Marion County Remembers

Today marks 82 years since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Before I started researching Marion County Citizens who died in WWI and WWII, I didn't realize that Marion County had lost (at least) four citizens during the attack. At least 27 West Virginians are thought to have died due to the attack on Pearl Harbor. F2 Joseph William Carroll : Serving on the U.S.S. Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor F1 George Vincent McGraw : Serving on the U.S.S. California during the attack on Pearl Harbor SGT Morris E. Stacey: Serving at Wheeler Field as part of the 78th Pursuit Squadron, 18th Pursuit Group, as an aviation mechanic and radioman during the attack on Pearl Harbor. S1 Clyde Richard Wilson : Serving on the U.S.S. West Virginia during the attack on Pearl Harbor

S1C Clyde Richard Wilson was born October 31, 1918 in Fairview, WV to James and Charlie and Dollie (Tennant) Wilson. Clyde enlisted on July 12, 1938. On December 27, 1939, he married fellow West Virginian Edna Marie Cropp in Los Angeles, California. In 1940, they welcomed their only child together, a daughter. According to the book of WWII Navy Casualties, at the time of his death, their family was residing at 322 S 2nd Street, Clarksburg. The picture at right is of Edna and Clyde in 1940 while she was pregnant with their only child, Barbara Kay Wilson. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Clyde was serving as a Sailor 1st Class on the U.S.S. West Virginia. The U.S.S. West Virginia was hit by seven type 91 torpedoes and two bombs. Her crew was able to avoid capsizing, but caught on fire due to blazing fuel oil from the U.S.S. Arizona. Clyde was one of 106 casualties from the U.S.S. West Virginia, one of at least 3 West Virginians on board. The U.S.S. California was later repaired and put...

F1C George Vincent McGraw (service #2583016) was born February 3, 1916 in Rachel, WV to James and Mary Katherine McGraw. The 1930 census sees 14 year old George living at 239 Cottage Avenue in Monongah, WV.  He attended high school for two years before dropping out to join the Navy in 1940. In the 1940 census, he is listed as working as a coal miner and living with his older brother, Ernie McGraw (the Navy Casualties book lists Ernie's address as Rachel). At the time of his death, George was serving as a Firefighter 1st Class on the U.S.S. California on base in Pearl Harbor. During the attack, it was hit by two torpedoes and two bombs, which caused it to slowly sink even as her crew tried to counter-flood the ship to prevent it from capsizing. George was one of 98 casualties from the U.S.S. California. The U.S.S. California was later repaired and put back into service. F1C McGraw was awarded a Purple Heart posthumously and is honored at the Courts of the Missing at the H...

SGT Morris E Stacey (Service # 6661840) was born December 25, 1916 in Jefferson, Kentucky to James and Mary (Rediner) Stacey. The second youngest of eight children, Morris lived in Kentucky until sometime between the 1930 census and the 1940 census. He enlisted in the military in 1935 and by the 1940 census, Morris was already stationed in Wahiawa (Honolulu) Hawaii, with the 78th Pursuit Squadron of the Army Air Corps. On December 7, 1941, SGT Stacey was at Wheeler Army Airfield when the attack took place. Sergeant Morris Stacey and Corporal Vincent Horan attempted, under heavy fire, to wheel attack planes into the open in order to respond to the attack. Others on the field attempted the same, and were able to get a number of planes into the air to fight back. Stacey and Horan were both killed in the process, Stacey by the strafing of machine gun fire. To quote his WV Veteran's Memorial Biography :  "Morris and Corporal Vincent Horan were the only 78th Pursuit Squadron casualt...