Military: War Veterans Killed in Action, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Submitted by: Susan Herring ************************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** **************************************************************************** "Claiborne War Veterans Honored November 11, Day WWI Ended 1918" by Susan T. Herring, Editor, The Guardian-Journal. November 11, 1999 Today, November 11, 1999 marks the ninety-first anniversary of the end of World War I. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed "Armistice Day" to remind Americans of the tragedies of the first world war which ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. In 1926, Armistice Day was officially named by Congress and in 1938, Congress designated it as a federal holiday. In 1954, Congress changed the name to Veterans Day to honor all men and women who have served in the armed services of the United States in this century. Except for the years between 1968 and 1978, Veterans Day has always been observed on November 11. In the years following World War II, Homer High School's Class of 1944 placed two plaques at the school entrance with the names of more than 350 former students and teachers of Homer High who answered the call of the colors in World War II. Many of these names now adorn the Memorial Wall in the State Capitol, having been killed in action. Today, November 11, 1999, at 11 AM, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Huddle at Claiborne Academy will honor living war veterans from Claiborne Parish. The program will begin with a flag raising ceremony promptly at 11 AM followed by a student assembly and luncheon where each veteran present will be recognized. In 1986, over 9,000 names of Louisiana veterans who served in the Revolutionary War, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, and Desert Storm were permanently inscribed on a ten foot black granite Memorial Wall. The Wall is located on the riverfront across and just south of the Old State Capitol building in Baton Rouge on South River Road. Civil war veterans were not individually named, but were memorialized with a plaque. According to the project founder Congressman Henson Moore, the Memorial Wall was dedicated to all service persons who were killed in action during a war period for the United States per the criteria set forth by the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission. Located just across a small bridge between two fountains are two gates which open into a square courtyard surrounding an eternal flame mounted on a ten foot high platform. The black granite walls surrounding the courtyard list each Louisiana veteran in alphabetic order under the war in which they served. Hovering behind the back wall, mounted on a 14-foot platform, is a restored Corsair A-7E fighter plane from the Vietnam era. The list of war veterans from Claiborne Parish who were killed in action during World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War whose names are inscribed on the Memorial Wall in Baton Rouge are: World War I Floyd Awbrey, Thomas M. Bond, Joe Nelson, Charlie F. Owen, Aubrey Pate, Cody C. Thomas. World War II Aub L. Atkins, Jr., John E. Barnette, John A. Beene, George F. Boyer, John D. Burnett, Marion E. Burnett, Bob Burrow, Marshall O. Collins, Arthur G. Colthrap, John O. Davis, Robert E. Dubberly, William R. Ford, Joseph B. Gandy, Willford C. Goodwin, Austin C. Harris, Tom B. Henderson, Jr., James V. Henley, Jr., Ellis Hudson, William A. Hunt, Garland V. Land, William P. Lay, Ellis Lyons, Calvin McKenzie, Ellis P. Michael, Benjamin Moore, Thomas J. Musgrove, Jr., Cecil C. Nelson, Eli H. New, Earl C. Noland, Kentis D. Noland, Sammie C. Norton, Lester Odom, Raymond C. Odom, Olen T. Patton, Donald Polk, Howard F. Prestidge, James F. Ricketts, John E. Rushing, Joseph R. Shelton, John R. Sherman, Ruben A. Smith, Kenneth D. Squyres, Reilly B. Stonecipher, Obie Taylor, Pullum Teague, Hilton O. Thompson, George J. Wheeler, Fred C. White, Clifton Winget, Fred Wright, Duncan S. Young. Korean Conflict Curtis D. Baskin, William H. Kellum, Allen D. King, Charles Henry Hines. Vietnam War James Edward Delrie, Winston G. Hollenshead, John H. Thompson For more information about the names listed on the Memorial Wall in Baton Rouge, call Maury Drummond, Director of the U.S.S. Kidd and Nautical Center at (225) 342-1942.