Marion County Remembers

Remembering MM2C Charles Finley "Chuck" Carpenter (Fairview) January 9, 1920 - August 10, 1943 ----- MM2C Charles Finley "Chuck" Carpenter (Service Number 2582756)   was born January 9, 1920 in Jacksonburg, WV (Wetzel County), the son of Finley A. Carpenter and Clara M. (Morris) Carpenter. At the time of Charles' birth, Finley was working as a public school janitor in Wetzel County (1920 Census). By 1930, their family had moved to Fairview, WV, and Finley was working as a clerk at a hardware store (1930 Census). In 1935, Finley was appointed the Postmaster of Fairview, and remained so until 1943, after which Charles' family moved to 406 9th Street in Fairmont. Finley remained at their 9th Street home until his death.  Charles graduated from Fairview High School in 1938. His senior yearbook states that he was a member of the Varsity Club, Science Club, Library Club, played basketball, was the secretary of the Future Farmers of America, and participated in the...

Remembering PFC James Israel Snyder (Rachel) October 18, 1912 - August 13, 1945 ---- PFC James Israel Snyder (Service Number 35376803) was born in Rachel, WV on October 18, 1912, the son of Aley and Mary (Johnson) Snyder. Aley. worked in the natural gas industry (1910-1940 Censuses) and their family lived in the Lincoln District in Marion County.  James attended Farmington High School, and by 1940 was employed at the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Gas Company in Burnsville, WV  (Draft Card). James was 5'8" and 155 lbs with blue eyes, brown hair, and ruddy skin. Military Service James enlisted in the Army on April 13, 1942, and was a member of the 978th Field Artillery Battalion, Battery A. According to the Fairmont Times, James had already been overseas for seventeen months at the time of his death, stationed in England, France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany ("James Snyder Dies While in Germany," The Fairmont Times). While serving in Germany, James became afflicted wit...

Remembering SSGT Wilbur Stevens Hall (Rachel) May 16, 1924 - July 21, 1944 ---- SSGT Wilbur Stevens Hall  was born May 16, 1924 in Coxs Mill, WV (Gilmer County), the son of Sam and Freda (Langford). In 1930, Sam was working as an oiler at a gas station, while their family lived at Leading Creek in Gilmer County (1930 Census). Between 1930 and 1935, they moved to Grantsville, Calhoun County (1940 Census). In Grantsville, Sam worked as a station operator for Hope Gas (1940 Census). In 1942, Wilbur, known as "Wib" to his siblings, graduated from Calhoun County High School. He was the class valedictiorian, participated in 4H, student government, was the captain of the football team, and was even the two time mayor of Grantsville (Wilbur's nephew Jim Hendershot, Findagrave). After graduation, Wilbur studied welding in Arthurdale, WV, a school founded by Eleanor Roosevelt. After spending some time working at Ice's Grocery Store in Rachel, WV (Jim Hendershot), he found work ...

Remembering S1C Charles Walter Jeffery (Logan) October 6, 1924 - December 18, 1944 ---- S1C Charles Walter Jeffery (service number 8282188) was born in Logan, WV on October 6, 1924, the son of Robert & Carrie Mae (Hill) Jeffery. Robert (also referred to as "Jabb") worked at the Logan lumber mill, first as a laborer (1920 census), then as a shipping clerk (1930 Census). By 1935 they'd moved to the Oceana District of Wyoming County, where Robert worked in "goods loaded" at the saw mill. (1940 Census). Military Service 18-year-old Charles registered for the draft on December 18, 1942 in Cyclone, WV, two years to the day from when he'd die in a water cyclone (Typhoon Cobra). At the time, Charles was working for Jesse Maynard. He was 5'8" and 165 lbs, with gray eyes, brown hair, and ruddy skin. Charles enlisted in the US Navy Reserve on May 22, 1943 in Huntington, WV, and traveled to the  Great Lakes Training Center for training  (July 1943 Navy Must...

Typhoon Cobra: West Virginia Casualties From the National WWII Museum: "On December 18, 1944, Typhoon “Cobra” struck an American flotilla supporting General Douglas MacArthur’s invasion of the Philippines. Task Force (TF) 38, under the command of Admiral William Halsey, included seven Essex-class carriers, six light carriers, eight battleships, four heavy and 11 light cruisers, along with approximately 50 destroyers. Conducting combat operations in and around Leyte during the late fall as part of MacArthur’s return to the Philippines, many of Halsey’s vessels were running low on fuel and supplies. Planning to support future combat operations in and around the Philippine archipelago, TF 38 set sail for a replenishment rendezvous point 400 miles due east to meet with fleet oilers and associated support vessels. The planned rendezvous location allowed TF 38’s vessels to remain close to the area of operations but safely outside the range of ground based Japanese aircraft. Replenishing...

Remembering SK3 Charles Reed Bean (Moorefield) August 8, 1923 - December 18, 1944 ---- "It was only by the combined might of the winds and the seas that Spence was silenced and finally laid to rest—honorably buried at sea as is befitting a brave and rugged seaman!"  -Rear Admiral Henry A. Armstrong ---- SK3 Charles Reed Bean  (Service Number 8951357) was born in Moorefield, WV on August 8, 1923, the son of Orvon and Essye (Reed) Bean. For Charles' entire life, his family lived in Moorefield. The 1930 Census gave Orvon's occupation as bookkeeper for a local lumber company. Later, Orvon worked as a supervisor of  Liquor Store District Distribution (1940 Census).  Charles was a member of the Moorefield Methodist Church starting December 2, 1934 ("Dies When Typhoon Sinks Destroyer," The Moorefield Examiner ). Charles graduated from Moorefield High School in 1941, and went on to graduate from Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, TN in 1943 (WV Memory Project). W...