West Virginians Aboard the USS Rueben James

West Virginians Lost Aboard the USS Rueben James


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PFC Marshall Theodore Hartley, Jr (WWII)

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Remembering PFC Marshall Theodore Hartley, Jr (Rachel/Mannington) October 28, 1924 - December 25, 1944 ---- PFC Marshall Theodore Hartley, Jr (Service #35756644) was born in Rachel, WV on October 28, 1924, the son of Marshall "Peck" and Etta Pearl (Rice) Hartley. In 1930, their family lived on Mods Run Road in Rachel, where Peck worked as a truck driver for the coal mine. Somewhere between 1935 and 1940, they moved to 411 James Street in Mannington (1940 Census). Peck was a "Chuck Weightman" for Jones Collieries in Rachel (1940 Census).  Military Service: Marshall entered the draft on December 18, 1942 at age 18. A student, he was 5'11" and 160 lbs, with blue eyes, brown hair, and light skin. Marshall attended three years of high school, most likely at Mannington High School (Enlistment Records).  He enlisted in Clarksburg, WV on June 18, 1943. He was a member of the 8th Infantry Division, 13th Infantry Regiment, Company C. The U.S. Army historians write in...
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PFC William Ellsworth Layman (WWII)

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PFC William "Bill" Ellsworth Layman was born November 10, 1923 in Fairmont, WV, the son of Ellsworth and Martha (McMillan) Layman. William was the oldest of two kids, with a younger sister named Barbara who was around 5 years younger than him. In 1930 and 1940, Ellsworth was working as an electrician at the Domestic Coke Plant in Fairmont, while the family lived at 610 Ohio Avenue (a short distance from the old East Fairmont High School/new East Fairmont Middle). 1941, William graduated from East Fairmont High School. The 1941 Orion yearbook stated that during his time at EFHS, he participated in Student Council, Latin Club, French Club, Glee Club, and Basketball, and was the Circulation Manager for the Yellow Jacket school newspaper. He was also an assistant in the business department of the Orion Yearbook Staff. This one really struck home for me, because like William, my great uncle Jim Erdie graduated from EFHS in 1941, and also played basketball. Usually this research is...
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PFC Francis Lee David (WWII)

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Remembering PFC Francis Lee David (Mannington/Fairmont) November 11, 1922 - November 1, 1945 ---- PFC Francis Lee David (Service Number 15338315) was born in Mannington, WV, on November 11, 1922, the son of David and Ethel (Spencer) David. Their family lived on Maple Avenue in Fairmont (1930-1950 Censuses). Modi, who immigrated from Mt. Lebanon, Syria in 1904 (Naturalization Paperwork), had many jobs in the food and entertainment industries. In addition to other ventures, he served as a pool hall operator in Mannington (1920 Census), a merchant for a retail confectionary (1930 and 1950 Censuses), and the manager for a beer parlor (1940 census). Francis attended school through 6th grade before dropping out, and by 1940 (age 17) was working as a street laborer for the National Youth Administration. He would have attended Fairmont Senior High School with his siblings if he had continued his education. Francis registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, at age 19. At the time, he was residi...
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