Marion County Remembers

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 PVT Andrew Heide Fletcher (Farmington/Rachel) August 2, 1918 - January 7, 1945 ---- Note: The West Virginia Veterans Memorial records Andrew's middle name as Heide, as does his son's findagrave profile. Andrew's draft card, however, says Hines. It's unclear at this time which one is correct. ---- PVT Andrew Heide Fletcher (service number 15115975) was born in Farmington, WV on August 2, 1918, the son of (John) Russell and Bernice (Ramage) Fletcher.  Throughout his career, Russell worked at the coal mine. In the 1920s, their family lived in the Chaltham Hill area, while Russell worked as a laborer at the coal mine (1920 Census). In the 1930s onward, they lived near "Little Mods Run Road," where Russell was first a motor repairman (1930 Census), then an electrician (1940 Census).  Wedding bells rang on December 27, 1938, when Andrew married Martha Floyd from Mannington.  Andrew, who according to his Army enlistment paperwork, completed three years of...

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...

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...