Hill County Texas

Conner, Edwin Ray
Navy Senior chief aviation machinist’s mate

Edwin Ray Conner, age 35, from Hillsboro, Texas, Hill county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Saturday, May 16, 1970
Death details: On May 16, 1970, an EKA-3B Skywarrior (bureau number 142657, call sign “Homebrew 615”) carrying three crew members took off from Cubi Point, Philippines, on a transport mission. During the mission, “Homebrew 615” crashed in to the Gulf of Tonkin in the vicinity of (GC) 49Q BU 368 386, due to unknown causes. An extensive search was immediately conducted, which recovered and identified the remains of the navigator from “Homebrew 615’s” crew. The other two crew members of the aircraft are still unaccounted for. Senior Chief Aviation Machinist’s Mate Edwin Ray Conner, who joined the U.S. Navy from Texas, was a member of Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 135. He was a crew member aboard the Skywarrior when it crashed, and was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered following the incident. Today, Senior Chief Aviation Machinist’s Mate Conner is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual’s case to be in the analytical category of Non-recoverable.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, MIA

Jaynes, Everett H.
Marines Private 1st class

Everett H. Jaynes, age 18, from Hillsboro, Texas, Hill county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Saturday, November 20, 1943
Death details: From November 20 through 23, 1943, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy conducted a large-scale amphibious assault on the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa as part of Operation Galvanic, the Allied capture of the Gilbert Islands. Located 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, Tarawa was a crucial stepping stone in the planned U.S. offensive across the central Pacific toward Japan. The Japanese garrison on Tarawa’s main island of Betio was well-entrenched with hundreds of bunkers and gun positions behind formidable beach obstacles. The first wave of Marines approaching the shore encountered lower-than-expected tides, forcing them to leave their landing craft on the reef and wade the hundreds of yards to the beach under intense enemy fire. The heaviest number of U.S. casualties were suffered during this phase of the landing. Eventually, rising tides allowed U.S. warships to maneuver closer to shore and support the troops with effective naval gunfire. More Marines landed on the second day, launching attacks inland from the beaches and seizing the Japanese airfield on the island. However, the enemy launched vicious counterattacks and two more days of intense fighting were needed to secure Betio. The last enemy strongpoints were taken on the morning of November 23. The fighting on Betio cost the Marines nearly 3,000 casualties but enabled U.S. forces to press further across the Pacific and yielded valuable tactical lessons that reduced U.S. losses in future amphibious landings. Private First Class Everett H. Jaynes entered the U.S. Marine Corps from Texas and served in Company G, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He was killed on November 20, 1943 during the Battle of Tarawa. Private First Class Jaynes was buried on Betio Island in Cemetery #33, Main Marine Cemetery, but after the war his remains could not be identified among those remains disinterred from the island. Today, Private First Class Jaynes is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Herrin, Billy Blythe
Navy Aviation machinist’s mate 2nd class

Billy Blythe Herrin, age 22, from Malone, Texas, Hill county.

Parents: L.M. Herrin

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Sunday, April 5, 1942
Death details: Killed when the Consolidated “Catalina” PBY-5a seaplane, returning from 12.5 hours of patrolling the waters around Hawaii for enemy forces, crashed trying to land in bad weather.

Source: National Archives, Hawaii Museum of Flying, Waco New Tribune (1947)

Fuqua, Andrew Jackson
Private

Andrew Jackson Fuqua, age 22, from Covington, Texas, Hill county.

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Monday, November 11, 1918
Death details: Killed in action
Cemetery: Arlington National

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com

Franklin, William V.
Private

William V. Franklin from Hillsboro, Texas, Hill county.

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Saturday, September 28, 1918
Death details: Died of Disease
Cemetery: Saint Mihiel American

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com

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