Whitley County Kentucky

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
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

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

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)

Wetmore, Douglas McArthur
Army Specialist 4

Douglas McArthur Wetmore, age 23, from Whitley County Williamsburg, Kentucky .

Spouse: Phyllis A. Wetmore

Service era: Vietnam
Military history: Troop D, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division

Date of death: Tuesday, February 1, 1966
Death details: Died of wounds received in Vietnam.

Source: National Archives, Whitley Republican (1966)

Wynn, Floyd
Army Private 1st class

Floyd Wynn, age 22, from Whitley County Siler, Kentucky .

Parents: Lavadie Taylor

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Wednesday, February 10, 1965
Death details: Killed in a barracks raid in a U.S. occupied hotel in South Vietnam.

Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1965)

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

Stephens, Raymond Glennis
Army Corporal

Raymond Glennis Stephens, age 22, from Whitley County Williamsburg, Kentucky .

Parents: Maggie Stephens

Service era: Korea
Military history: 35th Infantry Regiment

Date of death: Tuesday, November 28, 1950
Death details: On November 25, 1950, the U.S. Army 2nd and 25th Infantry Divisions were holding defensive positions south of the town of Unsan, North Korea, below the Yalu River. On November 26 and 27, Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) attacked the U.S. troops, pushing them through the towns of Ung-dong and Yongsan-dong, and on to Yongbyon, where they were given orders to establish new defensive lines. Corporal Raymond Glennis Stephens entered the U.S. Army from Kentucky and was a member of I Company, 3rd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was killed in action on November 28, near Parwin-Myon, North Korea, during his unit’s movement to Youngbyon. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Corporal Stephens 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.
Cemetery: Remains not recovered

Source: National Archives, 35th Infantry Regiment Association, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Whitley Republican (1950)

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

Sears, William M. Jr.
Army Private

William M. Jr. Sears, age 20, from Kentucky, Whitley county.

Service era: World War II
Military history: Purple Heart

Date of death: Saturday, June 24, 1944
Death details: Killed in action
Cemetery: Zachary Taylor National

Source: National Archives, grave marker

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