Smith County Texas

Bell, Russell R.
Army 1st sergeant

Russell R. Bell, age 37, from Tyler, Texas, Smith county.

Parents: Cynthia Holcomb and Jim Bell
Spouse: Latoya Bell
Children: Gage Bell

Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Date of death: Thursday, August 2, 2012
Death details: Died in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when they encountered an enemy improvised explosive device.

Source: Department of Defense, Lafayette Funeral Home, Military Times

Walker, Daniel B.
Marines Lance corporal

Daniel B. Walker, age 20, from Whitehouse, Texas, Smith county.

Parents: Bruce Nolan Walker

Service era: Gulf War
Schools: Whitehouse High

Date of death: Tuesday, January 29, 1991
Death details: Killed in action. Friendly fire.

Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, Gulf War Chronicles, Boston Globe, Fort Worth Star Telegram (1991)

Foley, Tyrone Dwayne
Navy Seaman

Tyrone Dwayne Foley, age 27, from Bullard, Texas, Smith county.

Service era: Cold War

Date of death: Wednesday, April 19, 1989
Death details: Killed in accidental explosion aboard the USS Iowa just off Puerto Rico

Source: Iowa Daily Press, UPI

Mosley, A. D.
Army Private 1st class

A. D. Mosley, age 23, from Smith County Tyler, Texas .

Parents: O. B. Mosley

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Tuesday, April 19, 1966
Death details: Non-hostile death in Vietnam

Source: National Archives, Waco Times Herald (1966)

Courson, Charles Truitt
Marines Corporal

Charles Truitt Courson, age 21, from Smith County Tyler, Texas .

Parents: F. T. Courson

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Saturday, March 26, 1966
Death details: Died in a hospital in Honolulu where he was taken for treatment of severe burns suffered when an amphibious tractor he was driving in Vietnam struck a mine.
Cemetery: Tyler Memorial Park

Source: National Archives, Tyler Morning Telegraph (1966)

Owens, Eugene Riley
Navy Fireman

Eugene Riley Owens, age 21, from Arp, Texas, Smith county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Tuesday, June 12, 1951
Death details: On June 12, 1951, the destroyer USS Walke (DD-723) was providing anti-submarine protection to carriers from Task Force 77 off the east coast of Wonsan, North Korea, when it was struck on the port side by an enemy mine or torpedo. The force of the explosion tossed many sailors into the water, and those who were injured had a difficult time staying afloat while they waited for rescue. Twenty-six sailors were killed in the explosion and forty were wounded. Although the ship’s hull was heavily damaged, after the incident the Walke was able to proceed under its own power to Sasebo, Japan, for repairs. Of the men killed in the incident, the remains of eight could not be recovered. During repairs, the remains of seven sailors were recovered from flooded parts of the ship and identified. However, two of those men later became unaccounted-for due to unknown circumstances, so the total number of unaccounted-for sailors from the Walke now stands at ten. Fireman Apprentice Eugene Riley Owens, who joined the U.S. Navy from Texas, served aboard the Walke. He was killed in the June 12 explosion after his ship struck a mine, and his body was not recovered. Today, Fireman Apprentice Owens 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

Bell, Peter Columbus
Army Sergeant

Peter Columbus Bell, age 33, from Smith County Tyler, Texas .

Parents: Mrs. Dovie Wright

Service era: Korea
Schools: Tyler High graduate
Military history: World War II veteran

Date of death: Friday, December 1, 1950
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 Peter Columbus Bell, who joined the U.S. Army from Texas, served with the Headquarters Battery, 82nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He went missing in action on December 1, 1950, as his unit provided direct fire support to the 2nd Infantry Division’s withdraw, though specific details regarding his loss are unknown. No one saw him fall, and he was not reported to be a prisoner of war. The area where he went missing did not return to Allied control, so no searches could be conducted for him, and his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Sergeant First Class Bell is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Tyler Courier Times (1950)

Marmar, Aaron Charles
Navy Reserves Pharmacists mate 3rd class

Aaron Charles Marmar, age 22, from Smith County Tyler, Texas .

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Monday, September 18, 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. Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class Aaron C. Marmar, who joined the U.S. Navy in Texas, served as a corpsman with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, First Marine Division. He was lost on September 18, 1944, possibly during the First Marine’s advance on Hill 200. The exact circumstances and location of his loss are not known. Today, Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class Marmar is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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