Pickens County South Carolina

Austin, Barrett L.
Army Private 1st class

Barrett L. Austin, age 20, from Easley, South Carolina, Pickens county.

Parents: Curt and Yolanda Austin

Service era: Afghanistan
Schools: Pickens High (2011)
Military history: 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Date of death: Sunday, April 21, 2013
Death details: Died in Landstuhl, Germany of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device in Wardak Province, Afghanistan on April 17,.

Source: Department of Defense, WYFF, Military Times

Whitmire, Justin M.
Army Private 1st class

Justin M. Whitmire, age 20, from Easley, South Carolina, Pickens county.

Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

Date of death: Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Death details: Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Killed were Sgt. Noah M. Korte, Spc. Kurt W. Kern and Pfc. Justin M. Whitmire.

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

Heselton, Edward Ralph
Army Sergeant

Edward Ralph Heselton, age 23, from Easley, South Carolina, Pickens county.

Service era: Iraq
Military history: Hhc, 391St Engineer Battalion (Tf Sword), Greenville, Sc

Date of death: Thursday, August 11, 2005
Death details: Hostile; Orgun-E, Afghanistan

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

Chastain, Woodrow Beal
Army Specialist 4

Woodrow Beal Chastain, age 20, from Pickens, South Carolina, Pickens county.

Parents: Woodrow B. Chastain Sr.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Sunday, August 15, 1971
Death details: Non-hostile death

Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1971)

Howe, James Donnie
Marines Lance corporal

James Donnie Howe, age 21, from Liberty, South Carolina, Pickens county.

Parents: Odis S. Howe

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Wednesday, May 6, 1970
Death details: Killed in Vietnam
Cemetery: Gantt Memorial Park

Source: National Archives, Greenville News (1970), Fort Worth Star Telegram (1970)

Walker, Ross C.
Army Sergeant 1st class

Ross C. Walker from Pickens, South Carolina, Pickens county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Friday, March 16, 1962
Death details: Among 93 soldiers aboard a transport plane on a “secret mission” to Vietnam. Wreaths Across America in 2021: “Very little is known about what happened to the plane and its passengers, and due to the circumstance surrounding this mission, the names of those lost have not yet been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.”
Cemetery: A memorial honoring the lives lost was dedicated in 2021 in Columbia Falls, Maine

Source: Atlanta Counstitution (1962), MauiNow (2021), UPI (1962)

Nations, James Garland
Navy Fire controlman 2nd class

James Garland Nations, age 23, from Pickens County Pickens, South Carolina .

Parents: Blansco Ila Nations

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Sunday, December 7, 1941
Death details: Killed aboard the USS Arizona. Remains not recovered.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Greenville News (1945)

Gaillard, Joseph Edward
Private

Joseph Edward Gaillard, age 25, from Liberty, South Carolina, Pickens county.

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Tuesday, October 15, 1918
Death details: Killed in action
Cemetery: Greenlawn Memorial in Easley, South Carolina

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com

Gantt, George E.
Private

George E. Gantt, age 25, from Liberty, South Carolina, Pickens county.

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Wednesday, October 9, 1918
Death details: Killed in action

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com

Fields, Luther
Private

Luther Fields, age 27, from Easley, South Carolina, Pickens county.

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Sunday, July 21, 1918
Death details: Killed in action
Cemetery: Oise-Aisne American

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com, findagrave.com

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