Marion County Remembers

Remembering 1LT John Comuntzis (Fairmont) May 12, 1914 - September 7, 1944 ---- "A man more pure and bold and just, was never born on earth." -1932 Fairmont Senior High School Yearbook ---- 1LT John Nicholas Comuntzis (Service Number O-343115) was born in Fairmont, WV on May 12, 1914, the son of Nicholas and Cornelia (Tutulis) Comuntzis. Nicholas and Cornelia were Greek immigrants who settled in Marion County, Nicholas in 1891 and Cornelia around 1913 (" N.J. Comuntzis Dies Suddenly This Morning ," The West Virginian). Their family owned a confectionary store on Adams Street in Fairmont (see "The Comuntzis Confectionary" at bottom) beginning in 1904.  In 1919, the Comuntzis family's world was rocked when Nicholas Comuntzis died suddenly at 41 of meningitis. Cornelia was left to raise four-year-old John and three-year-old Pauline by herself. John graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1932, where he played football and was a member of the Kl?ub (...

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 S1C Dale Franklin Cox (Fairmont) May 7, 1926 - October 29, 1944 ---- S1C Dale Franklin Cox (Service #7555747) was born in Fairmont, WV on May 7, 1926, the son of Lester and Anna (Smallwood) Cox. Their family lived on Country Club Road, where Lester was a City Truck Driver (1930 Census). On February 10, 1938, Lester died of Angina Pectoris at age 41 in Weston (where the family was living), leaving Anna as a single mother of 7 kids, ages 2 to 16. Anna and her kids moved to 34 Freeland Street in Fairmont. In the 1940 census, 14-year-old Dale was listed as a "new worker." Military Service: On November 17, 1942, Dale enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve in Charleston, WV at age 16. On March 21, 1944, he boarded the destroyer escort U.S.S. Eversole (DE-404). On October 28, 1944, the U.S.S. Eversole was sunk in the Leyte Gulf by two torpedos from the Japanese submarine I-45. While many crewmembers made it to the surface, a tremendous explosion (believed to be an an...