When war came to Wood County

 

With the approach of Veteran’s Day, it is fitting to remember fellow Wood County citizens who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Here are some brief biographical sketches of some who gave their lives in World War II and a listing of others who also perished in that terrible war. These are WW II service people whose burials took place in various county and city cemeteries. There may be others, not noted here, who were privately buried or buried elsewhere in the nation..
 

John Troy Bevill. He went into the U.S. Army in 1943. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. F.D. Bevill of Yantis. He served in the Italian theatre and was killed in Italy in 1945. He is buried in the Yantis Cemetery.
 

Alvin Blalock. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. G.A. Blalock of Quitman and the husband of Marcine Howle. He entered the U.S. Army in 1943 and served in action in Germany and Belgium. He was killed during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944.
 

Calvin Blalock. He was also the son of Mr. and Mrs. G.A. Blalock. He went into the U.S. Army in the same year as his brother, 1943. He was also killed in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. Both men are buried at the Myrtle Springs Cemetery.
 

Frank W. Creech. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Creech of Mineola and the husband of Nella Mae McClenny. He went into the U.S. Army in 1944 and was killed in action in Okinawa in 1945. He is buried at the New Hope Cemetery.
 

Hubert Dodgen. He was the son of Mrs. Gertrude Dodgen and the husband of Miss Bea Clanton. He went into the U.S. Army in 1940. He served in France and Germany. He was killed in Germany in 1944. He is buried at the Hopewell Cemetery.
 

Johnnie Gibson. He was the son of Mrs. J.W. Gibson of Golden. He went into the U.S Army Tank Corps in 1942. He was killed in action at Okinawa in 1945 and was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. He is buried at the Golden Cemetery.
 

Joe. M. Green. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Green of Hawkins and the husband of Irene Holmes. He went into the U.S. Army in 1942. He served in Ireland and was wounded while there and awarded the Purple Heart. He died in an accident in San Antonio in 1944. He is buried in the Hawkins City Cemetery.
 

Lloyd Honeycutt. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. B.L. Honeycutt of Mineola. He went into the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941. He served in England and was killed in 1943 in the Battle of Kiel. He is buried in the Mineola City Cemetery.
 

Charles Y. Lindsey. Ensign Charles Lindsey was the son of Mr. and Mrs. C.S. Lindsey. He joined the United States Navy in 1940 and was serving at Pearl Harbor when the attack came in 1941. He was killed in action in 1942 in Hawaii. He is buried in the Lee Cemetery.
 

Alton H.Magee. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Magee of Mineola. He joined the U.S. Army in 1942. He died in Lordsburg, New Mexico in that same year. He is buried in the Mineola City Cemetery.
 

Walker McAdams. Pfc. Walker McAdams was the son of Mrs. Laura McWaters and the husband of Susie Ann Blunt. He joined the U.S. Army in 1940 and served in France, Belgium, England and Germany. He was killed in Belgium in 1945. He is buried in the Mineola City Cemetery.
 

Virgil M. Mitchell. Sgt. Virgil Mitchell was the son of Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Mitchell of Quitman. He joined the U.S. Army in 1941. He was wounded in Sicily and killed in action in Germany in 1944. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
 

Truman T. Pope. Cpl. Truman Pope was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Pope of Quitman. He joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps in 1943 and served in India and Burma. He died of typhus in India and was buried in Assam, India. He has a marker at the Sand Springs Cemetery.
 

Robert L. Robbins. He was the son of Dr. V.E. Robbins of Quitman. He joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and served in Italy. He was awarded the Air Medal with two clusters, the Purple Heart and the ETO Ribbon. He was killed in action in 1944 at Anzio, Italy. He is buried in the Quitman City Cemetery.
 

John P. Sims. Lt. John Sims was the son of L.P. Sims of Mineola and the husband of Ardell Turk. He served in Okinawa, Formosa and the Philippines. He was killed on January 7th, 1945. He is buried in the Mineola City Cemetery.
 

William Lance Smith. He was the son of Rev. and Mrs. W. Clyde Smith of Mineola. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1941. He served in the Philippines and was warded the Purple Heart. He was killed in action near Darwin, Australia in 1942. He is buried at the Rose Lawn Cemetery.
Robert C. Turk. Lt. Robert Turk was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Turk of Mineola. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942. He was declared missing in the Gulf of Mexico in 1944 and was declared dead in August of 1944. He has a marker in the Mineola City Cemetery.
 

Robert White. Pfc. Robert E. White was the son of Mr. and Mrs. H.G. White of Como and the husband of Nancy Jo Benton. He joined the U.S. Army in 1942 and served in the European theatre. He was killed in action in France in 1944. He is buried at the Clover Hill Cemetery.
 

Curtis T. Spigner. Pfc. Spigner was the son of Mr. and Mrs. H.D. Spigner of Quitman. He joined the U.S. Army in 1943. He served in Italy and was awarded the Purple Heart. He was killed in action in February, 1945. He is buried in the Myrtle Creek Cemetery.
 

Other Wood County citizens who died in service to their country during World War II are: John M. Armour; Carrol J. Arrington; John David Cowan; Joseph J. Davis; Carol R. English, James Loyd Forrester; Corbelius Gammill; Ardith W. Gilbreath; Laurence N. Green; Robert D. (Jack) Hagler; Wm. E. Halcomb; Jessie L. Henderson; J.D. Holland; Joe G. Hudgins; Roy Edward Johnson; R.L. King, Jr.; Everett W. Kirbo; Troy Cecil Larue; James M. McKay; Alvis L. McKenzie; Floyd C. Morgan; Ralph Patterson; Weldon Richey; Sidney E. Roberts; Mylem V. Shamburger; James Junior Smith; R.A. Stanberry; Lawrence R. Thorn; W.G. Vanderslice, Sr.; Raymond L. Wheeler; Emmitt B. Taylor.