They Cannot Be Forgotten
This is the third story in our series of the stories of Hardeman County veterans who died during World War II (WWII). This project was started by Mrs. Sue Shelly of Middleton and we are proud to work with her to tell these stories. This past Monday was Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember those who gave their lives in service to their country. During programs and news stories, we have heard them called heroes, the ones who gave all, and the ones who left and did not return home. Hardeman County has 42 individuals who served during WWII who wore their country’s uniform proudly but did not return back to the place they each called home. This project originally had 40 names and 2 more have been added in just the past few weeks. Robert Columbus Anderson was a student at A & I Tennessee State College (now Tennessee State University), and at age 24 he left school and his hometown of Toone to join the United States Army. He was going to college to become a schoolteacher. Tech. Sgt. Anderson died two years later in March 1944. We do not yet have any other information about him or his service. James Brown of Bolivar enlisted in the Army in 1942 at age 21. He was a member of Company H, 125th Infantry, 337th Infantry Regiment, and he was killed in action on October 14, 1944, just one day shy of his 23rd birthday. No other information has yet been found or shared about his life or service. These are just two of the names that were read as a part of the first “Patriotism from Pocahontas” program that was started this year by Randy Smith. Smith only recently learned that one of his family members was injured at Normandy, France, and later died as a result of those injuries. On display for the program were 42 empty chairs with flags and each with the name of one of our county’s WWII heroes who did not come back home. The names of each man were read and the bell at the Pocahontas Church of Christ rang for each one. The sight of those empty chairs and flags blowing in the early morning breeze was a humbling reminder of their service. “It is so moving to see these rows of empty chairs,” said Hardeman County Mayor Todd Pulse. “We know that each of these represents a life of service, not just to our country, but service to those of us who have come here today to honor them.”
“We just wanted to find a way to honor the men from WWII who served us and died for us,” Smith said. “I had no idea I had a WWII family member, much less someone who died in that war.
That really made me want to find a way to be a part of honoring all of these WWII veterans from our county.” Smith says he hopes the program can become an annual Memorial Day tradition. Smith’s family story will be told in a future article about our WWII veterans.
The American Legion Post #198 of Middleton, Tennessee held their 18th annual Memorial Day Program to honor all of those who did not return home from war. State Senator Page Walley spoke at this service, and remembered his namesake, his uncle Page Walley, who was one of those who did not return home from the war. “I often wonder what his life, all of their lives, would have been like if they had come back home,” Walley said. “These that we honor here today at this service and at other services gave the best of what they had for all of us. We can gather here today, and all across Tennessee and America, because of the sacrifices they made.” Memorial Day is a reminder to all of us that freedom is not free; it is bought for us with the lives given in service to America. Let us always remember them.
If you have any information on the individuals mentioned in this story or previous stories, please contact lisa@bolivarbulletintimes.com. Photos by Lisa Coleman.