomas Alexander "T.A." Potter, 94 of Catawba, passed away on Friday, 08 May 2020, at his residence. T.A. was born on 06 Jun 1925 in Caldwell County, NC, to the late Thomas A. Potter and Margaret Virginia Elizabeth Bowman Potter. He was a member of Mathis Chapel Baptist Church in Catawba and a United States Army Veteran where he served as Sereant during WWII. He retired from the construction industry after many years of service.
     In addition to his parents, T.A. was preced in death by his brothers, John Potter, Cainey Potter, Plez Potter and Nathan Potter; and sisters, Patricia "Pet" Moffitt, Tilda Lunsford, Martha Williams and Alma Reel.
     Those left to cherish his memory are: wife of 7w years, Louise Loftin Potter; son Gary W. Potter and wife Penny of Catawba; daugher Barbara P. Edmonson and husband Ronnie of Newton; grandchildren Michelle "Shellie" Young, Kenny Joyner, Jeremy Joyner, Jimmy Edmonson and wife Julie, Trent Hoke and Matthew Adams; great-grandchildren Dylan Young, Kynna Joyner, Logan Howard, Brenna Adams, Georgie Adama, Maddox Spires, Mason Edmonson, Sawyer Edmonson, Bella Hoke, Wyle Hoke and James Hoke.
     A service to celebrate T.A.'s life will be held on Monday, 11 May 2020, at 2:00 p.m., in the Chapel of Bennett Funeral Service in Newton. Rev. Travis Triplett and Chaplain Cindy Jordan will officiate. Burial with military honors by American Legion Post 544 will follow at Mathis Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery in Catawba, NC. His body will lie in state on Sunday, 10 May 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Bennett Funeral Service in Newton.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RUFTY, Robert Bristol
b. 015 May 1919 - d. 06 May 1984
 
Son of Robert Davault Rufty & Ada Palestine Cobb
H
usband of Eleanor Carolyn Irvin Loftin
Step-Father of Michael Lane Loftin
Enlistment Date: 09 Feb 1942
Enlistment State: Georgia
Enlistment City: Fort Mcpherson Atlanta
Age at Time of Enlistment: 22

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: 4 Years High School

Marital Status: Married
Height: 5 ft. 9 in.
Weight: 134
Discharged: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
Robert Bristol Rufty's brothers were:
Paul D. Rufty, William C. Rufty, Michael Dunham Rufty, Sr. and Jack Dempsey Rufty
 
Thanks to Helen Loftin White for her 1940s Scrapbook
 
 
 
WILSON, Jack Thomas
b. 02 Apr 1920 - d. 07 Mar 1986
 
Son of Thomas Robinson Wilson and Cordie Bland Loftin Wilson
Husband of Clara Mae Carter
Grandson of William Alexander Loftin & Laura Rossie Cranford
Enlistment Date: 13 Jun 1940
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Charlotte
Age at Time of Enlistment: 20
Serial Number: 7-081-303

Branch: U.S. Army - Infantry - Paratroopers
Grade: Private - Tech 4/Infantry
Education: HS

Marital Status: Single
Height: 5 ft 8.5 inches
Weight: 131 lbs.
Discharged: 04 Aug 1945, Fort Bragg, NC

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
WWII Draft Registration Card
 
Jack Thomas Wilson (the son of Thomas Robinson Wilson and Cordie Bland Loftin) enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II on 13 Jun 1940 in Charlotte, NC.  He was 20-years-ols and single at the time.
 
 
Jack served for 6 years in the U.S. Army during World War II - spending 5 years and 9 months of that time over seas - including the Philippines, Luzon (the largest island of the Philippines) and New Guinea.
 

Panama 1941 Thurmond Tucker, Odis Myer and Jack

 
During that 6 years of service, Jack did many things for the Army including a couple of jumps as a Paratrooper.  He also was an Army cook for a period of time.  Fortunately he sustained no wounds during the war.
 
 
Jack received the following medals and commendations:
Combat Infantry Badge
3 Bronze Service Stars
Distinguished Unit Badge
(and much more - to be added)
 
Jack was discharged on 04 Aug 1945 at Fort Bragg, NC, as a Tech 4/Infantry
 
Jack was buried at Catawba Methodist Church in Catawba, Catawba County, NC
Photo coming soon
 
A special thanks to Jack's daughter Ann Wilson for her help with photos and information about her dad
 
 
 
 
 

The McCorkles

 
 

 
Major General
McCORKLE, Charles Milton "Sandy" Jr.
b. 29 Jan 1915 - d. 24 Aug 2009
 
Son of Maj. Charles Milton McCorkle, Sr (1874 - 1929)
Grandson of Matthew Locke McCorkle (1817 - 1899)
Great-Grandson of Francis Marion McCorkle Jr. (1786 -1853)
Husband of Elizabeth "Betty" Sheldon & Audrey Withycombe
Enlistment Date: 12 Jun 1936
Enlistment State: NY
Enlistment City: WestPoint
Age at Time of Enlistment: 17

Branch: U.S. Air Force
Grade: Seaman 2nd Class
Education: HS & West Point

Marital Status: Married
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Discharged: 30 Sep 1966
 
 
United States Military Academy West Point 1936
 
Veteran Of:
U.S. Military Academy 1932 1936
U.S. Army Air Corps !936- 1941
U.S. Army Air Forces 1941 - 1947
World War II 1941 - 1945
U.S. Air Force 1947 - 1966
Cold War 1945 - 1966
 

     Charles Milton "Sandy" McCorkle. Jr. was born on January 29, 1915, in Newton, North Carolina. He entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1932, and graduated with a commission as a 2Lt in the Air Corps on June 12, 1936. McCorkle was awarded his pilot wings in October 1937 and was assigned to the 24th Pursuit Squadron at Albrook Field in the Panama Canal Zone from February 1938 to February 1940. He next served as a squadron commander with the 35th Pursuit Group and later as deputy group commander between February 1940 and June 1942.
     McCorkle was then assigned as the Commander of the 54th Fighter Group and participated in the Aleutian Islands Campaign in Alaska between June and December 1942. He next commanded the 31st Fighter Group in Sicily from July 1943 to July 1944, and was credited with the destruction of 11 enemy aircraft in aerial combat in the Mediterranean Theater. Col McCorkle then served as chief of staff of the 1st Fighter Command at Mitchel Field, New York, before being assigned as deputy chief of the Flight Test Division at Wright Field, Ohio, in January 1946.
     After completing Armed Forces Staff College, Col McCorkle became chief of staff of the Newfoundland Base Command at Fort Pepperrell in Newfoundland, Canada, where he served from July 1947 to June 1949. He then completed Air War College and then served on its faculty between June 1950 and July 1953.
     After attending the National War College, McCorkle served as deputy assistant chief of staff for guided missiles and then assistant chief of staff for guided missiles at the Pentagon from July 1954 to July 1959, when he was made commander of the Air Force Special Weapons Center at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, where he served until July 1962.
     From July 1962 to September 1965, Gen McCorkle served as Vice Commander of 5th Air Force at Fuchu Air Station, Japan. He was then assigned as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs and Resources at the Pentagon, where he served from September 1965 until his retirement from the Air Force on October 1, 1966.
     Charles Milton McCorkle, Jr. died on August 24, 2009, and his ashes were spread into the Pacific Ocean at Point Lobos, California.

 
His Silver Star Citation Reads:

For gallantry in action. On 3 January 1944, Col. McCorkle led a flight of four (4) Spitfires which patrolled the Allied front lines in Italy. While investigating unidentified aircraft near Allied front lines, the Spitfires experienced intense, accurate heavy flak. Col. McCorkle's aircraft was hit in the right wing and tail assembly, the control surfaces damaged, and the trim tab control cables were shot away. At the same time his radio ceased operating. Since he could not be certain of the full extent of the damage, and his aircraft was extremely difficult to control, he decided to break away from the flight in order to return to base. Before he could break away, he observed twelve (12) enemy fighters diving toward Allied territory. Realizing that to break away at this crucial moment would doubtless confuse his pilots and thereby delay their interception of the enemy fighters, Col. McCorkle refrained from leaving his flight. Unmindful of the damaged condition and difficulty in maneuvering his aircraft, and disregarding odds of twelve (12) to four (4), he led his flight in an aggressive and superbly executed attack, dispersed the enemy formation and forced them to turn toward base. As the aircraft reached enemy territory, anti-aircraft fire caused both the enemy and the Spitfires to climb. Observing an enemy fighter to his left at six-thousand (6,000) feet, Col. McCorkle attacked, and despite extreme difficulty in maneuvering his aircraft, he skillfully followed, closed to point blank range and shot it down. The expert flying skill, outstanding gallantry, and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Col. McCorkle in flying a severely damaged aircraft into combat against numerically superior forces has reflected great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

 
 
Col McCorkle in the cockpit of his P-51B Mustang in Europe during World War II
 
Obituary

     DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE - Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Charles M. "Sandy" McCorkle died Monday, August 24, 2009 at the Inn at Spruce Wood. He had been a resident of Durham for just over a year, coming from Carmel Valley, California where he lived the previous 24 years.
     He was born in Newton, North Carolina. He graduated from West Point in 1936 and pursued a career in the Air Force, retiring as a Major General. As a fighter pilot in WWII he commanded fighter groups in two theaters of war. He became a Fighter Ace, destroying 11 enemy aircraft in the air. He was one of only 17 American pilots who acquired ace status in the British Spitfire. In 1942, at the age of 27, he became the youngest colonel in the Army Air Corps.
     His career embraced flight testing, guided missile development and special weapons technology along with graduate work at the nation's highest military colleges. He was Air force Assistant Chief of Staff for Guided Missiles during the Ballistic Missile Emergency Buildup and later commanded the USAF Special Weapons Center at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.
     After his retirement from the Air Force he moved to Hawaii and worked as a consultant for the aerospace industry. In 1985 he moved to Carmel Valley and was active in the Point Lobos Natural History Association, working several days a week as a docent at the park. Last year, at the age of 93, he moved to Durham.
    He was married for over 30 years to both his first wife, Elizabeth Shelton and his second wife, Audrey Withycombe. He is survived by a daughter, a son, two stepsons, 11 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
     His ashes will be scattered in the ocean near San Francisco with a fly-by and Honor Guard salute planned for October 10, 2009. There will be no funeral service.

 

 

 

WWII tent and military gear for the "Military Timeline" at Fort Dobbs, Statesville, NC

Photo courtesy of Curtis Loftin

 
 
 
 
 

The Setzers

 
 

 
SETZER, Charles Ralph
b. 26 Oct 1920 - d. 05 Aug 1983
 
Son of John Quincy Setzer & Mamie Belle Bollinger
Grandson of Quince Augustus Setzer & Catherine Elizabeth Smyre
GG Grandson of Reuben Setzer & Lavina Rhyne
GGG Grandson of Mathias Setzer, Sr. & Elizabeth Sigman
GGGG-Grandson of John Setzer, Sr. & Catherine Bushart Barringer
Husband of Hilda Turner Frye Setzer


1938 Newton High School
Enlistment Date: 19 Apr 1944
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 23

Branch: Army
Grade: Private
Education: 4 Years High School

Marital Status: Single
Height: ???
Weight: ???

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
WWII Draft Registration Card
 
Ralph's Military Papers
   
 
Thanks to Helen Loftin White for the newspaper clipping about Charles Ralph Setzer
 
 
SIGMON, Floyd Eugene
b. 20 Mar 1922 - d. 22 May 2005
 
Son of Harry A. Sigmon & Bessie Jane Setzer
Husband of Mary Helen Goble
Grandson of George Pinkney Setzer & Callie McGee
Floyd was the 1st Cousin once removed of Ida Lillian Setzer (Mrs. Alonzo Lester Loftin)


Floyd Eugene Sigmon
Enlistment Date: 12 Sep 1942
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 20

Branch: Army, Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officer
Grade: Private
Education: Grammar School

Marital Status: Married (Mary Helen Goble)
Height: 68 inches
Weight: 130 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 

In November of 1942, the position of Warrant Officer was defined by the War Department in the rank order as being above all enlisted personnel and immediately below all commissioned officers.  Warrant Officers were addressed as "Sir", saluted, and generally accorded all privileges of officer status.  They did not wear the insignia of the branch, but wore a distinctive insignia that only Warrant Officers wore.  Being a Warrant Officer in WW2 says a lot about the person.

 

Floyd Eugene Goble, the son of Harry & Bessie Setzer Goble, enlisted in the U.S. Army on 12 Sep 1942.  Floyd was 20-years-old and was married to Helen Goble.  He was 68 inches (about 5 foot 7 inches) tall and weighed 130 lbs.

 

Floyd enlisted at Camp Croft, SC, was inducted into the Army at Fort Bragg, NC, and was sent to Camp Gruber in Oklahoma for training.

 
WWII Draft Registration Card
 
 
  
 
 
 
Floyd's Military Papers
 
 
 
 
A special thanks to Floyd's wife (Helen Goble Sigmon) for photos and information
 
 
 
 

The Witherspoons

 
 

 

 

 
Witherspoon, Osborne Denford "O.D."

b. 30 Jul 1921, Iredell Co, NC

 
Son of Clarence Byron Witherspoon & Birdie Lee Mundy Witherspoon
Grandson of Leander Denford Lutz Witherspoon & Lydia Caroline Hawn Witherspoon
Great Grandson of Miles Rankin Witherspoon & Sarah Elizabeth Aderholdt Witherspoon

2nd Cousin to Sam William Loftin
Enlistment Date: Dec 1941
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: 20

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: ??
Education: ?? Yrs. High School

Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: ??
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 
Local Newspaper Article
 
Thanks to Helen Loftin White for the newspaper clipping about Osborne Denford Witherspoon
 
 
 

WWII Paratrooper uniform for the "Military Timeline" at Fort Dobbs, Statesville, NC
Camouflage scarf is made from a piece of parachute

Photo courtesy of Curtis Loftin

 
 

WWII Paratrooper uniform and gear for the "Military Timeline" at Fort Dobbs, Statesville, NC

Photo courtesy of Curtis Loftin

 
 
 
 
 

The Gobles

 
 

 
BUNTON, Ralph Franklin

b. 19 Dec 1919 - d. 09 Jul 2010

 
Son of Marvin Lee Bunton & Sarah Catherine Rebecca "Becky" Goble
Nephew of Martin Luther Goble
1st Cousin to: Leggs, J.C., Harlee, Lib, Helen, Willie & Gevia

Ralph Franklin Bunton
Enlistment Date: 20 Jan 1943
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Camp Croft
Age at Time of Enlistment: 23

Branch: Army, Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officer
Grade: Private
Education: Grammar School

Marital Status: Married (Naomi)
Height: 68 inches
Weight: 129 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
 
Ralph enlisted in the US Army on 20 Jan 1943 at Camp Croft, South Carolina, at the age of 23.  He was married to Helen (Unknown) at the time.  His enlistment records show that he was 68 inches tall (5 ft. 8 In.) and that he weighed 129 lbs.
 
Ralph died 09 July 2010 and is buried at South River Baptist Church Cemetery in Statesville, NC
 
 
 
 
GOBLE, Harlee

b. 06 Sep 1918 - d. 05 Nov 1980

 
Son of Martin Luther Goble & Beulah Vernesta Johnson
Husband of Dovie Alean Helms


Harlee Goble
Enlistment Date: 16 May 1941
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 22

Branch: Army, Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officer
Grade: Private
Education: Grammar School

Marital Status: Single
Height: 69 inches
Weight: 150 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Released: 25 Sep 1945, PFC
 
In November of 1942, the position of Warrant Officer was defined by the War Department in the rank order as being above all enlisted personnel and immediately below all commissioned officers.  Warrant Officers were addressed as "Sir", saluted, and generally accorded all privileges of officer status.  They did not wear the insignia of the branch, but wore a distinctive insignia that only Warrant Officers wore.  Being a Warrant Officer in WW2 says a lot about the person.
 
Harlee was trained at (1) Ft. Severan, GA, (2) Ft. Benning, GA, (3) Camp Shelby, MS, (4) Ft. Jackson, SC, and (5) in Jacksonville, FL.
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 
 
According to Willie Goble Loftin (Harlee's sister), "He was in the army and built roads on the front line".  If this is indeed correct, he would have been in an Engineering Battalion.
 
Records indicate that he served in Arabia, Trinidad, France, Germany and Austria.
 
 
 

(Left) Harlee and Alean, who he would later marry
(Right) Harlee with sisters Elgevia (left) and Helen (right)

 
 

Harlee & Alean

 
 

Harlee with nephew Bud Goble and niece Dorothy

 

(Below) Harlees mother, Nessie, proudly holds a photo of her son with Alean

     
 
Harlee was released from service on 25 Sept 1945 with the rank of PFC (Private First Clas) and received the Pre-Pearl Harbor Citation & ETO Ribbon.
 
Harlee died 05 Nov 1980 and was buried at Mt. Ruhama Baptist Church in Catawba Co, NC
 
A special thanks to Harlee's son (Boyd Goble) for photos and information
 
 
 
GOBLE, J. C.
b. 29 Sep 1916 - d. 19 Jul 2005
 
Son of Martin Luther Goble and Beulah Vernesta Johnson
Husband of Ada Eades
Grandson of Jacob Hedrick Goble
Enlistment Date: 23 Feb 1942
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Jackson
Age at Time of Enlistment: 25

Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private
Education: ??

Marital Status: ??
Height: 68 (5 ft. 8 inches)
Weight: 156 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
J.C. was the second of Martin and Nessie Goble's sons to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War II.  J.C. enlisted on 23 Feb 1942 in Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  He was 25 years old.  He was 68 inches (5 ft. 8 in) tall and weighed 156 lbs.
 

J.C. on the b ack of the motorcycle with Dave Sipe
at the Murphy Jones house where he lived with his parents

 
J.C. died 19 Jul 2005 and was buried at Shiloh Methodist Church in Catawba Co, NC
 
 
 
 
GOBLE, William Coleman
b. 13 Dec 1926 - d. 08 Jul 2004
 
William Coleman Goble was the Son of James Linden Goble and Annie Mae Berry
He was the Husband of Mary Pauline Carol
 
Enlistment Date: 04 Apr 1945
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Fort Jackson Columbia
Age at Time of Enlistment: 18

Branch: Army
Grade: Private
Education: 1 Year High School

Marital Status: Single
Height: ???
Weight: ???

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sigmon, Floyd Eugene
b. 20 Mar 1922 - d. 22 May 2005
 
Son of Harry A. Sigmon & Bessie Jane Setzer
Husband of Mary Helen Goble
Grandson of George Pinkney Setzer & Callie McGee
Floyd was the 1st Cousin once removed of Ida Lillian Setzer (Mrs. Alonzo Lester Loftin)
 
Floyd's WWII biography could have been listed with the GOBLES or the SETZERS,
and since his mother, Bessie, was a Setzer, I've listed him there.  SEE ABOVE.
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Johnsons

 
 

 
Coming Soon

Coming Soon

 
Coming Soon
 
 
Enlistment Date: ??
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??

Branch: ??
Grade: ??
Education: ??

Marital Status: ??
Height: ??
Weight: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Released: ??
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 
Thanks
 
 
 
 
 
 

The EASONS, GRISWOLDS, HARRELLS, WEEKS

 
 

 
EASON, John Bryant Jr.

b. 09 Jun 1921 - d. 26 Jan 1997

 
Son of John Bryant Eason and Ida Griswold
Husband of Mary Louise Allen


John Bryant Eason Jr.
Enlistment Date: ??
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: ??
Education: 12th Grade

Marital Status: ??
Height: ??
Weight: ??

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: ??
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 

John Bryant Eason Jr., called J. B., registered for the draft in 1942 at the age of 20.  He was working at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, in Newport News, VA, at the time.

 
John Bryant Eason, Jr.
    
 
Thanks to Sid Weeks for the photos of J. B. Eason Jr.
 
 
 
WEEKS, Martin Luther

b. 07 Feb 1919 - d. 28 Nov 1984

 
Son of James Henry Weeks and (3) Mattie Byrn Harrell
Husband of Zelda Ray Killingsworth
Father of Dorothy, Martin Jr, Donna, Dennis, David, Terry, Robert andTimothy


Martin Luther Weeks
Enlistment Date: 02 Jul 1942
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: 23

Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: ??
Education: ??

Marital Status: ??
Height: ??
Weight: ??

Discharged: 12 Dec 1945
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 

James Henry Weeks had two sons who he named Martin Luther Weeks.  The first was born to James Henry and his second wife, Sarah Adelaide Robinson, on 19 Jan 1875 - but this Martin Luther Weeks died 28 Apr 1902.  After James Henry married his third wife, Mattie Byrn Harrell, he named their 8th child (a boy) Martin Luther Weeks, also.  This Martin Luther Weeks was born 07 Feb 1919 (even though the Draft Registration Card says 1918).

 

Martin enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 02 Jul 1942.

 
Seven of James Henry Weeks and Mattie Byrn Harrell's chidren
(Left to Right) Melvin, Nola, Martin Luther, Jim, Arthur, Thelma and Albert
 
(left) Waylon Weeks and Martin Luther Weeks; (Right) Martin Luther Weeks
   
 
Martin Luther with some military buddies
 
(Left Photo) Martin Luther on the right;   (Right Photo) Martin Luther on the left
 

Martin Luther was Honorably Discharged on 12 Dec 1945.

 
 
Check out the Martin Luther Weeks webpage
 
Thanks to Sid Weeks for the photos of Martin Luther Weeks (1919)
 
 
 
WEEKS, Mayon Jerome

b. 30 Jun 1922 - d. 09 Oct 2014

 
Son of Bascom Kenion Weeks & Bertie F. Honeycutt


Mayon Jerome Weeks
 
Enlistment Date: 02 May 1945
Enlistment State: NC
Enlistment City: Fort Bragg
Age at Time of Enlistment: 23

Branch: ??
Grade: Private
Education: 12th Grade

Marital Status: Married
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 160 lbs.

Terms of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President.

Discharged: ??
 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 
 
 
 
 
 

World War II Tunes

 
 
 

Music touches our lives in so many ways.  American troops had regular access to radio in all but the most difficult combat situations, and not only did soldiers know specific songs, but specific recordings. This gave a nature to American troops music during WWII, not as much songs sung around a fire or while marching, but listened to between combat on Armed Forces Radio.

 
SONG YEAR LISTEN
"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" (Andrews Sisters) 1941 Click Here
"Remember Pearl Harbor" (Sammy Kaye) 1941 Click Here
"Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" (Andrews Sisters) 1942 Click Here
"There'll Be Bluebirds Over the White Cliffs of Dover" (Vera Lynn) 1942 Click Here
"Don't Fence Me In" (Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters) 1944 Click Here
"Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" (by Cole Porter) 1944 Click Here
I'll Be Seeing You" (by Sammy Fain, sung by Jimmy Durante) 1944 Click Here
"I'll Get By As Long As I Have You" (Harry James/Dick Haymes) 1940/44 Click Here
"I'll Walk Along" (Martha Tilton) 1944 Click Here
"Kiss the Boys Goodbye" (Mary Healy) 1941 Click Here
"Praise the Lord & Pass the Ammunition" 1942 Click Here
"Sentimental Journey" (Les Brown with Doris Day) 1944 Click Here
"Till Then" (Mills Brothers) 1944 Click Here
"Waitin' For the Train to Come In" (Peggy Lee)   Click Here
"When the Lights Go On Again, All Over the World" (Vaughn Monroe) 1942 Click Here
"You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" (Cole Porter) 1942 Click Here
"Yours" (Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra) 1941 Click Here
 
[If any of the above links are outdated, please let me know]
 
 
 
 

WWII military gear for "Military Timeline" at Fort Dobbs, Statesville, NC

Photo courtesy of Curtis Loftin

 
 
 
 
Additional Facts About World War 2 Pacific Theater
 
01 Apr 1945: (Easter Sunday) L-Day Invasion of Okinawa
The invasion of Okinawa, was the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War during WW2. This was the American "last stop" in the US campain toward the Japanese mainland. From Okinawa, America could stage a massive invasion of Japan. There was a line of ships, almost 8 miles wide, closing in on Okinawa. There were aircraft carriers as far as the eye could see; 15,000 ships and 500,000 men. American soldiers expect an 80% casualty rate when they comes ashore, but there are no Japs to be seen. Okinawa was 70 miles long, with a square-mileage no bigger than Los Angeles. For three years, the Americans have been pushing the Japanese back across the Pacific. Okinawa was their last stand. The Americans coming ahore from their ships, expect the worst. Instead of enemy fire, they meet an erie silence. They move cautiously, but there was no sign of the enemy. For the first few days, the marines march unimpeded through the mid section of the island and secure it from coast to coast. Americans believe 100,000 Japanese are defending Okinawa - but where? Instead of an invasion, it seemed like a vacation. The Japanese would soon reveal their strategy.
 
06 Apr 1945: (Easter Sunday) L-Day Invasion of Okinawa
On the nearby islands, the Japs had been fathering every useful plane and pilot in their arsenal. They take off in waves and begin a kamikaze-spree that dwarfed anything before or since. Over the next three days, over 350 enemy planes reek havok on the American ships. American pilots try to stop then in dogfights. Navy gunners try to derail them. On 06 Apr alone, three American ships were sunk and another 15 were hit and damaged. In the midst of this, news reaches the flont lines that President Franklin D. Rosevelt was dead. On the bround, troops were still looking for the Japanese Army and move cautiously. Suddenly US troops come under fire from machine guns and flame throwers. Americans have to retreat. Soon after, another company endured a hailstorm of morters, coming in at more than 1-per-second. US forces were pinned down ar the Suri Line - a defensive line built in the mountain range by the Japanese. It was a master stroke of military design. The Japs are invisible to the approaching marines. The American honeymoon on Okinawas was over as marines are caught in the crossfire. The Suri Linw was an 8-mile wide coast-to-coast killing zone. The Japanese were no longer fighting to win. They wanted to turn Okinawa into a drawn out blood bath and give Americans a second-thought about invading Japan. As April turns to May, it's working.
 
08 May 1945: War Ends in Europe
In the European Theatre, news breaks that the war has ended. Germany has surrenders.
 
08 May 1945: L-Plus 37 - Invasion of Okinawa
Hitler was dead, but the battle on Okinawa continued. Japan would not budge. Some American units were on the front lines for almost four weeks. Through May, 14,000 troops are pulled back with non-battle injuries. One officer said, "I can't do it anymore. I can't send any more boys out there to get killed. Troops begin to climb the Suri-Line mountain ridge. One half of the marine company was wounded or killed on the first day.
 
08 May 1945: L-Plus 37 - Invasion of Okinawa
On Okinawa, the civilians can't escape the war as their lives are turned into ashes. They stream into US refugee camps, a 1,000 a day. They have no kinship to the Jpanese, no loyalties to the Americans, and no idea of how to get through this was on their door step.
 
12 May 1945: Invasion of Okinawa
Americans throw their biggest hardware at the Suri-Line. 70,000 Japs hold up under ground whild kamikaze-planes keep coming toward the American ships. The Japs intentionally crashed 1900 planes in suicide dives. They sink 26 ships and damage 164 more. This was the greatest concentration of Navy loses since Pearl Harbor. For weeks the US marines fought for the same hill. It took 9,000 deaths to take the first hill, Sugar Hill. It was one of the costliest pieces of ground in marine corps history
 
15 May 1945: Invasion of Okinawa
Rain starts. There was 12 inches in 10 days which impeded tanks and supplies. Roads became rivers, camps became swamps and war became impossible. Troops have to carry amunition by hand. The wounded have to be carried all the way back to the rear medical unit. Sanitation measures break down and moral sinks among the American troops. Diarrhea and dysentary abound. The Japs could retreat into the comfort of their caves. The weather finally breaks and the Japanese defense of the Suri-Line was crumbling. US troops pounded this one ridgeline for two months and finally take it.
 
17 Jun 1945: Invasion of Okinawa
Following the retreating Japs, the US "burns" its way to the sea. US troops follow the Japs south, killing 1000 per day. 82 days after L-Day, the Americans declare victory. The US had 12,520 deaths and 36,000 wounded. The Japs had 100,000+ deaths. One Third (100,000) of the Okinawans have died. America is at Japan's door steps.
 
9-10 Mar 1945: US Bombing of Tokyo
The US used air, sea and land to battle the Japanese during WW2. In March 1945, Major General Curtis Lemay launched 325 "B-29" bombers headed toward Tokyo. The bombers were flying in groups, at night, with their lights off and flying low. Crews feared they were on a suicide mission. This 325 bombers were double the number ever used in an air raid. The bombers dropped 3,000,000 lbs of incendiary/fire bombs on Tokyo at night. The next morning, Japan was in shock. There were 100,000 Japanese casualties, mostly civilians, in the 16 sq/mile bombing attack. It was the single deadliest day of the Pacific Campaign. Neither atomic bomb would kill this many people. The purpose of the bombing was to bring Japan to its knees and force surrender. The Japanese Empire was on the verge of collapse, but there was no sign of surrender at this point. Major General Curtis ordered that incendiary bombs be dropped on 66 additional Japanese cities. Any city with war industry was targeted. These incendary bombs killed an additional 500,000 Japanese. Curtis said, "If we had lost the war, I guess I would have been tried as a war criminal."
 
Jul 1945
In the final year of WWII, the Allies prepared for a very costly invasion of the Japanese mainland. The undertaking was preceded by a conventional and firebombing campaigh which devastated 67 Japanese cities. The Allies called for the unconditional surrender of the Imperial Japanes armed forces in the Potsdam Declaration on 26 Jul 1945, the alternative being "prompt and utter destruction". Japan ignored the ultimatum and the war continued. The US incurred 1.25 million casualties during the war but nearly one million of that number occurred after the war was over in Europe. America's reserves of manpower were running out and there was even the consideration of drafting women. At the same time, the public was becoming war-weary and demanding that long-serving servicemen be sent home.
 
06 & 09 Aug 1946: Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
By Aug 1945, the US had produced two types of atomic bombs. Presiden Herbert Hoover knew that if the US sent troops to invade Japan, it would cost a lost of American lives. The Allies issued orders for atomic bombs to be used on four Japanese cities. The US detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanes cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 06 Aug and 09 Aug 1945, with the consent of the UK. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the first and only uses of nuclear weapons in armed conflict.
 
15 Aug 1945: Japan Surrenders
After the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Emperor Hirohito of Japan surrendered to the Allies on 15 Aug 1945. The Japanese were in shock and shame. Since the country's ancient beginnings, it had never know foreign occupation.
 
02 Sep 1945: Documents signed
General Douglas McArthur was there when Emperor Hirohito signed the surrender documents at Tokyo Bay on the deck of the American battleship USS Missouri on 02 Sep 1945, ending the war.
 
Sep 1945: POWs (Prisoners of War)
140,000 Prisoners of War were finally able to return home. There were 36,000 POWs in Japan alone. 90% of these had to be carried out on stretchers. POW conditions were so bad, 1/4 th of Western POWs had died while in captivity. Japan had planned to kill the rest of their POWs once the US started the land invasion. Some were even forced to did their own mass graves.
 
Sep 1945
General Douglas McArthur continued to work with the Japanese during the country's restructuring - allowing Hirohito to remain Emperos. McArthur also floods Japan with 10,000,000 Bibles.
 
Afterwards
The US maintains American military bases in Japan as part of the US-Japan Alliance since 1951. Most US military are on Okinawa. In 2013, there were approximately 26,000 US military personnel on Okinawa Island - with 32 bases. At one point, Okinawa hoste approximately 1,200 nuclear warheads.
 
 
 
TOTAL DEATHS: 
It's estimated that there were 70,000,000 to 85,000,000 total deaths during World War II. That was 3% of the entire population of the world at that time. This makes World War II the deadliest conflict in human history.
 
Total Deaths During World War II by Coutries with the Largest Numbers  
         
Country  Deaths   Country Deaths
Australia 40,4000    Indonesia    3,000,000 - 4,000,000  
Belgium  88,000   Italy  492,000 - 514,000
China  15,000,000 - 20,000,000   Japan  2,500,000 - 3,100,000
Czechoslovakia  340,000   Korea  483,000 - 533,000
Ethiopia  100,000   Philippines  557,000
Finland  85,000 Poland  5,900,000 - 6,000,000
France  600,000   Romania  500,000
Germany  6,900,000 - 7,400,444   Soviet Union  20,000,000 - 27,000,000 
Hungary     507,000 - 807,000     United Kingdom  450,900 
Greece  507,000 - 807,000   United States  1,027,000 - 1,700,000 
India    2,200,000 - 3,087,000     Vietnam & Laos   1,000,000 - 2,200,000 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Military Pages

 
 
 

Check out all of these Family Genealogy Military Pages
to see which family members served - as well as when and where

 

Revolutionary War (19 Apr 1775 - 03 Sep 1783)

The Civil War  (12 Apr 1861 - 22 Jun 1865)
World War I (28 Jul 1914 - 11 Nov 1918)
World War II (01 Sep 1939 - 02 Sep 1945
Korean War  (25 Jun 1950 – 27 Jul 1953)

Vietnam War  (01 Nov 1955 - 30 Apr 1975)

Gulf War (17 Jan 1991 – 28 Feb 1991)

War on Terror (07 Oct 2011 - Present)

 

If you have photos or information to share about any of these Military pages, please contact me using the email address below or by calling 828-241-2233.

 
 
 
 
 
 

SOURCES

 
 

 

Thanks to Michael "Mike" Locke McCorkle for sharing information about his lineage through
Maj. General Charles Milton "Sandy" McCorkle. You can contact Mike at michael_mccorkle@yahoo.com .

 
Veteran Tributes - Click Here
Ancestry.com
 
 

"World War II"   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II

"The Role of Music in World War II"  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_of_music_in_World_War_II

"World War II Posters"  http://www.history.army.mil/art/Posters/WWII/WW2.htm
 
 

If you have additional information or photos of family members who served in the military during WWII
please contact me.