Korean War

   


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Catawba County
WAR MEMORIAL


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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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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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Other Veterans


 

 

Our Family in the Korean War

 

 

25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953

LOCATION:  Korean Peninsula

 

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.

 
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.
 
 
Leaders During the Korean War
 
         
SOUTH KOREAN ALLIES
 
SOUTH KOREA   UNITED STATES   UNITED KINGDOM
   
President   President   King
Syngman Rhee   Harry S. Truman   George VI
         
Other Countries Joined the South Korean Cause
         
CANADA   AUSTRALIA   NEW ZEALAND
   
         
FRANCE   GREECE   TURKEY
   
         
COLOMBIA   THAILAND   ETHIOPIA
   
         
NETHERLANDS   BELGIUM   PHILIPPINES
   
         
SOUTH AFRICA   NORWAY   LUXEMBOURG
   
         
         
NORTH KOREAN ALLIES
 
NORTH KOREA   CHINA   USSR
   
Prime Minister   Chairman   General Secretary
Kim II Sung   Mao Tse Tung   Joseph Stalin
         
 
 

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.

 
 

Map showing North & South Korea and the 38th Parallel

  

 
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.

      

 
The Korean War was the first war in which jet-powered aircraft fought one another.
 
 

 
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.
 
 

 
 
 

Korean War Family Involvement

 

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

Catawba County War Memorial in Newton, North Carolina
The plaque on the left lists the names of those who died during the Korean War

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

CRANFORD

 
 

 

CRANFORD, Spencer Rouse Jr.

b. 20 May 1930 - d. 17 Jul 2017

 

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

 

 

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

 
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.
 

Spencer at Brevard College

 
 
 
 

FINK

 
 

 

FINK, Arthur Burns Jr.

b. 31 Jul 1936 - d. 19 Dec 1996

 

Son of Arthur Burns Fink Sr. and Wilma Said
He was the husband of Mary Cope

 

 

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: ??

 
Arthur Burns Fink, Jr.,  served in the U.S. Marines during the Korean War, eventually serving as a Sergeant.
 

Arthur was buried in the Sandy Creek Cemetery, Tyro, Davidson County, North Carolina

 
 
 
 

GOBLES

 
 

 

(NOTHING AT THIS TIME)

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

JOHNSONS

 
 

 

JOHNSON, Walter Stephen Sr.

b. 04 Apr 1931 - d. 09 Jul 1993

 

Son of (John) Henry Pinkney Johnson and Beulah Carter
Husband of Mildred Cling
Grandson of (John) Henry Pinkney Johnson Sr. and Nancy Caroline Leslie

 

 

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: ??

 
Walter Stephen Johnson Sr. served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.
 

Walter with his siblings and maternal grandmother

 

(Left to Right) Rebecca Johnson Hedrick, Walter Stephen Johnson, Jane Cynthia Rebecca Carter, Henry Pinkney Johnson Jr. (IV), Delilah Johnson Lyerly

 

Walter was buried in the Abiline Church of Christ Cemetery in Iredell County, NC

 
 
 
 

LOFTINS

 
 

 

BOGGS, Walter Roy

b. 22 Jul 1933 - d. 29 Dec 2006

 

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

 

(Below) 1953 Germany

 

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

    
Walter Roy Boggs and both of his brothers (James Russell Boggs & William "Bill" Bruce Boggs) served in the U.S. Military.
 
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.
 
 
After serving for two years, Roy was Discharged on 24 Jul 1958.
 
 
 
 

BOGGS, William "Bill" Bruce

b. 05 May 1929 - d. 31 Dec 2005

 

Son of Fitzhugh Boggs and Verdie Lee Loftin
Husband of Edith Caroline Harrison
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Cornelia Estelle Lowrance

 

 

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

    
William "Bill" Bruce Boggs and both of his brothers (James Russell Boggs & Walter Roy Boggs) served in the U.S. Military.
 
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.
 
Bill was discharged on 04 Jun 1955.
 
 
 
 

HERMAN, Ted Franklin

b. 20 Aug 1935 - 14 Mar 1954

 

Son of Ruel Franklin Herman & Daisy Pearl Loftin
Husband of Elizabeth Friar
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Ida Lillian Setzer

 

 

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

    
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.
 
Ted was stationed in Germany for 10 months during his two years of service in the Army - serving in Field Artillery. 
 
He received the Good Conduct Medal.
 
Ted was single when he enlisted, but after serving in the Army for a year, he married Elizabeth Friar on 13 Apr 1955.
 
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.
 

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.
 

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.
 

 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.
 

Hal was buried in the St. Stephens' Lutheran Church Cemetery in Hickory, NC

 

 

A special thanks to Deanie Herman Hilton for sharing photos
 and information about Ted's military service

 
 

HUFFMAN, Hal Davis

b. 28 Dec 1936 - 19 Mar 2000

 

Son of John Henry Huffman and Callie Elma Loftin
Husband of Barbara Jo Turbyfill
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Ida Lillian Setzer

 

 

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

    
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.
 

Company 268 22 July 1955 U.S. Naval Training Center, Great Lakes , Illinois
G.M. Anderson, C.O. (Company Commander)

Hal is on the 5th Row - Second from the left side

 
Hal's wife Barbara Turbyfill Huffman said, "Hal weighed 130 when he enlisted in the Navy - and weighed 206 when he was discharged".
 

 

 

Frank Weathers (from Sherrills Ford), Hal, and  Kenneth Bailey
at Lakeview Amusement Park, Chicago, Illinoi
s

 
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.
 

 

 

 

Working at the Galley, Great Lakes, Illinois

     

 

Posing in front of the barracks

 
Hal served from 1955 to 1959 and was Discharged in 1959.
 

(Left) Hal with his niece Linda, and (Right) with Kenneth Bailey

  
 
He met and Married Barbara Jo Turbyfill after he was discharged in 1959.
 
 

Hal was buried at Center View Baptist Church, Maiden, NC

 

 

A special thanks to Barbara Turbyfill Huffman for sharing photos
 and information about Hal's military service

 
 

HUFFMAN, James "Jim" Henry

b. 24 Jul 1934 - 07 Mar 2011

 

Son of John Henry Huffman and Callie Elma Loftin
Husband of Faye Huffman
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Ida Lillian Setzer

 

 

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
 
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.
 
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.
 

Jim (left) with Fred Shuford in 1952

 
Jim served aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Bennington.
 
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."
 

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.
 

 
Jim married Faye Elizabeth Huffman in March 1954.
 

 

Jim and Faye a few months after they were married

 

Jim served in the Navy from 1952 to 1956, being Discharged in November 1956.
 

Jim war buried in the Claremont Cemetery, Claremont, NC

SN:Seaman

 

A special thanks to Faye Huffman and Loretta Huffman Hiatt for sharing photos
 and information about Jimmy's military service

 
 

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."
 

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

 
 

LOFTIN, Wayne Morrow

b. 22 Sep 1930 - d. 27 May 2015

 

Son of Roy Henry Loftin & Sarah Mae Morrow
Husband of Sue Cook
Grandson of Alonzo Lester Loftin & Cornelia Estelle Lowrance

 

 

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
 

The Roy & Mae Loftin Family
(Top Row) Wayne, Yvonne, Larry
(Bottom Row) Roy and Mae

 
Information from a telephone interview that I conducted with Wayne on 07 Jun 2012.  He was living in LaPorte, TX.  He said:
 
"I enlisted in the Navy on August 18, 1948 in Columbia, South Carolina.  I was 17 - just before turning 18."
 
"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."
 
"I served on the Battleship Iowa which was docked in San Francisco."
 
When asked if he ever served over seas, he said:
 
"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."
 
"My ship went to Korea and I served aboard the ship for another 7 or 8 months."
 
"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."
 
When asked what his responsibilities on the ship were, he responded:
 
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."
 
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."
 

1951 - Wayne (right) with his brother Larry

 

 
"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."
 
Wayne met his wife, Sue Cook, after the war.  She was from Canton, NC - a small town called Bethel.  She was a basketball player.
 
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."
 
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."
 
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."
 
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."
 

A special thanks to Wayne Morrow Loftin for sharing the information about his military service

 
 

PEELER, James "Jim" Calvin

b. 11 Aug 1927 - 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

 
 

WHITE, Willard

b. 23 Nov 1929, West Virginia

 

Husband of Helen Josephine Loftin White
Son of James Granville White and Grace Austin

 

 

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.

 

WWII Draft Registration Card

 
 
 
 

A special thanks to Willard's daughter, Phyllis Mills, for her help with photos and information about her dad

 
 

WILSON, Kenneth Gray, Sr.

b. 01 May 1929 - d. 29 Dec 2005

 

Son of Thomas Robinson Wilson and Cordie Bland Loftin Wilson
Husband of Mildred Cline
Grandson of William Alexander Loftin & Laura Rossie Cranford

 

 

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

    
Kenneth Gray Wilson, Sr., served in the U.S. Army Reserved during the Korean War and afterwards.
 
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."
 
 

A special thanks to Diane Wilson Elliott for sharing information about her dad's military service

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

SETZER

 
 

 

(NOTHING AT THIS TIME)

 
 
 
 
 

SIGMON

 
 

 
 
 

SIGMON, William "Billy" Spencer, Sr.

b. 28 Mar 1924 - d. 27 Nov 1990

 
Beatty Family Relation to Loftins Loftin Family
Wm. Able Beatty & Isabella McCorkle   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
 

William "Billy" Spencer Sigmon, Sr., was the son of Spencer Harrison Sigmon & Annie Myrtle Gabriel

 

 

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

    
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.
 
Billy served one year and three months in the Korean War before he was released on 25 Feb 1952
 
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.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

EASON, GRISWOLD, HARRELL, WEEKS

 
 

 

These branches are from my wife's family.

 
 

EASON, James Carolyn "Carl"

b. 31 May 1928 - d.

 

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

 

 

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: ??

 

Draft Registration Card

 

   

 

Thanks to Sid Weeks for the photo of James Carolyn and Coneta

 
 
 
 

 
 

 

 

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 (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)

 
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:

 
 

"The Korean War" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War

 

Classroom Clipart http://classroomclipart.com

 
 

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