|
 |
Loran B.
Watson grew up in Prosper, Texas. After finishing high school, he
began working as a clerk for the
J. C. Penney company. His first store manager job was in Eastland,
Texas. It was in Eastland where he met his wife-to-be, Frankie Webb,
who was working across the street at the Eastland Drug. Loran was
drafted in 1942. He had basic training at Fort Walters in Mineral
Wells and additional training in San Antonio. He experienced many
tough days in the India-Burma Theater for almost two years.
He returned home to a store managers job in Terrell, Texas. He died at
the age of 54 in 1958.
Calcutta, India
|
Theresa Hughes, E-3 -
Andrews Air Force Base 1978 - 1980
Eastland, Texas
I was stationed at
Andrews Air Force Base from October 1978 to July 1980. I was one
of the first females to work with K-9's in law enforcement in the Air
Force. At the time women were not allowed to work flight line
security but could work law enforcement. I saw heads of state to
include Anwar Sadat from Egypt and I was there to see Pope John Paul
come to the United States. I believe it was the first time a
Pope came to the U.S. in October of 1979. I was pregnant at the
time in the tree line with my dog, Barney. I was also there when
the hostages returned from Tehran and saw them. I worked with
President Jimmy Carter left for Georgia and Ronald Reagan became
president and saw them. At the time military was going thru
changes due to the fact military members were married to each other
and both being active duty it was difficult to keep a family together,
but we survived and if I had to do it again, I wouldn't change a
thing. Thank you. Theresa Hughes
12/15/2003
Edwin Posey, Pfc, - Army - World War II
Cisco, Texas
Edwin fought in France with the 274th Rifle
Regiment. His group had 72 battle field Commissions the first
three months of combat. An old friend, John Preston, from Cisco,
won the Medal of Honor. Five local soldiers included Edwin (Ed)
Posey, Bill McFadden, Truman Evans, Lafoyye Lenz and Carson Holdridge,
went over on the Queen Mary and landed in the battle together.
Another veteran, a tank commander, Jesse Simmons was on the Omaha
Beach Landing. A Harvey Johnson was in the Battle of the Bulge.
Edwin has written some articles about the war for the Cisco Press.
In one he tells about two air fighter groups that were Blacks and
mention that he thought Blacks were not given credit for their combat.
He said they had no Blacks on the Front Lines in their group. Edwin
believes that all soldiers should get their proper recognition whether
Black or White. The 334th Black Air Group shot down 57 German Planes
in a short time. The 331st Black Group shot down 111 enemy
planes in a short time.
Edwin says that WW II veterans in Brownwood are putting
up an memorial for several surrounding counties including Eastland and
listing the veterans names. From a letter from Edwin Posey
Walter H. Gilbert, Jr., MSgt - Marines
Carbon, Texas
Walter H. Gilbert, Jr. entered the Marines
in 1936. Reared in Carbon, Texas and retired with 22 years of
service. He was on the battle ship Oklahoma when it was bombed
at Pearl Harbor. Walter Gilbert, Jr. was a recruiter in Dallas,
Texas and swore in his brother, Weldon Bruce Gilbert in the Marines.
Weldon Bruce Gilbert also
retired from the Marines. Submitted by sister, Ester Lee
(Gilbert) Hughes
Weldon Bruce Gilbert, Sr. TSgt -Marines
Carbon, Texas
Weldon Bruce Gilbert served the Marines in both
Korea and Vietnam. Weldon was swore into Marines by his brother,
Walter H. Gilbert, Jr., Recruiter in Dallas, Texas. Weldon
retired with 20 years of service.
Submitted by sister, Ester Lee (Gilbert) Hughes |
Carl Van Geem, GM3c - Navy
Eastland, Texas
|
Official confirmation of the death of Carl Edward Van Geem, gunner's mate, third class, aboard the U. S. crusier Juneau
in the Solomons, has been received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Will
Van Geem.
Young Van Geem was first reported missing
in action after a naval engagement off Guadaleanal on November
13, 1942, in which the Juneau was sunk. He was in service for two
years, one month and five days at the time and was 21 years of age on
August 6 preceding. He enlisted in the Navy on October 6, 1940.
Besides his parents, he is survived by a sister,
Mrs. C.R. Allison of Downey, California and a brother,
Charles, who is attending officer's candidate school somewhere
in Australia.
Carl attended high school in Eastland. |
 |
Amos Roy Myrick - Army - World
War I
Amos Myrick was born in Indiana, February
20, 1889. Served in World War I in
France for two years. After the war he came to Texas to work in
the Oil Boom area. He married Lottie Lee Tye on March 24, 1924.
To this union was born 5 children and 3 survived. Amos Myrick
passed from this earth on July 29, 1956. Loved very much by his
family . . . Submitted by Jane Myrick Carte |
 |
Bernard Campbell - U. S. Navy
- In Pearl Harbor On December
7, 1941
Carbon, Texas
There were three boys from Carbon there that
day. Walter H. Gilbert
was a Marine on board the U.S.S. Oklahoma when it went
down. (He
jumped and swan to safety.) Homer Bisbee was in the Navy Air
Station
at
Kaneoha Bay, which is across the Island from Pearl Harbor.
I was station
at the submarine base in Pearl Harbor. The Japanese planes
came in from
the east as the sun was rising, about 50 of them. This was
about 7:55 a.m.
They hit everything about the same time. Wheeler Field,
Hickam Field
and Pearl Harbor. Another group hit the Naval Air
Station at Kaneoha Bay.
The ships at Pearl Harbor went up if fire and smoke and the
oil leaked
out on the water. The Oklahoma turned over on it's side. The
Arizona, California and West Virginia went down there at the dock,
along with several more battleships, cauisens and
destroyers. The ones that didn't take a hit went to sea. |
That morning a friend of mine and I were gong to Honolulu to
meet Homer Bisbee. The first I remember,
the fire alarm went off, then the air raid alarm went
off. I heard the O.D. say, "Those Japs are
attacking
us." We went to our battle stations. There
everyone was assigned to their duties
that day. I was
assigned
to be a messenger. When I wasn't delivering I was painting
windows. Everything had to be blacked
out for the night. that night going from building to
building I could hear gun fire coming from the main gate. We later learned that some of the Japanese from the island were
trying to come in the base. The next day,
Dec 8, I went back to my regular duty, which was barbering.
The next few days were spent cleaning up
what they could and burying those that died during the attack.
For sometime we were expecting another attack,
but it never happened. I served my time at the submarine
base Pearl Harbor, Submarine base Midway Island
and on the U.S.S. Pelias, a submarine tender. I was
discharged in September of 1945.
Mr. Campbell further shared with us that it was a touch
and go situation for him on that Sunday night because
as a messenger he knew the buildings, but he wasn't armed,
and there was heavy guard duty because a
second attach was expected. "The Japanese fleet apparently
came as close as possible Saturday and
waited, knowing that there wouldn't be patrol planes out
Sunday morning," he remembers. Also Sunday
night, signals flares from the mountains could be seen,
indication that the Japanese had comrades who helped
stage the attack. The Campbells returned to Pearl
Harbor in 1991
for the 50th Anniversary of the attack.
Bernard also attended the dedication of the World War II
Memorial in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2004
Obtained from Bernard Campbell 6/8/2004 - Webb
Jordan
 |
Eastland, Texas Native Trains Iraqi Soldiers
RAMADI, Iraq - Lance Cpl. Kevin Wollam, a rifleman
with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, is
enjoying h is time in Iraq and understands that the sooner that they
can help the Iraqi Army become solvent, the sooner Coalition Forces
will be able to leave Iraq in Iraqi hands.
Story by Cpl Shane Suzuki - |
Story by Cpl Shane Suzuki -
AR RAMADI, Iraq (Dec 14, 2005) -- Marines with Company I,
3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and soldiers from the local Iraqi
Army recently conducted a patrol through the streets here Nov. 18.
The patrol, which was the first to be planned and executed by
the IA (Iraq Army), is an example of the growing cooperation
between Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, said Lance Cpl Kevin Woolam, an infantryman with Company I. "We took two squads
of IA out and helped them perform the basics of a patrol" said
the 10-year old Eastland, Texas, native. "It went really well,
especially compared to previous patrols. The Iraqis have worked
really hard and have improved in leaps and bounds since we got here.
I think they are getting close to being able to take care of the area
without our help." By letting the Iraqis plan this mission, the
Marines took the back seat and were mainly around to help provide
security for the Iraqis and to help critique and analyze their
abilities during and after the patrol. "They are learning and
applying what they are learning to their missions," said the Eastland
High School graduate. "They aren't silhouetting themselves
during movement anymore and are taking a more active
approach to their own security. These were all things they never
used to do." During the patrol, the two squads stopped and spoke
with a number of home and business owners and seemed to be having more
success communicating with them than the Marines do when they go out
on missions, said Woolam. "The local population seems to be more
responsive to Iraqis coming into their homes and providing local
security than to the Marines," he said. "It's a really
good thing we are doing here with the IA. We have to teach them how to
do these patrols on their own so we can eventually leave the country
in their hands." Being a part of a battalion that is taking such
a hands-on approach with the Iraqis is something that is very
satisfying and important, not to mention vital to the Coalition's
efforts to create a free and democratic Iraq, said Wollam. "I
like being here in Iraq with my fellow Marines." he said. "I
would hate to be in the Marine Corps and not be deployed and not be
doing my job. This is what I wanted to do, to be a part of
something big."
 |
SP/5 Jim Walker, US Army
1966 - 1969
Because of my recent move to my homeland in Rising Star, Texas, I
feel inspired to let my fellow Eastland
County veterans know of my presence in the area. My hopes are
to contact someone I served with in
Chu-lai in 1967. The following is a brief summary of my
story.
My name is Jim Walker, U.S. Army 1966 - 1969, RA18747103
SP/5. In May of 1966, fresh out of Hobbs
High School in Hobbs, NM, I was assigned to Fort Bliss, TX for 8
weeks of Basic Combat Training. From
there I went to Fort Gordon, GA for advanced training in a 12 week
school to learn the repair of manual
telephone switchboards. |
Next I was assigned to South Vietnam, and was stationed at
Headquarters Company of the 37th Signal Battalion Headquarters Company
in
Da Nang. After two months there, I went to "C" Company
at Chu-lai where only 37 men were on "the hill" when I arrived.
Our mission was to
provide communications for the area. I was assigned to the
1-1-7 platoon right away -- 1 pick, 1 shovel, 7 days a week!
We were responsible for building barracks, the mess hall, the radio
shack, and other accommodations needed to house men, radio, microwave
towers and telephone equipment. We were always expanding what
we had already built to accommodate the men who were part of the large
build-
up ordered in 1967 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. There
were over 200 men on "the hill" when I returned to the United States in
1967 at
the age of 19. I served 16 additional months at Fort Riley,
Kansas before I was discharged in May of 1969.
There was an enlisted men's club on our compound; and I
worked as a bartender in Chu-lai part-time. I have no 'there I was'
stories to tell. I have
good feelings about being part of it all. There were so many
decent guys; and it was a privilege to serve with them all. I
had three close friends. We
got together whenever we could; Ronnie Neal, Goler
Williams, and Charles Cachuki. Neal lives at Odessa, Texas
where he taught school 18
years; Goler Williams from Durham, North Carolina was killed
by a booby trap near Hoi An in November of 1967. I saw his name on
the wall
in Washington, D.C. in 1989. Cachuki was from upstate New
York and died in 1992 from leukemia which his family blames on Agent
Orange. I
hauled new cars out of the General Motors Assembly Plant in
Arlington, Texas and retired in March, 2006 after 30 years and now
reside in Rising
Star.
That's basically my story; I am hoping someone in the
Eastland County area that served in Chu-lai will call me for a
"howdy" sometime. I might
see you at the Moving Wall when it's in the area. You can
call me at 254-643-2189 or write me at 203 South Brewster, Rising
Star, TX 76471.
Lance Corporal Wollam - Receives Purple
Heart On July 3, 2006.
On February 25, 2006 Lance Corporal Woollam
vehicle was damaged in a catastrophic explosion in Ar
Ramadi, Iraq. He was injured, but he
immediately began to assist the other Marines from the wreckage.
By using smoke grenades to give cover for the group, he assisted in saving
the life
of one Marine and ensured the removal of all sensitive
material from the scene before receiving treatment for his own wounds. His
mother makes
her home in Eastland.
|
Col David Gaston Alford - Rising Star, Texas
A Loving Tribute to Col. David Gaston Alford.
A Distinguished Flying Cross recipient and a veteran of World
War II and the Korean War, Colonel David Gaston Alford (USAF Ret.) died on
Monday, May 20, 2002 of complications related to his recent struggle with
bone cancer at the Health Care Center at Air Force Village II, where he
had
resided for the past 13 years. He was born in Rising Star, TX on May 29,
1917, attending Daniel Baker College in Brownwood, TX where he earned a
B.S. in education, and East Texas State College in Commerce, TX where he
received an M.B.A. in accounting. He became an Army Corps Flying Cadet in
1939 and graduated from flying school as part of Class 40E at Kelly AFB in
August 1940. Col. Alford began his military flying career as part of an
Atlantic patrol to search for German vessels. Col. Alford is best known
for his heroism while serving as Group Operations Officer for the 91st
Bomb Group when his plane was shot down while leading a raid on Frankfurt,
Germany in February, 1944. While under heavy flak attack, his B-17 bomber
caught fire, and, after bailing out, his crew discovered that
his parachute was on the floor of the plane; however, he managed to
safely land it in a cow pasture near Groenlo, Holland. Thanks to the
kindness of Dutch families whom he has never forgot, and with the
help of the Dutch Underground, he was hidden by patriots who risked their
lives to hide and feed him for more than seven months. With their help he
evaded the enemy, traveling, as he frequently recalled with much delight,
as a deaf and dumb typewriter repairman and was picked up south of Liege,
Belgium by the U.S.
Army as they overran the area in battle in October 1944. On returning to
the States, he was part of a B-17 training organization in Tampa,
FL, which was followed by duty as an Air Force liaison officer to the Army
at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX. Col. Alford returned to action with
the outbreak of the Korean War where he flew 35 missions in a B-29 bomber.
One of Col. Alford's fondest military memories was his 3-year tour
in Greece as Base Commander with his family. It was in Greece where he
became active in the Masonic Lodge, rising to a 32nd degree Mason and
Shriner. Col. Alford's final base command was at Sheppard AFB,
Wichita Falls, TX where he retired from military service in December,
1965. For almost 14 more years, he worked in the public sector with the
Wichita Falls city government and finally with the area planning
commission. His final retirement brought adequate time to devote to his
passion for golf and his fondness for traveling with his beloved wife,
Dorothy. His last 13 years he lived at Air Force Village II in San
Antonio, TX with his wife Though his health took a turn for the worse just
several weeks prior to his death, his memory was still sharp, said
his family, and he could recount a story with remarkable detail. In spite
of his illness, Col. Alford managed to keep his sense of humor as he
smiled, laughed, and he recounted his stories. In addition to his wife of
almost 30 years, Dorothy Jean Burkett Alford, Col. Alford is survived by
his son, Michael Alford and his wife Bernadette of Framingham, MA; his
daughter, Patricia Lanier and her husband Jerry of Shawnee, OK; three
grandchildren, Chad Lanier and his wife Melissa, of Kaufman, TX, Lea
Alford of Framingham, MA and Lori Lanier of Shawnee, OK; a
great-grandson, Jacob Alford Lanier of Kaufman, TX and a stepdaughter,
Dorothy Dee Phillips of Stuart, FL. A Memorial Service will be held at the
High Flight Chapel in the facilities of Air Force Village II on Wednesday,
May 29, 2002 at 10:30 A.M. to fittingly celebrate the life of Col.
David Gaston Alford on this, the 85th anniversary of his birth. In
lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Texas
Scottish Rite Home for Children, 2222 Welborn, Dallas, TX 75219 or
the Air Force Village II Health Care Center, 5100 John D. Ryan Blvd.,
San Antonio, TX 78245. By John Casall
(casalljohnw@msn.com)
Private Emery L. Booth
Emery enlisted on June 18, 1941 in Dallas, Texas.
He went to Indian Town Gap, PA for basic training. Emery served in
WWII with the Third Armored Division - Army. 54th Field Artillery
Battalion - Battery A. He arrived in England 15 September 1943.
He was in the invasion of Normany on D-Day and served as a tank driver
through France, Belgium and Germany. He had learn German as a young
boy from family and friends and served as translator on many occasions.
Among his battle awards, he received the Croix de Guerre from the French
Government. He was released at Fort Patrick, Virginia on 12 October
1945. By Kathy Booth Locke
(k1343@verizon.net) Buried in Oakwood Cemetery - Cisco.
Jose Ruelas Camacho
A disabled veteran proud to serve his country in World
War II, Jose was awarded the prestigious Purple Heart and Bronze
Star medals and was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division Association.
He had also received the American Theater Medal, European African Middle
Eastern Theater Medal, Oversees Service Bar and the World War II Victory
Medal upon his honorable discharge from the U. S. Army in 1946. Jose was
born in Ranger, January 3, 1923.
Silas Carter
Eastland County |
Silas Monk Carter was born December 19, 1846 in Alabama to
William J. Carter and Martha Skinner Carter. He was the
fifth child of eight to this family. He may possibly been born in
Randolph County, Alabama as his father is in Randolph County in 1840
and Talledega County in 1850.
Silas served in Company F, 8th Alabama
Cavalry, Forrest's Brigade, Army of Tennessee from 11 August 1863
until the surrender at the end of the war in 1865. The command he
served in was organized in Mississippi and he reached the rank of High
Private.
Silas and Manecia America Ivy were married
on October 20, 1865 after the end of the Civil War. They moved to
Texas in late 1883 or 1884. They first went to Hill and Kaufman
Counties. In November of 1900 they bought land in what was then named
Thurber Station, in Palo Pinto County and remained there until
December of 1902 when they sold their property which included 4 acres
of land and 5 horses and mules. They moved to Eastland County and
bought property in Mangum. Soon after his wife death in March of 1922,
Silas moved into the Confederate Home for Men in Austin, Texas. He
lived there until his death in July 1933. Silas Monk Carter is buried
in the Eastland Cemetery. Submitted by Holly Homan, hdhoman@air-pipe.com |
Ewell C. Phillips, Colonel in A.A.C. -
Decorated by British Government and A Letter of Commendation from
the U.S. Government for the development of self-sealing gas tanks
for U. S. airplanes. He is buried in Dayton, Ohio.
|