Tag: Whitley County Kentucky

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Jackson, Timothy Matthew
Marines Lance corporal

Timothy Matthew Jackson, age 22, from Corbin, Kentucky, Whitley county.

Parents: Tim Jackson and Jody Tonkin; stepmother Lorrie Johnson
Spouse: None
Children: None

Service era: Afghanistan
Schools: Corbin High (2007)
Military history: 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Purple Heart.

Date of death: Thursday, September 30, 2010
Death details: Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Cemetery: Wells Cemetery, Keavy

Source: Department of Defense, The Sentinel Echo, Military Times

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Cooper, David Keith
Army Sergeant

David Keith Cooper, age 25, from Williamsburg, Kentucky, Whitley county.

Service era: Iraq
Schools: Williamsburg High (2001)
Military history: Foward Support Company, 4Th Battalion, 42D Field Artillery, 1Bct, Fort Hood, Tx

Date of death: Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Death details: Hostile; Baghdad, Iraq. Died of wounds suffered when his patrol came under small-arms fire.

Source: Department of Defense, Times Tribune, Military Times

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Helton, Gleason Cay
Army Sergeant

Gleason Cay Helton, age 20, from Rockholds, Kentucky, Whitley county.

Parents: Siler Helton

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, March 30, 1970
Death details: Died in Vietnam
Cemetery: Dowis Chapel

Source: National Archives, Corbin Times Tribune (1970)

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Powell, Roy Lelon
Army Corporal

Roy Lelon Powell from Kentucky, Whitley county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, December 1, 1950
Death details:  On the evening of November 27, 1950, Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) launched a massive attack against the U.S. and United Nations troops stationed in the Chosin Reservoir area in northeast North Korea, resulting in a seventeen-day conflict that became known as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. At the time of the initial CCF attack, members the U.S. Army’s 31st and 32nd Infantry Regiments were defending the area north of Sinhung-ni, on the east side of the reservoir. The defenders were overwhelmed by the numerically superior CCF, and on December 1, were forced to withdraw to friendly lines at Hagaru-ri. Chinese roadblocks from Sinhung-ni to Hagaru-ri along with the constant enemy fire from the surrounding high ground, made the withdrawal route extremely dangerous. Eventually, the column was broken into separate segments, which the CCF attacked individually. Many men were lost or captured during the moving battle, with survivors reaching friendly lines in Hagaru-ri on December 2 and 3.

Sergeant Roy Lelon Powell entered the U.S. Army from Kentucky and was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Sergeant Powell was reported as missing in action on December 1, at some point during this withdrawal from Sinhung-ni to Hagaru-ri. A repatriated prisoner of war later reported that he had witnessed SGT Powell die from a wound sustained during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir; however, details about the disposition of SGT Powell’s remains are unknown and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Sergeant Powell is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Cox, Boyd E.
Army Private 1st class

Boyd E. Cox from Kentucky, Whitley county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, July 5, 1950
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Corporal Boyd Edward Cox, who joined the U.S. Army from Kentucky, served with B Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was part of Task Force Smith, and he was captured by enemy forces on July 5 and marched north with other prisoners. He died near Yonchon, South Korea, while en route to the Apex prison camps in North Korea. Searches for his remains have been unsuccessful, and he is still unaccounted for. Today, Corporal Cox is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Jones, Walter Howard
Marines

Walter Howard Jones, age 23, from Packard, Kentucky, Whitley 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 Walter H. Jones entered the U.S. Marine Corps from Kentucky and served in Company K, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He was killed in action on November 20, during the Battle of Tarawa. PFC Jones was buried on Betio Island and buried in the Division Cemetery, but after the war his remains could not be identified among those disinterred from the island. Today, Private First Class Jones is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

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

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Hibbard, Robert Arnold
Navy Baker 2nd class

Robert Arnold Hibbard, age 24, from Corbin, Kentucky, Whitley county.

Parents: Joe Burchil Hibbard

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, Louisville Courier Journal (1942)

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Steely, Ulis Claud
Navy Machnist’s mate 1st class

Ulis Claud Steely, age 25, from Corbin, Kentucky, Whitley county.

Spouse: Dorothy Wilhemina Steely

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Sunday, December 7, 1941
Death details: Killed aboard the USS Oklahoma. Accounted for on Oct. 15, 2018

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Louisville Courier Journal (1941)

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Gallamore, Harrison
Sergeant

Harrison Gallamore, age 27, from Jellico Creek, Kentucky, Whitley county.

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Monday, June 17, 1918
Death details: Killed in action

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com