When the “greatest generation” marched off to fight “the war to end all wars,” 1,008 Clarke County residents were among them. For a small rural county, with a population of 7,159, according to the 1940 Census, that was almost a seventh of the entire county in uniform. Post 41 recently honored its members who helped defend freedom with thanks, applause, and certificates of appreciation.
Lloyd Williams Post 41 has 20 members who served during the Second World War. Sixty-five years ago, these young men and women, ages 17 to 35, left their homes and families, to serve their country.
As their Post Commander called their names, State Commander Michael E. Harris presented certificates to:
Charles Boyd, U.S. Army, 6th Regiment, served in the North Africa campaign.
Allen Cochran, U.S. Merchant Marines, served in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, and touched many Russian seaports.
Douglass Cochran Sr., U.S. Army, 3rd Anti-aircraft and anti-tank battalion, served in the European Theater.
Charles Fletcher, U.S. Army, 306th Medical Command, European Theater.
Thomas Iden, U.S. Navy, Medical Doctor, served in the Pacific Theater.
Haskel Jenkins, U.S. Merchant Marines, served in the South Pacific, Atlantic, English Channel, in Belgium and Panama.
J. Fred Jones, U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne, Glider Unit, landed Normandy on D-Day, and Battle of the Bulge.
Phil Kirk, U.S. Army, 3rd Engineers, served in Leyte Gulf, and Mariana Islands, in the Pacific Theater, one of the first occupation forces in Japan.
Edward Munns, U. S. Army Air Corps.
Neal Noland, U.S. Army, 631st Construction Engineers, served in France, Belgium and Germany in the European Theater and the Philippine Islands in the Pacific Theater.
Dan Pancoast, U.S. Navy, served in the Atlantic and Pacific and the Middle East.
H. B. “Hammer” Pierce Jr., U.S. Army, 434th Artillery Battalion, served in North Africa and the European Theater, fought in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
Robert Pope, U.S. Army, 3rd Infantry Division, served is Casablanca, Morocco and North Africa.
Pamie Royston, U.S. Army, 3rd Infantry Division 157th Combat Engineers, radio operator, landed in Normandy, D-Day plus 1, fought in European Theater.
Guy Shackleford, U.S. Army, served stateside, Post 41’s oldest member at 92 years old.
Henry Stokes, U.S. Navy, South Pacific and Pacific Theaters.
Sara Toxvard, U.S. Navy Nursing Corps.
Eugene White, U.S. Army Air Corps, B-25 pilot.
Bev Whiting, U. S. Army, served stateside.
James Wood, U.S. Army, cryptologist, served in Philippine Islands, Pacific Theater.
