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Arthur Gillespie

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Arthur C. Gillespie Jr.
2157th Air Rescue Squadron
3rd Air Rescue Group

Arthur Gillespie, born in Draper North Carolina joined the US Air Force in 1951. He was trained as an Aero Medical Specialist. After training he was assigned to the 2157th Air Rescue Squadron flying as part of an H-19 rescue helicopter crew. He flew many missions, one where his crew rescued downed Jet Ace Capt. Joseph McConnell Jr. and another where Arthur’s crew themselves had to be rescued after crashing into the Yellow Sea.

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Homer Tannery

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Homer Tannery
81st Infantry Division
324th Infantry Regiment

Homer Tannery was born in 1893 in Westminster, South Carolina, entered the military in May 1918.  He was assigned to the 81st Infantry Division, 324th Infantry, Company H serving in France with the American Expeditionary Forces.  He participated in the Meuse-Argonne operation, November 2-11, 1918. (more…)

Robert Goad

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Robert W. Goad
171st Quartermaster Laundry Detachment

Robert Goad was inducted into the Army in July of 1944 in Huntington West Virginia. Less than 6 months later he was on his way to the Pacific Theater and assigned to the 171st QM Laundry Det. (more…)

Neal Albert Denning

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Neal Albert Denning
3rd Marine Division
9th Marine Regiment
Company B

Neal “Albert” Denning a Willow Springs, NC native was born on February 18, 1947. “Albert”, loved gardening and was a member of his high schools Future Farmers of America. Albert dreamed of going to college and joined the Marines with the intentions of attending college after Military service. Unfortunately those dreams never came to fruition. On May 12, 1966 at the young age of 19, that dream died when Albert made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. (more…)

4th Marine Division

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Leonard Garth
(Leonard F. Garbaccio)
4th Marine Division
23rd Marine Regiment

Leonard enlisted in the Marine Corps on September 15, 1942. As a Radio/Radar Repairman, Leonard was assigned to the 23rd Marine Regiment and was shipped out to the Pacific Theater of Operations. He participated against the enemy Japanese forces at the Marshal Islands as well as in Saipan and Tinian, Mariana Islands. He was honorably discharged in 1945, but re-enlisted in 1948 for an additional 2 years. (more…)

Louis Ciccotti

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Louis M. Ciccotti
36th Infantry Division
143rd Infantry Regiment
Company C

Louis Ciccotti, born in Rome, New York, was inducted into the Army on May 28, 1942. He served overseas in Europe from April 1943 to September 1945 seeing action in the Mediterranean, participating in the Invasion of Southern France and further action in Europe. His son, Russell, received his father’s overdue awards. (more…)

Walter DeZearn

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Walter Gipson DeZearn
83rd Infantry Division
49th Infantry Regiment
Company C

Walter DeZearn was born on November 20, 1894 in Maynardville, TN.  Entered the military on May 28th, 1918 and was assigned to the 83rd Infantry Division serving in France. The 83rd was primarily a depot (replacement) division supplying over 195,000 officers and enlisted men as replacements in France without seeing action as a complete formation. Certain division units saw action, but not the 49th Infantry. Walter was discharged on April 15, 1919.

After the War, Walter returned to farming, as a tenant farmer.  He married Nellie Louise Miller on July 12, 1923.  They had 13 children, 5 girls and 8 boys.  He lived to be 82 years old. He is buried in Little Flat Creek Cemetery, Corryton, TN.

New Market, Tennessee (2016)

Vietnam POW

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Raymond C. Schrump
Military Assistance Command-Vietnam
POW- Vietnam, 69-73

Ray Schrump was born in 1932 in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 10, 1949 at the age of 17, where he spent nine years as an enlisted man during which time he served in combat during the Korean War. (more…)

505th PIR

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Oscar L. Davis, Jr
82nd Airborne Division
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
Company A

Oscar Davis was born, Cramerton NC and at age 18  (March 1943) entered the Army. He was initially assigned to the Army Air Corps, but was later reassigned back to the infantry where he as assigned to the 97th Infantry Division in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri and sent to San Luis Obispo, California for amphibious training. He volunteered for overseas duty and was sent to Ft Meade, MD, then shipped to Liverpool, England. Oscar signed up for 82nd Airborne Jump School at Chilton Folait, England and completed jump school in 3 weeks. (more…)

783rd Military Police Battalion

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John F. Sargent
783rd Military Police Battalion
Headquarters Company

John Frederick Sargent, who went by Fred, was born in Milford, New York entered military service in December of 1942. He was assigned to the newly formed 783rd MP Battalion at Fort Custer, MI. (more…)