Bio: James Ellis Valentine, Jr, Grant Parish Louisiana Submitted to USGENWEB by: Bob Valentine BValent691@aol.com ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** IN MEMORY OF JAMES ELLIS VALENTINE, JR BIOGRAPHY of JAMES ELLIS VALENTINE, JR. 1920-1942 J.E. Valentine was known to his friends as J. E. and a few as Feb ( for Feb. 14 ) , to his family and relatives he was known as BROTHER. He was born and reared in Colfax, and as a teen ager worked at some of the Colfax gas stations. He spent some time as a youth with his great aunt and uncle, Bud and Mag Travis and helped with the plowing. He was active in high school sports: boxing, basketball and baseball. Colfax had a baseball team in the summer and he was a catcher and second baseman. Brother joined the U.S. Army Air Force at Barksdale Field in August of 1940, about a year after his graduation from high school and 16 months before Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. My Mother and Father received word in 1942 that he was missing in action. The following article appeared in the Alexandria Daily Town TalK. J. E. VALENTINE, JR., COLFAX SOLDIER, IS MISSING IN ACTION " Alexandria, Sept. 9,1942 (Special)--Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Valentine of Cofax have been advised by the adjutant general's office of the war department that their son, Pvt. First Class James E. Valentine, Jr. is reported missing in action. The department advises that according to the latest information available he was serving in the Philippine Islands at the time of the final surrender. Private Valentine , 22, was a member of the U. S. Army Air Corps. He enlisted at Barksdale Field in August 1940. Mr. and Mrs. Valentine received word from their son on Dec. 14, and had not heard from him since. He was born and reared in Colfax. He is a graduate of the Colfax high school." Later we learned that Brother was sent to the Phillipines in Nov. 1941, a month before Pearl. His family last received word from him on December 14, 1941, he was reported missing in action on May 7, 1942 which was the date that Corregidor surrendered. On August 8, 1945 the family was officially notified of his death in a Japanese prision camp in the Phillipines . He had survived the battles of Bataan and Corregidor and the terrible DEATH MARCH from Bataan to a prison camp known as O'Donnel. On June 2, 1942 the prisoners were moved to Cabanatuam Camp where he died from mal-nutrition and dysentery June19, 1942 at the age of 22. On August 24, 1986 the surving members of the family; Beatrice Valentine, his mother, Elma Louise Valentine Churchman ( Doodle) his sister and Bob Valentine , his brother were honored to attend the dedication and memorialization of the James E. Valentine ,Jr. Armory in Colfax, Louisiana. This Armory named in his honor , is know as the James E. Valentine , Jr. Louisiana National Guard Armory of Colfax, Louisiana and is home of the Det. 2 Co.D. 199th Support Battalion. At this dedication service, Beatrice Valentine, his mother, was was given his medals which included a Good Conduct, American Defense Service, Asiatic Pacific, World War ll Victory, Honorable Service, and the Bronze Star. We were told he should have also received the Purple Heart medal. After my mothers death , the medals were given to me and I display them with pride in my room. In 1971 , one of Brothers cousins, Major S. E. Thames of the Marine Corps, visited his grave at the National Cemetery in Manila. S. E. sent us a picture of the grave and a discription of its location in the cemetery---Plot A, Row 14, Grave # 158. I type this on October 29th. 1997 , with tears in my eyes, some 55 years after his death I still have memories of him etched in my heart. If he were living today he would be 77 years old. At this date there are only two family members left my sister Elma Valentine (Doodle) Churchman and myself Bob Valentine. Our Mother Beatrice, our Father Ellis and our Sister Thelma have all joined our BROTHER. Posted by his brother Bob Valentine on 5-29-98