Taylor County War Memorial

The granite memorial is located on the north side of the Taylor County courthouse in Abilene, Texas.  It is approximately 4 ft tall and a foot thick. Visualize a 3-sided rectangle with one long side open.  Between the wall and the courthouse is a courtyard with cement slab benches.

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l                  courtyard                                   l
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l_____________l step l_______________l

Inscribed on the step above: 
FATE STOLE THEIR SHINING YOUTH
ALL DREAMS THAT LIFE WOULD HOLD
ON STERN WARS CRIMSON TAPESTRY
DEATH WOVE THEIR NAMES IN GOLD

Inscriptions on outside of wall :
THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED TO ALL MEN AND WOMEN OF TAYLOR COUNTY WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THEIR COUNTRY

THOSE NAMES OF MEN AND WOMEN INSCRIBED HEREON GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM AS THE RESULT OF ENEMY ACTION OR AS A PRISONER OF WAR

Listed around the outside perimeter of the wall:
  Chateau-Thierry, St Mihiel, Belleau Wood, Pearl Harbor, Midway, Guadalcanal, Anzio, Bataan, Tarawa, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, Normandy, Bastogne, North Africa,
Seoul, Da Nang, Long Binh

Outside of wall East end:

OTHER CONFLICTS
Martin D. Denson - Panama

Inscribed on INSIDE of wall:

KOREA;  Joe W. Akins, Ellsworth L. Alderman, Alton R. Bell, Euell C. Booth, Jr., Charles R Brown, James H. Franks, Vance W. Gwinn, Allen Henslee, Melvin M. Johnson, Vance R McQuiston, Richard D. Melton, Robert A. Nolan, Joe Harry Powers, Jr., Harry S Soladay, John R. Stovall, Jr., Weldon G. Turner

W.W.I ------------------ Robert F. Banner William M. Batjer William W. Blount Arthur S. Brown John B Coil Ben F. Fuller Ben H. Gipson Noel H. Graham Duncan V. Heyser Felan W. Kilgore Robert L. Lackey Jasper C. Miller Claud Milner John V. Newton Herman R. Patterson Alton C. Poe Martin L. Powers George F. Ridenour Clyde E. Shaw Buford R. Tripp ***20 names***

W.W.II ------------------ Hugh E. Addison William R. Agnew Eldon L. Allen J. W. Anderson W. M. Antilley, Jr. Edward L. Atkinson James A. Bailey Hugh E. Balfanz R. L. Berry, Jr. Thomas W. Bertram James L. Bex   Harris B. Birdwell George H. Blackburn, Jr. Vernia O. Bradford Calvin Brooks Guy W. Brown Leahmon E. Bryant Clifford G. Bunch J. B. Bunch James H. Burleson Ira E. Butler Faustino L. Carrasco Carl U. Carrington Ostel W. Carter Homer D. Childress Richard D. Collier, Jr. Glenn R. Collins Arlie O. Copeland Hance B. Copeland Jewel D. Craig Clyde W. Dees Charles J. Dick, Jr. Grisham C. Dowell Lupe G. Duran Walter A. Edwards Wade H. Ensminger, Jr. Laverne Farquhar Samuel B. Fike Cephus B. Fisher Meador D. Francis Thomas R. Francis Harold L. Freeman Harold A. Garrison S. G. Gentry, Jr. William A. Graham, Jr. Justin Gray, Jr. Brevis M. Gregston Guy W. Griffin Rudyard K. Grimes Burney F. Hagins James R. Haile Ebby L. Hamilton Roscoe V. Hampton Clarence A. Harrell Donald Heleman A. V. Hendricks, Jr. Henry F. Henington, Jr. R. P. Hervey, Jr. Clant E. Higginbotham, Jr. Clifford Hinds Victor V. Hollar, Jr. Bryant Holloway Robert Hopper III Raymond C. Howard H. Frank Hubbard Albert F. Hurt Dan R. Ivey Robert H. Jackson Talmadge H. Jackson Robert S. Jarrell George M. Jenkins Granville Johnson Levon R. Johnson Reubin F. Johnson William E. Johnson James O. Jones, Jr. Verba D. Jones Robert C. Jordan William M. Keener Guy H. Kemper Fred D. Kilpatrick

W.W.II ------------------ Edward R Knox Clayton M Leach Bud G Lilly Charles B Little Julian D Long H C Lowery, Jr Eugene F Mantooth Allen E Markowitz Walter F Marshall Henry F Martin J B McBride John I McCall Milton H McClain Ray E McClure Bobby G McCracken Thomas M McIver Ira C McWilliams Jessie L Miles Melvon R Millard Bert D Miller Glen E Moore Angel Y Moreno Clarence W Morris James M Morris John B Morrison Walter L Morrow Robert B Murphy Paul R. Nail John F. Neuroth William R. Newberry J. Arvill Pace Floyd M. Patton Ramon Y. Perez Jack F. Perry Gaston E. Pitts Eldon A. Plumlee Douglas H. Powers James E. Pruitt William A. Pruitt Billy R. Ramsey Junior R. Rankin James Wilbert Raynes, Jr. Milton B. Reese Gerald D. Reeves Herbert W. Reue Edward R. Reynolds Homer H. Reynolds Lee M. Reynolds Herman V. Richards, Jr. James C. Ridge Carl L. Riggan Robert S. Roderick Ivan P. Rogers, Jr. Robert V. Rucker Bedford E. Russell John C. Sanford Buford L. Schoolcraft William R. Scott Gene A. Scruggs Eugene P. Sellers, Jr. William L. Sikes, Jr. William H. Singleton James G. Smith Malcolm E. Smith William F. Smith John F. Sneed Kermit G. Thornton Doyle O. Tucker Ray F. Turner Willie D. Tyler Juan G. Vallejo Oscar B. Vossler Vernon J. Voyles Johnnie L. Walden Jim B. Wheeler Charles E. White Alvin R. Williams Wyman P. Williams Willie W. Wood, Jr. Charles W. Yates ***151 names***

Information above courtesy of Kermit Rutledge. Posted 5 May 2000.

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Taylor County, Texas 20th Century Military Service Records

Taylor County Courthouse county clerk's office, Abilene has the detailed armed services discharge records for service personal whose residence was in the county at time of discharge for WW1 and WW2.

Taylor County Clerk
300 Oak Street, Abilene 79608
ph 915 - 674 1202

• "Fighting Men" of World War II Taylor County Edition. Compiled by the Parramore Post #57 and the American Legion, Abilene, TX. More than two hundred from Taylor County, Texas made the supreme sacrifice in W.W.II. names are listed. Also includes the history of the Camp Barkeley, the Last Battalion Battery E. of the 131st Field Artillery Battalion and names and pictures of men and women in the Armed Forces of Taylor Co. TX with biographical information. Published in 1946. 242 pages.  Available at the Clayton Library. Houston, TX , Abilene Public Library, TX and elsewhere. Examples of listings.

PRUITT, James E., entered service, 1942; oversea in 1944; killed in action in 1945 on Okinawa; served on Leyte, Iwo Jima and Okinawa; awarded 6 Battle stars, Purple heart, Combat Inf. Badge, AP, 6 Stars; born in 1922; son of Mr. and Mrs. I.A. Pruitt, 1133 Victoria; married.

PRUITT, William Arnold
Lt. William Arnold Pruitt, co-pilot of B-29; failed to return from routine flight, Chakulia, India to YuChing-Chiang, China, 1944; oversea in 1944; commissioned in 1943; born in Marfa, 1921; son of Mrs. T.E. Turner, married.

SANFORD, John Clovis
Sgt, John Clovis, turret gunner on B-24 of 450th Bomb Sq., 720th Bomb Gp. of 15 AAF; based in Italy; enlisted in 1944; killed in action on 29th mission; oversea in 1945; awarded Purple Heart, Air Medal, 3 clusters; born in Blair; 1925; son of Mr. and Mrs. A.P. Sandford, Tuscola H.S., attended Texas A & M.

• The Taylor County war memorial is on the north side of the new courthouse where the
  patio and flagpoles are located.

• WAC Detachment at Barkeley

• National Archives Information Locator (NAIL): Search under
  World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from
  Listed by county. Approx. 200 from Taylor County, TX.

• The Vietnam Memorial - You can search the list of names on the memorial by name, date of death, province, home of record, etc.

• State Level Lists of Casualties for Korea and Vietnam Wars searchable

• Personnel Missing - Korea (PMKOR) searchable

• Texas 20th Century Military Service Records are not maintained by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, but are housed at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), Military Personnel Records (MPR) in St. Louis.  A 1973 fire destroyed U.S. Army personnel records created from 1912 to 1963, but it did not damage U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps personnel files. While the fire left a tremendous gap in locating personnel information, the gap may be partially filled in through other extant records.   Standard Form 180, which explains where records in the National Archives or other agencies may be located. Form 180 may be obtained from local Veterans Administration offices, the National Personnel Records Center (Military Personnel Records), 9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132 Obtaining Records

• The Southwest Regional Depository, 501 West Felix Street, Building 1, Fort Worth, TX 76115-3405 has Selective Service Registration Cards for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.  (Microfilm Series Number M1509).  Original World War I Selective Service (draft) records are housed at the National Archives Field Branch, 1557 St. Joseph Avenue, East Point, GA 30044.  They are part of Records of the Selective Service System (World War I), Record Group 163.   They have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library in Utah and at the National Archives regions that serve the respective states.  World War One draft registration records and discharge records includes place and age or date of birth, residence, assignments, appointments, wounds, and date of demobilization. W.W.I Civilian Draft Registrations Searchable incomplete

• The Adjutant General's Office also maintains a file of cards filled out by W.W.I veterans.  These can be searched at Camp Mabry in Austin, TX and are not available online.  For more information about the file, please contact the office directly Adjutant General's Department, ATTN:  Mr. James Shive, PO BOX 5218, Austin, TX; 78763-5218. They also hold records of the National guard units drafted into federal forces.

• For more information about military records, visit the National Archives and Records Administration's website.

Camp Barkeley

Site of main entrance to Camp Barkeley, one of the nation's largest military camps of World War II. At peak, 60,000 men were in training here. Named for Private David B. Barkeley of the 89th Division, who died on a secret scouting expedition behind German lines during the Meuse-Argonne Battle of World War I. Among famous units trained here were the 45th and 90th Infantry Divisions and the 11th and 12th Armored. A medical replacement training center, the largest in the country, was also established here, with 15 battalions. In May, 1942, the medical administrative corps officer candidate school was activated and graduated about 12,500 candidates. Camp Barkeley eventually grew to be a complete city unit twice the size of Abilene of the 1940's. It had a 2,300-bed hospital, 2 cold storage plants, a bakery, 4 theaters, 2 service clubs for enlisted men, 15 chapels, and 35 post exchange buildings. The military personnel were housed in hutments, except for some 4,000 in barracks. Part of the post was also a German prisoner-of-war camp. Once some of the prisoners escaped, to the alarm of Abilene citizens, and others attempted to tunnel under the fences. Camp Barkeley was declared surplus in 1945. (1969) Historic Marker.

Established as a U.S. Army training camp in 1940, Camp Barkeley (whose main entrance was about seven miles south of this site) became one of the nation's largest World War II military training bases. The 12th Armored Division, activated at Camp Campbell, Kentucky, in September 1942, was assigned to Camp Barkeley in November 1943. By April 1944 the manpower of the division was at peak strength with combat commands, three battalions each of tanks, armored infantry, and armored field artillery, and numerous support units. Intensive day and night training at the camp culminated in tests that qualified the division for combat. Camp Barkeley's population was more than twice that of the city of Abilene. Soldiers' families became a part of the community and many returned here to live. The last combat division stationed at Camp Barkeley, the 12th Armored shipped out to Europe in September 1944. The division, nicknamed "Hellcats" and dubbed "The Mystery Division" in General George S. Patton, Jr.'s historic drive to the Rhine River, served with distinction, receiving more than 800 battle decorations. A dominating presence in Abilene during the war, Camp Berkeley was deactivated on April 1, 1945. (1992)  Historic Marker located on FM 312 R.O.W., just north of intersection of FM 312 & Hartford Streets, Abilene

Now a training location for Army National Guardsmen and a feedlot. The former a WWII Army infantry training camp for thousands of recruits was located about ten miles southwest of Abilene on Hwy. 277 between FM 1235 and FM 707. Look for the Historic marker. Chimneys and foundations are all that remain along with the be the cacti, mesquite trees, jackrabbits, red dust and grazing land.  Adjoining the Camp was Tye Field-Abilene Air Base, a training command for Army Air Corps cadets who learnt to fly trainers and P-47 Thunderbolt fighters.  Abilene museums have photographs and memorabilia. The camp's first soldier boys, part of the famed 45th Infantry Division "Thunderbirds" - National Guardsmen from the states of Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma and New Mexico.  The camp could be spotted from miles away because of the cloud of dust that constantly hung over the camp as several thousand soldiers were marching at all times of the day. Assigned soon after was the 358th Infantry Regiment of the newly activated 90th Infantry Division. 12th Armored Division   more  more reunion 1998  news article memorial article Dedication  Plans are being made for a 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum in Abilene. The museum will be located in the Matera Paper Co. building at South First and Oak.

Other units assigned:
    23d Quartermaster Brigade
    34th Evacuation Hospital
    45th Infantry Division trained at Camp Barkeley
    90th Division at Camp Barkeley
 
  241st GH 
  242nd General Hospital was organized at the summer of 1944
   11th Medical Training Regiment
  Officers Candidate School
  POW Camp for German U-boat men 

April 1, 1945 — Abilene’s service as host to a World War II army base comes to an end with orders to deactivate Camp Barkeley. After the war ends, however, many of the soldiers will come back to Abilene. Dressed in civies and with their brides whom they met in Abilene, many soldiers stationed at Barkeley returned, spurring a post-war business boom. Source: Abilene Reporter-News files 

Most of the markers go to recently deceased veterans, the tombstone and marker project also provides stones to replace those that have been lost, damaged or destroyed. It takes about a year for a headstone to be carved and shipped. Families may choose either granite or marble headstones, or a brass marker and the headstone or marker may be upright or flat.

Requires documentation of a veteran's service, filling out a few papers and someone to show where the grave is located. This Federal program tries to ensure that no veteran's grave goes unmarked includes Civil and Revolutionary War veterans.

Application for The Presidential Memorial Certificate

CSA

• Confederate Indigent Families Lists (1863-1865) The reason for Taylor County not being listed in the Confederate Indigent Family List is that there was no list from that county found with the other lists at the State Archives.  Although Taylor County was created in 1858, Taylor County was attached to Travis and Bexar counties for judicial and administrative purposes until 1873.   There may not have been any Indigent Family List sent into the State by anyone from Taylor County.  This would probably explain why the Archives does have any list from Taylor county.
• Confederate Pensions searchable
• Samuel Arthur "Moss" Griffith  AR 11th/17th Consolidated Infantry

Suggested reading:

How to Locate Anyone Who Is or Has Been In the Military by Richard Johnson
Preparing for Memorial Day 1998. Bill Whitker
Double V  flagpole   - a  tribute to the Buffalo Soldiers of WW1 and the African-American veterans of WW II.”

Originally, the holiday was called Decoration Day. Let us pause during our fun to reflect on the lost lives of those who made it possible for us to live this comfortably and securely in America and other nations and to recall with respectful memory that this is a holiday with a most solemn tradition. Memorial Day 1998  1997

"There is a desperate human need to find significance in death - that's the essence of any funeral ceremony. And Memorial Day especially, is one way to acknowledge and address deaths that have occurred in war." Robert Jay Lifton, NY

Powder Magazine
Fort Phantom Hill Post

Fort Phantom Hill, established November 14 1851, the Post served as a frontier defense link between Red River and the Rio Grande. Troops stationed there escorted supply trains, surveying parties, U.S. mail and patrolled for Indians. The site was later as a station on the "Butterfield Overland Mail Route".  Destroyed by a fire in 1854 and abandoned. Occupied again during the Civil War and was later a sub-post for Fort Griffin. The name "Phantom Hill" seems to come from an optical illusion associated with the area. When approaching the point where the fort once stood, it appears to be on a hill-like area. But the grade is much more slight than it first appears, and so the hill "disappears" as one approaches it. Located off Farm Road 600, nine miles north of Interstate 20. 16 miles west of Abilene