TWO
OPPOSING
SIDES
South Korea
ALLIES
North Korea
ALLIES
Catawba County
WAR MEMORIAL
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___________
___________
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FAMILY
MEMBERS WHO
SERVED
CRANFORD
Cranford, Spencer Rouse Jr.
FINK
Fink, Arthur Burns Jr.
GOBLE
JOHNSON
Fink, Walter Burns Jr.
Johnson, Walter Stephen
LOFTIN
Boggs, Walter Roy
Boggs, William Bruce
Herman, Ted Franklin
Huffman, Hal Davis
Huffman, James Henry
Loftin, Larry Henry
Loftin, Wayne Morrow
Peeler, James Calvin
White, Willard
Wilson, Kenneth Gray Sr.
SETZER
SIGMON
Sigmon, Wm Spencer Sr.
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The EASONS,
GRISWOLDS,
HARRELLS,
WEEKS
Eason, James Carolyn
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Korean War
A YouTube
TRIBUTE
Country Music
during the
Korean War
Top 15 Songs
From the 1950s
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___________
LINKS
History of
NC Counties
CARS
Catawba
Station
Township
Catawba
Elementary
& High School
Cemeteries
The
CIVIL
WAR
Additional
Family
SURNAMES
Genealogy
HUMOR
The
Latest
NEWS
PHOTO
LINKS
Recent
UPDATES
The
"ROYAL"
Lineage
Slavery
Twins
WHERE
TO
FIND 'EM
PAGE
___________
___________
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
___________
___________
Other
Veterans |
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Our Family
in the Korean War |
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25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 |
LOCATION:
Korean Peninsula |
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On 25 Jun 1950 the communist North Korean
Army, supplied by China and the Soviet Union, crossed the 38th
parallel and invaded South Korea. The UN, led by the U.S.,
rushed to the aid of South Korea as civil strife quickly erupted
into a "cold war" hot spot and threatened to become another
world war. |
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Korea was occupied by Japan until the end of WW2. After the end
of WW2, Korea was divided by the US to the south and
Russia/China to the North similar to what happened in Germany.
The two countries were divided at the 38th parallel. This was to
ensure a buffer zone between the two super powers. |
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Leaders During the Korean War |
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SOUTH
KOREAN ALLIES |
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SOUTH KOREA |
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UNITED STATES |
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UNITED KINGDOM |
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President |
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President |
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King |
Syngman Rhee |
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Harry S. Truman |
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George VI |
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Other Countries Joined the South Korean Cause |
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CANADA |
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AUSTRALIA |
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NEW
ZEALAND |
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FRANCE |
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GREECE |
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TURKEY |
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COLOMBIA |
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THAILAND |
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ETHIOPIA |
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NETHERLANDS |
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BELGIUM |
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PHILIPPINES |
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SOUTH AFRICA |
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NORWAY |
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LUXEMBOURG |
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NORTH KOREAN
ALLIES |
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NORTH KOREA |
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CHINA |
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USSR |
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Prime Minister |
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Chairman |
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General Secretary |
Kim
II Sung |
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Mao
Tse Tung |
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Joseph Stalin |
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According to the data from the US
Department of Defense, the United States suffered 33,686 battle
deaths, along with 2,830 non-battle deaths during the Korean War
and 8,176 missing in action. There were over 1.5 million
total casualties during the war by all those involved. |
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Map showing North & South Korea and the
38th Parallel |
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The Cold War (which included the Korean War - and is often dated
1947–1991) was a sustained state of political and military
tension between the powers of the Western world, led by the
United States and its allies, and the communist world, led by
the Soviet Union, its allies. |
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The Korean War was the first war in which jet-powered aircraft
fought one another. |
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Korean War Conclusions: Cease-fire armistice, North
Korean invasion of South Korea repelled, United Nations invasion
of North Korea repelled, Chinese invasion of South Korea
repelled, Korean Demilitarized Zone established, little
territorial change at the 38th parallel border. We had
30,000 deaths in 30 months. |
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Korean War Family Involvement |
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Members of various branches of our family served in some
capacity in the military during the Korean War. |
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Catawba County
War Memorial in Newton, North Carolina
The plaque on the left lists the names of those who died during
the Korean War |
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CRANFORD |
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CRANFORD, Spencer
Rouse Jr. |
b. 20 May 1930 - d. 17 Jul 2017 |
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Spencer was the son of
Spencer Rouse Cranford Sr & Thelma May Collins
He was the Husband of Dale Brown
He was the Grandson of Manley Wilson Cranford Jr & Sarah
Elizabeth Caldwell
He was the Great-Grandson of Manley Wilson Cranford Sr &
Mary Martha Lomax
He was the Grand Nepew of Laura Rossie Cranford Loftin |
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Enlistment Date: 1951
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: Brevard
Age at Time of Enlistment: 21
Branch: U.S. Air Force
Grade: Private
Education: College Graduate
Brevard College, Brevard, NC
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Assigned Base: Keesler AFB, Biloxi |
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Spencer Rouse Cranford Jr. was born 20 May 1930
and grew up in Charlotte, graduated from Central High
School, Class of 1948, and graduated from Brevard
College. While at Brevard he met his future bride,
Dale Brown. He joined the Air Force in 1951 and was
assigned to Keesler AFB in Biloxi. While there,
Spencer and Dale were married and had their
first child, Reid. After his enlistment, they
returned to Charlotte and had their second child,
Rick, in 1955. |
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Spencer at Brevard College |
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FINK |
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FINK, Arthur Burns
Jr. |
b. 31 Jul 1936 - d. 19 Dec 1996 |
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Son of
Arthur Burns Fink Sr. and Wilma Said
He was the husband of Mary Cope |
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Enlistment Date:
??
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??
Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private
Education: ??
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Terms of Enlistment: ?? |
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Arthur Burns Fink, Jr., served in the U.S. Marines
during the Korean War, eventually serving as a Sergeant. |
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Arthur was buried
in the
Sandy Creek
Cemetery, Tyro, Davidson County, North Carolina |
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GOBLES |
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(NOTHING AT THIS TIME) |
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JOHNSONS |
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JOHNSON, Walter
Stephen Sr. |
b. 04 Apr 1931 - d. 09 Jul 1993 |
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Son of (John) Henry Pinkney Johnson and Beulah Carter
Husband of Mildred Cling
Grandson of (John) Henry Pinkney Johnson Sr. and Nancy Caroline
Leslie |
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Enlistment Date:
??
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??
Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private
Education: ??
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Terms of Enlistment: ?? |
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Walter Stephen Johnson Sr. served in the U.S. Navy
during the Korean War. |
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Walter with his
siblings and maternal grandmother |
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(Left to Right) Rebecca Johnson
Hedrick, Walter Stephen Johnson, Jane Cynthia Rebecca
Carter, Henry Pinkney Johnson Jr. (IV), Delilah Johnson
Lyerly |
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Walter was buried
in the Abiline Church of Christ Cemetery in Iredell
County, NC |
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LOFTINS |
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BOGGS, Walter Roy |
b. 22 Jul 1933 - d. 29 Dec 2006 |
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Son of Fitzhugh
Boggs and Verdie Lee Loftin
Husband of (1) Joan Elizabeth Colter, (2) Norma Cline,
(3) Ruth Shook
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Cornelia Estelle Lowrance |
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(Below) 1953 Germany |
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Enlistment Date:
30 Jul 1956
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??
Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private - SP4
Education: ??
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Terms of Enlistment: 2 years
Discharged: 24 Jul 1958 |
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Walter
Roy Boggs and both of his brothers (James Russell Boggs
& William "Bill" Bruce Boggs) served in the U.S.
Military. |
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Roy
enlisted in the U.S. Army on 30 Jul 1956 between the
Korean and Vietnam Wars advancing to SP4. An SP4
was a Specialist which was one step (rank) above a PFC,
Private 1st Class, (SP3) and one step (rank) below a
Sergeant (SP5). Frequently the SP4 served as
Corporal. |
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After serving for two years, Roy was Discharged on 24
Jul 1958. |
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BOGGS, William
"Bill" Bruce |
b. 05 May 1929 - d. 31 Dec 2005 |
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Son of Fitzhugh
Boggs and Verdie Lee Loftin
Husband of Edith Caroline Harrison
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Cornelia Estelle Lowrance |
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Enlistment Date:
05 Jun 1951
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??
Branch: U.S. Air Force
Grade: Private - SGT
Education: ??
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Terms of Enlistment: 4 years
Discharged: 04 Jun 1955 |
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William "Bill" Bruce Boggs and both of his brothers
(James Russell Boggs & Walter Roy Boggs) served in the
U.S. Military. |
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Bill
enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on 05 Jun 1951. He
rose in rank from Private to Staff Sergeant - one step
above Sergeant. |
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Bill was discharged on 04 Jun 1955. |
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HERMAN, Ted
Franklin |
b. 20 Aug 1935 - 14 Mar 1954 |
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Son of Ruel Franklin
Herman & Daisy Pearl Loftin
Husband of Elizabeth Friar
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Ida Lillian Setzer |
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Enlistment Date:
23 Mar 1954
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: 18
Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: Private First Class PFC
Education: High School
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Terms of Enlistment: 2 years |
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Ted
Franklin Herman enlisted in the U.S. Army on 23 Mar
1954, at the age of 18, after graduating from St.
Stephens Lutheran High School in Hickory, NC.
Ted's service in the military was between the Korean and
Vietnam Wars. |
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Ted was stationed in Germany for 10 months during his
two years of service in the Army - serving in Field
Artillery. |
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He received the Good Conduct Medal. |
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Ted was single when he enlisted, but after serving in
the Army for a year, he married Elizabeth Friar on 13
Apr 1955. |
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Ted
was Discharged in Mar 1956. He was home less than
a week when he was killed in a car accident on 14 Mar
1956. |
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The car above is the one in which young Ted Franklin
Herman, son of Hickory Township constable and Mrs. Ruel
Herman, met his death on the Old Shelby Road near the
Mountain Grove Baptist Church Road early Wednesday
evening. |
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YOUTH THROWN FROM VEHICLE |
A 20-year-old Hickory area
youth who returned home only last Saturday after two
years service in the Army, including ten months in
Germany, almost instantly was killed in a one-car
accident on the Old Shelby Road three and one half miles
south of Longview at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Thrown from the 1956 Ford four-door sedan, which he is
reported to have been driving, Ted Franklin Herman, son
of Hickory township Constable Ruel Herman and Daisy
Loftin Herman of 1312 Sixteenth Street NE, the Sandy
Ridge Road, died of a crushed skull and other injuries
before a Hickory hospital could be reached.
Jimmy Herman of the Old Shelby Road, an uncle of Ted
Franklin Herman, escaped injury. |
Uncle Killed |
State Trooper David Searcy said
the Ford is owned by Mrs. Betty Herman, an aunt of young
Herman, and brought out the fact that some eight months
ago Mrs. Herman's husband lost his life in a traffic
accident in the Shelby section of Cleveland County.
Jimmy Herman, it is understood, also was a passenger
then and went unhurt.
Searcy said the Hermans were headed north on the
winding paved roadway, and that the vehicle went out of
control on a curve. He said the car went off the
road and that when the driver attempted to pull it
backs, the vehicle went completely out of control and
overturned two or three times before landing on its
wheels. |
Youth Thrown
(Continued From Page One) |
Mrs. Eugen Walls and her
mother, Mrs. Mae Williams, watched the crash from their
front porch.
Searcy said the Ford traveled some 350 feet before it
stopped beside the grocery.
One of the tumbles had thrown young Herman out.
Ed Martin, Daily Record reporter-photographer, who was
at the scene, was told that young Herman was returning
from a visit with his paternal grandparents, Mr. and
Mrs. K. L. Herman, Hickory, Route One. |
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BURIAL RITES SLATED FRIDAY |
Funeral services for Ted
Franklin Herman, 20, of 1312 Sixteenth Street, NE, the
Sandy Ridge Road, who was almost instantly killed at
6:15 p.m. Wednesday in a one-car accident on the Old
Shelby Road south of Longview, will be conducted at St.
Stephens Lutheran Church, the Missouri Synod, at 3 p.m.
Friday by the pastor, the Rev. Lester A. Wolff.
Burial will be in the church cemetery.
The body was taken this afternoon from the Bass-Smith
Funeral Home to the residence of the parents, Hickory
Township Constable Ruel Herman and Mrs. Daisy Loftin,
the Sandy Ridge Road section. It will lie in state
at the church from 2:30 until 3:00 o'clock. |
Wife Survives |
Young Herman, born in Catawba
County, Aug. 20, 1935, returned home only last Saturday
after two years' service in the Army, including ten
months in Germany. He entered service March 23,
1954, and possessed the Good Conduct Medal.
He was married April 13, 1955, to the former Elizabeth
Friar.
Surviving in addition to the parents and Mrs. Herman
are two sisters, Alma Deana and Pamela Herman, both of
the home; the paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. K. L.
Herman of Hickory, Route One; the maternal grandmother,
Mrs. Ida Loftin.
Young Herman attended St. Stephens Lutheran Day School
and graduated from St. Stephens High School in June of
1953. He was an outstanding basketball player in
high school.
The youth was a member of St. Stephens's Lutheran
Church of the Missouri Synod. He was confirmed
June 5, 1949. |
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Hal was buried in
the St. Stephens' Lutheran Church Cemetery in Hickory,
NC |
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A special thanks to Deanie Herman Hilton for sharing photos
and information about Ted's military service |
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HUFFMAN, Hal Davis |
b. 28 Dec 1936 - 19 Mar 2000 |
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Son of John Henry
Huffman and Callie Elma Loftin
Husband of Barbara Jo Turbyfill
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Ida Lillian Setzer |
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Enlistment Date:
1955
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: 18
Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private / A2E (Accelerate To Excellence Program)
Education: High School
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: 130 lbs.
Terms of Enlistment: 4 years |
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Hal
Davis Huffman graduated from high school in 1955 and
enlisted in the U. S. Navy under the A2E (Accelerate to
Excellence) Program - between the Korean and Vietnam
Wars - enlisting with Kenneth Baily from Catawba.
Hal was fortunate in that he saw no active war duty. |
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Company 268 22 July 1955 U.S. Naval
Training Center, Great Lakes , Illinois
G.M. Anderson, C.O. (Company Commander) |
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Hal is on the 5th
Row - Second from the left side |
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Hal's wife Barbara Turbyfill Huffman said,
"Hal weighed 130 when he enlisted
in the Navy - and weighed 206 when he was discharged". |
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Frank Weathers
(from Sherrills Ford), Hal, and Kenneth Bailey
at Lakeview Amusement Park, Chicago, Illinois |
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Hal
told Barbara that he served as an electrician working on
a "spy plane" and
"also did some cooking" -
eventually becoming an electrician once he was
discharged from the Navy. His classification was
AE2 - Aviation Electrician Mate - Aviation Electrician's
Mates were responsible for aircraft electrical power
generating and converting systems. They maintain
lighting, control, and indicating systems and could
install as well as maintain flight and engine instrument
systems. |
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Working at the
Galley, Great Lakes, Illinois |
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Posing in front of
the barracks |
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Hal
served from 1955 to 1959 and was Discharged in
1959. |
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(Left) Hal with
his niece Linda, and (Right) with Kenneth Bailey |
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He met and Married Barbara Jo Turbyfill after he was
discharged in 1959. |
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Hal was buried at
Center View Baptist Church, Maiden, NC |
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A special thanks to Barbara Turbyfill
Huffman for sharing photos
and information about Hal's military service |
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HUFFMAN, James
"Jim" Henry |
b. 24 Jul 1934 - 07 Mar 2011 |
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Son of John Henry
Huffman and Callie Elma Loftin
Husband of Faye Huffman
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Ida Lillian Setzer |
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Enlistment Date: 1952
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: 18
Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private / Seaman
Education: High School
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Terms of Enlistment: 4 years |
Photo taken in 1952 - age
18 |
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James "Jim" Henry Huffman, the son of John Henry Huffman
and Callie Elma Loftin, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in
1952. Jim was 18-years-old, just graduated from
high school, and single. |
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Jim did his part of his basic training in San Diego,
California, and was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida;
Norfolk, Virginia; and New York. He also did a
Mediterranean Tour through Spain, Portugal and Italy. |
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Jim (left) with Fred Shuford in 1952 |
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Jim
served aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Bennington. |
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According to Jim's sister, Loretta Huffman Hiatt,
"While Jim was serving on the
Bennington, there was an explosion on board the ship.
I was in the 9th or 10th grade at school and when I cam
home that afternoon Mom was crying. When I asked
her what was wrong, she told me, 'I've received word
that there's been an explosion in the Bennington's
boiler room and Jim's been killed.' She and I
werer both really upset. Mom was later informed
that indeed about 100 people had died, but Jim was not
one of them." |
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Approximately 100 men died aboard the aircraft carrier
Bennington as an exploding steam turbine generator
ripped through the inside of the 899-foot veteran of the
war against Japan. At least 200 more were injured,
25 or 30 seriously. The disaster occurred about 75
miles off Quonset Point, R.I, during a routine training
cruise. The Bennington is shown (right) as she
steamed toward port after the explosion,. Note
small craft moving to her aid. At left a victim is
removed from the warship upon her docking at Quoneet
Point. |
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Jim
married Faye Elizabeth Huffman in March 1954. |
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Jim and Faye a few months after they were married |
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Jim
served in the Navy from 1952 to 1956, being Discharged
in November 1956. |
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Jim war buried in the Claremont Cemetery,
Claremont, NC |
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SN:Seaman |
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A special thanks to Faye Huffman and
Loretta Huffman Hiatt for sharing photos
and information about Jimmy's military service |
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LOFTIN, Larry Henry |
b. 13 Jan 1927 - d. 01 Feb 2018 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Information from a telephone
interview that I conducted with Larry on 07 Jun 2012.
He was living in Beaver, WV. He said: |
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"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." |
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"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." |
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Draft Registration Card |
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"I had tonsillitis as a kid and
when I first joined the Navy they flared up.
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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." |
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"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. |
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"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." |
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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." |
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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. |
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"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." |
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1951
(Left to Right) Roy,
Larry, Yvonne and Mae |
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1951
- Larry and his brother, Wayne |
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"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. |
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"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." |
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"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." |
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"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!" |
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Larry
had played basketball and baseball in high school.
"We won every game but one." |
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Larry
was fortunate in that he saw no battle action during
either World War II or the Korean War. |
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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." |
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A special thanks to Larry Henry Loftin for
sharing the information about his military service |
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LOFTIN, Wayne Morrow |
b. 22 Sep 1930 - d. 27 May 2015 |
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Son of Roy Henry Loftin &
Sarah Mae Morrow
Husband of Sue Cook
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Cornelia Estelle Lowrance |
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Enlistment Date: 18 Aug
1948
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Columbia
Age at Time of Enlistment: 17
Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private
Education: High School
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Terms of Enlistment: 4 years
Discharged: 1952 |
Photo taken in 1950 - age 20 |
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The Roy & Mae Loftin Family
(Top Row) Wayne,
Yvonne, Larry
(Bottom Row) Roy and Mae |
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Information from a telephone interview that I conducted
with Wayne on 07 Jun 2012. He was living in
LaPorte, TX. He said: |
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"I enlisted in the Navy on August
18, 1948 in Columbia, South Carolina. I was 17 -
just before turning 18." |
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"If you were 18, you signed up for
1 year and were in the Reserves for 7 years. Since
I enlisted at the age of 17, my enlistment was for three
years. Dad signed for me since I was only 17.
My 3-year term was extended a year and I actually served
4 years." |
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"I served on the Battleship Iowa
which was docked in San Francisco." |
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When
asked if he ever served over seas, he said: |
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"I was with the U.S. Occupation
Forces in Japan for 30 months." Even though
Japan had surrendered at the end of World War II on 15
August 1945, they had not signed a Peace Treaty.
"I was there on 04 Jan 1949
when Japan signed the Peace Treaty." |
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"My ship went to Korea and I
served aboard the ship for another 7 or 8 months." |
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"The Battleship Iowa fired more 16
inch shells in the Korean War than it did during all of
WWII. It had been the only Navy ship in the
Atlantic during WWII. The ship cruised up and down
the coast. They'd lob a shell over and 30 minutes
later they'd lob another shell. They'd shell
bridges and other things but the North Koreans would
quickly rebuild." |
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When
asked what his responsibilities on the ship were, he
responded: |
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Battle
Station 1: "I worked with
communications in the Combat Information Center for
several months. There was little to do and I
quickly became bored and asked for a transfer." |
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Battle
Station 2: "I worked in the
Registered Publications Office. They had
information on all the ships in the world. I was
told if there was an attack on the ship, I was suppose
to put the information into lead bags and throw them
over board. Fortunately, that never happened." |
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1951
-
Wayne (right) with
his brother Larry |
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"On July 3rd, 1952, the ship was
making ready for a change of command. They were on
the way back to Tokyo, Japan. I left from Tokyo
and returned to the states where I was discharged." |
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Wayne
met his wife, Sue Cook, after the war. She was
from Canton, NC - a small town called Bethel. She
was a basketball player. |
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When
asked if he played shorts in school, Wayne said,
"Yes, both baseball and basketball
- but I was a little too short for basketball. My
Junior year in high school I played Junior American
Legion Baseball - and my Senior year of high school I
pitched for the high school team - occasionally filling
in on 2nd base, 3rd, short stop and out field." |
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I
asked Wayne how he got to Texas, and he said,
"After my discharge in 1952, work
was hard to find. A job opportunity opened up in
Texas and I worked for Champion Paper for 34 years and
at Sampson Paper for 6 years. When I retired, I
was supervisor in the Technology Department and carried
the title of Technical Specialist." |
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In
addition to their home in Texas, Wayne and Sue built a
log house between Waynesville, NC, and Silva, NC - near
Canton and Maggie Valley.
"We maintained the two homes for 9 years, but after
heart surgery we sold the NC mountain home." |
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Wayne
and Sue have enjoyed traveling the U.S. He's been
to 46 of the 50 states of the U.S.
"The only ones I've not visited
are Florida, Oregon, Washington and Rhode Island." |
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A special thanks to Wayne Morrow Loftin for
sharing the information about his military service |
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PEELER, James
"Jim" Calvin |
b. 11 Aug 1927 - 04 Sep 1988 |
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Son of Cortez &
Mattie J. Peeler
Husband of Celia Jo Connor
Son-in-Law of Willie Thelma Loftin Connor Lanier |
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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 |
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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. |
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Jim started as a Private but rose to
the rank of Sergeant First Class, serving as a E7 Medic. |
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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. |
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Jim
and Jo with Jeff and the twins, Jerry and Larry |
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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. |
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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!" |
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Jerry also said, "Dad was in a
MASH Unit and that's where he learned his emergency
skills." |
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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." |
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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." |
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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." |
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Jim
died 04 Sep 1988 and was buried in the Bethlehem
Methodist Church Cemetery, Claremont, NC |
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Thanks to Jim's
sons, Jerry and Larry Peeler, for the photos and
information about their dad |
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WHITE, Willard |
b. 23 Nov 1929, West Virginia |
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Husband of Helen Josephine Loftin White
Son of James Granville White and Grace Austin |
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Enlistment Date: ??
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??
Serial Number: ??
Branch: U.S. Army
Grade: ??
Education: ??
Marital Status: 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. |
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WWII
Draft Registration Card |
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A special thanks to Willard's daughter,
Phyllis Mills, for her help with photos and information
about her dad |
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WILSON, Kenneth
Gray, Sr. |
b. 01 May 1929 - d. 29 Dec 2005 |
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Son of Thomas Robinson Wilson and Cordie Bland Loftin
Wilson
Husband of Mildred Cline
Grandson of William Alexander Loftin & Laura Rossie Cranford |
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Enlistment Date:
??
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??
Branch: U.S. Army Reserves
Grade: Private - Master Sergeant
Education: ??
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Terms of Enlistment: 8 years |
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Kenneth Gray Wilson, Sr., served in the U.S. Army
Reserved during the Korean War and afterwards. |
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His
daughter Diane Wilson Elliot, said concerning her
father: "He was never in active
duty, but he was a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army
Reserves. I think he served 8 years. His
unit was out of Statesville and I remember him telling
me that they thought they would be called up for active
duty, but the National Guard Unit out of Statesville was
chosen instead. David Huffman, David Cranford and
Ted Whisnant served under him in his unit. I
remember two trips we made to see Daddy when he was at
Fort Jackson for training - one by car and one on the
bus." |
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A special thanks to Diane Wilson Elliott for sharing
information about her dad's military service |
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SETZER |
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(NOTHING AT THIS TIME) |
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SIGMON |
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SIGMON, William
"Billy" Spencer, Sr. |
b. 28 Mar 1924 - d. 27 Nov 1990 |
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Beatty Family |
Relation to Loftins |
Loftin Family |
Wm. Able Beatty & Isabella McCorkle |
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Wm. Able Beatty & Isabella McCorkle |
Charles Manson Beatty & Judith
Sherrill |
Siblings |
Thomas Loftin & Sally/Sarah Lavina
Beatty |
Gilbert Manson Beatty & Adaline Susan
Sherrill |
1st Cousins |
James Franklin Loftin & Frances
Elizabeth Fisher |
Bruce Alexander Gabriel & Cedona
Lovenia Beatty |
2nd Cousins |
William Alexander Loftin & Laura
Rossie Cranford |
Spencer Harrison Sigmon & Annie Myrtle
Gabriel |
3rd Cousins |
Alonzo Lester Loftin & Ida Lillian
Setzer |
William Spencer Sigmon Sr |
4th Cousins |
Sam William Loftin |
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William "Billy"
Spencer Sigmon, Sr., was the son of Spencer Harrison
Sigmon & Annie Myrtle Gabriel |
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Enlistment Date: 16 Nov 1950
Enlistment State: North Carolina
Age at Time of Enlistment: 26
Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private - Master Sergeant
Marital Status: Married
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Terms of Enlistment: 1 1/4 years
Release Date: 25 Feb 1952 |
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William "Billy" Spencer Sigmon, Sr. was married at the
time of his enlistment - with a son, William Spencer
"Spence" Sigmon, Jr., having been born just the year
before. |
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Billy
served one year and three months in the Korean War
before he was released on 25 Feb 1952 |
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Billy's son "Spence" enlisted in the Vietnam war and was
killed on 01 May 1970 in Quang Ngai, VietNam at the age
of 20. |
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EASON,
GRISWOLD, HARRELL, WEEKS |
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These branches are from my wife's family. |
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EASON, James
Carolyn "Carl" |
b. 31 May 1928 - d. |
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Son of John Bryant Eason and Ida Griswold
Husband of Coneta Earl Daniels
Grandson of John Wesley Eason and Annie Liza Liles
Father of Elaine Eason and Wayne Eason |
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Enlistment Date:
??
Enlistment State: ??
Enlistment City: ??
Age at Time of Enlistment: ??
Branch: U.S. Navy
Grade: Private
Education: ??
Marital Status: Single
Height: ??
Weight: ??
Terms of Enlistment: ?? |
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Draft Registration Card |
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Thanks to Sid Weeks
for the photo of James Carolyn and Coneta |
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Military Pages |
|
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Check out all of these Family Genealogy
Military Pages
to see which family members served - as well as when and where |
|
Revolutionary War
(1775 - 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) |
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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. |
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SOURCES: |
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"The Korean War"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War |
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Classroom
Clipart
http://classroomclipart.com |
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If you have additional information or photos of family
members
who served in the military during the Korean War,
please contact me. |
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