Benton County, Tennessee Genealogy

World War II

The World War II "Gold Star Boys" were service men who lost their lives during WWII. The term began during WWII when the families would place a Gold Star in their window after they lost their son.

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U.S.S. "French" named for Corporal Neldon French of Camden, who was the First Benton County Boy killed in the Pacific Theatre. Ship was christened by his mother Mrs. Clarence French on June 17, 1944.	Robert G. Black Address: Camden, TN Served in European Theatre Awarded: Purple Heart Rank: Corporal Killed in Action. First Benton County boy killed in European Sector. Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Albert Black, Camden, TN	William H. Bell Address: Camden, TN Entered Service: August 1944; Camp Shelby, Mississippi Branch of Service: Army Served in Asiatic: Pacific Theatre Awarded: Combat Infantrymans Badge, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon w/1 star, Philippine Liberation Ribbon w/1 star, Purple heart Rank: Private First Class Served: 12 months Killed in Action June 9, 1945 on Cebu Island, Philippines. Was member of the 182nd Infantry. The oldest Infantry Regiment in existence, which saw service at Bunker Hill, Bull Run, Meuse-Argonne, Guadalcanal, Bougainville and Philippines Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Bell, Camden, TN	Albert Vernon Bradley Address: Big Sandy, Tennessee Awarded: Purple Heart Rank: Private First Class Killed in Action Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Henry V. Bradley, Big Sandy TN
Raymond O. Brewer Address: Big Sandy, TN Entered Service: March 23, 1944; Camp Shelby, Mississippi Branch of Service: Army Served in European Theatre Awarded: Purple Heart Rank: Private Served: 10 Months Killed in France January 20, 1945. Buried in National Cemetery in France.	James D. Black Address: Camden, TN Entered Service: October 8, 1952; Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia Branch of Service: Army Date of Embarkation: April, 1943 Served in Pacific Theatre Rank: Corporal Served: 30 Months Killed in Action on Okinawa Island and was buried there. Served with the 7th Army Division.	James Ralph Bond Address: Route#1, Bruceton, TN Branch of Service: United States Marine Corps Served in Pacific Theatre Awarded: Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal Rank: Corporal Killed in Action Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Hulon Bond, Zach, TN	James Lyndell Cantrell Address: Holladay, TN Entered Service: October 1942; Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia Branch of Service: Army Served in Pacific Theatre Rank: Private First Class Served: 16 MonthsWas killed in Action February 5, 1944 in Marshall Islands, Kwajalein. Was buried in the Hawaiian Islands until March 1948, when the body was returned to the United States and reinterred at Flatwoods Cemetery, McIllwain, TN Parent: Mr. J. L. Cantrell, Holladay, TN
David W. Cole Address: Camden, TN Entered Service: June 1943; Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia Branch of Service: Army Date of Embarkation: 1944 Served in European Theatre Awarded: Purple Heart Rank: Private First Class Killed in action February 18, 1944 in Italy Parents: mr. and Mrs. W. R. Cole, Route 1; Bruceton, TN	James Ewing Davis Address: Camden, TN Served in Pacific Theatre Rank: Technician Fourth Grade Killed January 28, 1945 at Guadalcanal Ship was torpedoed and he went down with ship, 200 other soldiers aboard Parents: Mr. Clark Davis, Camden, TN	John E. Dougharty Address: Camden, TN Entered service at Camden, TN Date of Embarkation: June 21, 1944 Served in European Theatre Was crew chief on C-47 transport plane. Accidentally killed October 3, 1944 at Bridgewater, England Next of Kin: Mrs. Nell Swindell Dougharty, wife	Claudie Lee England Address: Camden, TN Entered Service: March 26, 1941; Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia Branch of Service: Army Served in American Theatre Rank: Private First Class Was in the 181st Field Artillery Unit Was Accidentally killed October 5, 1942 in Los Angeles, California Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Noah C. England, Camden, TN
Louis Evans Address: Big Sandy, TN Entered Service: April 1, 1941; St. Louis, Missouri Branch of Service: Army Served in European Theatre Awarded: Purple Heart Rank: Private First Class Killed in Action February 28, 1945 Buried at Henri Chapelle, Belgium. Body returned to United Sates America. Buried at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery Parents: Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Evans, Big Sandy TN	Hildra French Address: Big Sandy, TN Entered Service at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia Branch of Service: Army Served in European Theatre Awarded Purple Heart Rank: Private First Class Died: April 15, 1945, Western Germany. Was in General patton's Army - 100th Infantry Division Parent: Mrs. Eliza A. French, Big Sandy, TN	Neldon T. French Address: Camden, TN Entered Service: September 8, 1940; Nashville, TN Branch of Service: Marine Corps Date of Embarkation: April 1942 Served in Pacific Theatre Engagements: Tulaga, Gavutu, Tanambago, Florida Islands, Solomons and Guadalcanal Awarded: American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Medal, Presidential Unit Citation. Navy Cross, Purple Heart Rank: Corporal Death: Pacific Theatre October 9, 1942 First Benton County soldier to be killed in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. The U.S.S. French was named for Corporal French and was christened on June 17, 1944, by his mother Mrs. Clarence French of Camden	Cecil Paul Goodman Address: Camden, TN Branch of Service: Army Served in South West Pacific Theatre Awarded: Silver Star, Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon w/1 Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal Was in Company "A" 128th Infantry Died January 17, 1946 at Saidor, New Guinea Parent: Mr. Nace Goodman, Camden, TN
Bennie G. Griggs Address: Route #3; Holladay, Tn Entered Service at Nashville, TN Killed in Action Parents: Mr. and Mrs. E.L. Griggs, Holladay, TN	Jessie D. Hatley Address: Camden, TN Branch of Service: Army Rank: Private First Class Killed In Action Body returned to United Stated in April, 1948. Buried with Military Honors Parents: Mr. and Mrs. John G. Hatley, Atwood, TN	Benjamin Ray Henderson Address: Big Sandy, TN Entered Service: April, 1941; Camp Shelby, Mississippi Branch of Service: Army Date of Embarkation: October, 1943 Served in European Theatre Awarded: Purple Heart Rank: Private First Class Served: 40 Months Killed in Action August 5, 1944 Was in the 110th Infantry 28th Division	Elihu Z. Herndon Address: Eva, TN Entered Service: June 23, 1941; Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia Branch of Service: Army Served in Pacific Theatre Awarded: Purple Heart Rank: Private Landed in Manilla December 5, 1941, Missing in Action in 1941. Prisoner of War in the Philippines Dead in 1946 Parent: Mrs. Lela Mae Herndon, Eva, TN