Jason Ray Parsons, age 24, from Lenoir, North Carolina, Caldwell county.
Service era: Iraq
Date of death: Friday, January 9, 2009
Death details: Hostile; Fob Lagman, Afghanistan
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Larry Robert Bowman, age 29, from Granite Falls, North Carolina, Caldwell county.
Parents: Barbara Jane Braswell
Spouse: Michelle Bowman
Service era: Iraq
Military history: 513Th Transportation Company, Fort Lewis, Washington. Joined the Army in February 2003.
Date of death: Friday, April 13, 2007
Death details: Hostile; Baghdad, Iraq; Died when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle, which was part of a convoy carrying supplies from Kuwait
Source: Department of Defense, Charlotte Observer, findagrave.com
Jason Carroll Ramseyer, age 28, from Lenoir, North Carolina, Caldwell county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: 3D Bn, 3D Mar, ( Rct-7, I Mef Fwd), 3D Mar Div, Mcb Kanoehe Bay, Hi
Date of death: Thursday, April 20, 2006
Death details: Hostile; Hadithah, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense
William Eugene Austin, age 20, from Lenoir, North Carolina, Caldwell county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Friday, July 31, 1970
Source: National Archives
Scotty Henry Rhea, age 18, from Granite Falls, North Carolina, Caldwell county.
Parents: Albert B. Rhea and Virginia Rhea
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Sullivan High
Date of death: Saturday, April 25, 1970
Death details: Killed in action in Vietnam
Cemetery: Sunset Hills in Granite Falls
Source: National Archives, findagrave.com, Kingsport Times (1970)
James Richard Jr. Bowers, age 27, from Lenoir, North Carolina, Caldwell county.
Spouse: Brenda Bowers
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Saturday, March 7, 1970
Death details: Killed in action in Vietnam
Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1970)
Coy Jr. Triplett, age 19, from Caldwell County Weaverville, North Carolina .
Parents: Coy Triplett
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Friday, September 15, 1944
Death details: In September 1944, American forces launched Operation STALEMATE II, the invasion on Peleliu, an island in Palau. On Sept. 15, the 1st Marine Division came ashore under enemy fire. The following day, Marines secured the island’s airfield despite taking heavy casualties. The battle for Peleliu lasted another two months, as Marines were forced to clear heavily fortified pockets of Japanese resistance across the island. The 1st Marine Division, reinforced by the 81st Infantry Division, slowly advanced north under nearly constant mortar and artillery fire. The invasion of Peleliu had the highest casualty rate of all the amphibious Pacific Island invasions of World War II. Private First Class Joseph H. Tullier Jr. entered the U.S. Army from Louisiana, was a member of Company K, 321st Infantry Regimen, and took part in U.S. action on Peleliu Island. He was reported missing in action on Peleliu Island, on September 25, 1944. PFC Tullier was last seen when he was sent by his company commander to locate Company L, which was positioned on Company K’s left flank in an area known as “Dead Man’s Curve.” PFC Tullier did not make contact with Company L, and he failed to return to Company K. Numerous attempts were made to contact PFC Tullier by radio but all were unsuccessful. The area of his possible loss was searched as much as battle conditions allowed on the day of his loss and again on the following day, but no signs of PFC Tullier were found or reported. Attempts to locate PFC Tullier’s remains following the war were unsuccessful, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Private First Class Tullier is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Hickory Daily Record (1944)
Lee P. Powell, age 28, from Caldwell County Lenoir, North Carolina .
Parents: Pink Powell
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Friday, October 31, 1941
Death details: Died in the sinking of the destoryer USS Reuben James
Source: Los Angeles Times (1941), Charlotte News (1941)
Larry Eugene Sell from Caldwell County Whitnel, North Carolina .
Parents: Fleetwood Sell
Service era: Korea
Date of death: Unknown
Death details: By mid-November 1950, U.S. and Allied forces had advanced to within approximately sixty miles of the Yalu River, the border between North Korea and China. On November 25, approximately 300,000 Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) “volunteers” suddenly and fiercely counterattacked after crossing the Yalu. The 2nd Infantry Division, located the farthest north of units at the Chongchon River, could not halt the CCF advance and was ordered to withdraw to defensive positions at Sunchon in the South Pyongan province of North Korea. As the division pulled back from Kunu-ri toward Sunchon, it conducted an intense rearguard action while fighting to break through well-defended roadblocks set up by CCF infiltrators. The withdrawal was not complete until December 1, and the 2nd Infantry Division suffered extremely heavy casualties in the process. Sergeant First Class Larry Eugene Sell joined the U.S. Army from North Carolina and was a member of the Medical Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. On December 1, 1950, he was wounded and captured by enemy forces near Kunu-ri as his unit made its fighting withdrawal. Sergeant First Class Sell died soon after his capture in December of 1950, as a result of his prior wounds. He was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody after the conflict’s ceasefire, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Sergeant First Class Sell is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Statesville Daily Record (1951)