In our continuing effort to archive the history
of Hampshire County we often come across projects that are more than our
limited resources can handle. The problem of listing the names of those
Hampshire County citizens who served in World War II and paid the
ultimate price is such a project. There are at least two major memorials
to those who died in World War II. One is on the grounds of the West
Virginia Capitol in Charleston. The other is in the Hampshire County
Courthouse in Romney. Unfortunately, the two lists are not identical.
They were compiled by different people from different sources. We would
like to see some organization take on the responsibility of comparing
the two lists and making appropriate corrections.
Brackets indicate information from the other
list; text in red are problems which include individual listed from
another county, mis-spelled name or died in different war.
We appreciate the submission by Jan Van Impe of
Belgium of the two photographs below. They were taken at Henri Chapelle
Cemetery located between Liege and Aachen near the site of the "Battle
of the Bulge." It is the resting place of 7,989 American
Soldiers.
Grave of Erwin Boyer and Lester W. Boyer at Henri
Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium courtesy Jan Van Impe.
Charleston list
Alkire, Willard C.
Ayers, Eston Willard
Biddle, Jr., Earle Henry
Morgan Co. Boyer, Ervin
Morgan Co.
Carder, Cecil Andrew
Combs, Garland Bryan
Cookman, Donald Moore
Cox,
Russell Jackson
Crouse, John C.
Davy, Hilton L.
Davis,
Stirling G.
Doman, William C.
Duckworth, Russell E.
Vietnam War [John Bernard Durst]
Graham, Marvin L.
Grapes, Cleo Eldred
Grapes, Wallace Conway
Haines, Denzil T.
Haines, Harry Franklin
Harmison, Paul Parker
Harness, Keith Weldon
Korean War [Harold Ora Keister]
Kelley, John E.
Kenney, Samuel G.
Kimble, Dennis F.
Mineral Co.
Vietnam War
[William Alan Largent]
Lupton, Wilmer Odell
Malcolm, William R.
Maphis, James William
McBride,
Hetzel M.
Michael, Maurice Otho
Miller, Jesse A.
Newhouse, Junius L.
Harrison Co.
Park, Virgil Vernon
Pownall, William Francis
Ricewick, Clinton Russell
Webster Co.
Hardy Co.
Rowzee, Oscar Benjamin
Rowzee, Jr., Oscar Benjamin
Saville, Oliver C.
Shank, William Flourney
Shoemaker, Orville W.
Simon, Jr., James O.
Smith, Harry Leroy
Smith, Theodore Roosevelt
Sulser, Garlan E.
Sulser, Garland E. [same as above??]
Sword, Charles A.
Taylor, James Isaac
Taylor, Kenneth Michael
Tharpe, Eugene William
Timbrook, Millard H.
Whitman, Charles P.[spell??]
Courthouse list
Alkire, Willard [C.]
Allender, Edward W.
Ayers, Eston W. [Willard]
Bohrer, Harley R.
Boyer, Ervin
Boyer, Lester W.
Carder, Cecil A. [Andrew]
Combs, Garland B. [Bryan]
Cookman, Donald M. [Moore; out of order]
Cox, Russell [Jackson]
Crouse, John C.
Davey, Hilton L.
Davis, Sterling [G.]
Doman, William C.
Duckworth, Russell [E.]
Durst, John B.
Graham, Marvin L. [out of order]
Grapes, Cleo E.
Grapes, Wallace C. [Conway]
Haines, Denzil T.
Haines, Harry F. [Franklin]
Harmison, Paul P. [Paul]
Harness, Keith
Keister, Harold
Kenny, Samuel G.
Kidwell, Merlyn T.
Kuykendall, William F.
Largent, William A.
Lupton, Wilmer A.
Malcolm, William R.
Maphis, James W. [William]
McBride, Helzel [Hetzel; out of order]
Michael, Maurice O. [Otho]
Miller, Jesse A.
Newhouse, Junius [L.]
Oats, Roy J.
Parks, Virgil V. [Park, Virgil Vernon]
Pownall, William F. [Francis]
Ricewick, Clifton R. [Clinton Russell]
Rinker, Carl [J.]
Rinker, Harry [Harry Martin Rinker]
[Rowzee-father-son??]
Rowzee, Jr., Oscar
Saville, Oliver C.
Shank, William Flourney
Shumaker, William [spelling error???]
Simon, James O. [Jr.]
Smith, Theodore R. [Roosevelt]
Sulser, Garland E. [Garlan spelling?]
Sword, Jack [Charles A.??]
Taylor, James I. [Isaac]
Taylor, Kenneth M. [Michael]
Tharp, Eugene W. [William]
Timbrook, Millard [H.]
Walker, James
Whiteman, Charles T. [Charles P.??]
Red indicates a problem; italics are not shown in Courthouse as died.

Rainbow over Henri Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium [courtesy
Jan Van Impe]
Those Who Served in World War II
The Wappocomo: Service Men's
Issue,
Volume XVI, Number 2, Romney, West Virginia, Thursday, November
9 (no year given)
105 STATIONED IN THIS COUNTRY
The following Romney High
graduates are in the United States at present: Army, Eugene Thompson, John D.
Harmison, Lewis Pugh, Russell Shawen, Harry Ambrose, Junior Hamilton, Calvin
McBride Hartzell Riggleman, Rosco Tutwiller, Baxter Hott, Kenneth McKee, Walter
Parker, Vane Saville, Ivan Shanoltzer, John Wills, Ralph Combs, Eugene Poole,
Thomas Tripplett, Melvin McDonald, Earl Robinson, Carl Arnold, (returned from
overseas service); Donald Arnold, (returned from overseas) ; Robert Davis, John
N. Day, Robert Long, Garland Loy, Lloyd McKee, Elvin Ours, Scott Poole, Meryl
Combs, Carl Haffer, Boyd Michael, Robert Ruckman, James Clower, Michael Cannon,
Adrian Corbin, Paul Hott, Alonzo Peters, Blakely Shingeton, Edward Alexander,
Vincent Saville, Charles Bell, Shaffer Staub, Edward Long, George Bergdoll, John
Blue, Waldo Hockman, Ward Hammond, Ralph W. Haines, Rex Swisher, John Willis,
William Adams, Thomas P. Dicken, Quentin Dicken, Wilson Kaylor, Eugene Haines,
Robert Powell, Chester Riley, Eugene Riley, James Law, Charles Gates, Bill
Oates, Ralph Wolfe.
Those in the states in the
Navy are Charles Williams, Jack Haines, Robert Brown, John Catlett, Howard
McDonald, Frank Martin, Vernon Ely, James Davy, Earl Dennison, Pales Powers,
Robert Grapes, Allen Sanders, Wade Clinedinst, Floyd Kline, Paul Guther, William
McNeil, Earl C. Haines, Loudon Thompson, Elmer Sanders, Harwell
Thompson.
The Army Air Force members
include John Sitar, Lilburn Henderson, Lysle Friend, William Michael, Harold
Keister, Paul Milleson, Norwood Haines, Robert Baird (returned from serving
overseas); James Thomspon. William Levings had served overseas now at home.
Harold Levings, Naval Air Force, is now in the states after serving
overseas.
George Corbin is in the
Boston Coast Guard.
Junior Fisher, Marines, has
returned to this country after having served overseas.
Bill Milleson is in the Naval
Air Corps.
Betty Heatwole, Elaine
Daugherty, Betty Sue Montgomery, Gale Gregg and Jean Kackley are in the Nurse
Cadets.
Ruth Harmison is a WAC
stationed in Texas.
Juanita Cosner and Kitty
Zimmerman are Waves.
SEVEN GRADUATES WOUNDED OVERSEAS
There are seven graduates of
Romney High who have been wounded overseas. All of these have received the
Purple Heart award. These graduates are:
Wilson Mauk wounded in France.
Charles Wolford, Jr. wounded
in England.
Leroy Clem wounded in Italy,
now in Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D. C.
Harper Wolford wounded in
South Pacific.
James Alkire wounded in South
Pacific, now back on duty with Navy.
James Cunningham wounded in
South Pacific.
Carl Roach wounded in France.
15 DISCHARGED
There are fifteen graduates
of Romney High School who have been given medical discharges. The men
who have served overseas and
discharged are: Oscar Bobo, James Johnson, Wilbert McGee, Harold Miller, William Martix.
The men receiving medical
discharges while serving in the states are: Eugene Glower, William Easton,
Robert Johnson, Garrett Kuykendull, A. Clinton Loy, Glen Powell, Howell
Patterson, Walter Grace, Bill Friend, Robert Luttrell.
COOKMAN, TAYLOR, GRAPES, THARPE KILLED IN
ACTION
DONALD
COOKMAN
Donald Cookman, age 23, son
of Mr. aud Mrs. H. M. Cookman, graduate of class of 1937, was killed in action
in November of 1943, when the Marines attacked Tarawa. Lt. Cookmar was an
outstanding student. He played basketball and was a member of the Thesipans and
also had a high scholastic standing. He attended West Virginia University and
received his A. B. degree and enlisted the same year.
KENNETH
TAYLOR
Kenneth Taylor, age 19, son
of Mrs. Autumn Taylor, was a graduate of the class of 1943. He was taken into
the army shortly after graduation. He was sent to England and moved to Italy
where he was killed on July 25, 1944. Kenneth is the youngest boy to be killed.
WALLACE GRAPES
Wallace Grapes, age 21, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Grapes, of Augusta, was killed in action February 14, 1944,
in Italy. He was a graduate of the class of 1940. He took part in many school
activities and had a high scholastic standing.
EUGENE M.
THARPE
Eugene M. Tharpe age 22, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Tharpe, was reported killed in action over Germany
September 9, 1944. He had received several medals and had 13 more missions to
complete. He was a graduate of 1939 and was employed at Corbett's store before
entering the Army.
PRISONERS
Buford Saville, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Gorda Saville, and graduate of the class of 1942, has been reported a
prisoner of war of the German Gov. His parents have been informed that he is in
good condition and that he will receive all lettersthat are written
him.
Delvin Croston, son of Mr.
and Mrs. James Croston, graduate of the class of 1935, has been reported a
prisoner of war of the German Government.[*missing from Courthouse list]
REPORTED MISSING
William Kuykendall, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Max Kuykendall, is reported missing by the war department. He
graduated from Romney High School in 1934. His wife, the former Mary Grechen
Vanfleet, is residing with her parents in Romney at the present time.
90 MEN-WOMEN NOW OVERSEAS
According to records of the Wappocomo staff 224 graduates of Romney High School have entered the armed forces of the United States. Of this number four have been killed, two are prisoners of the German Government, 15 have been discharged, one is reported missing, seven have been wounded overseas, 90 are now serving overseas, and 105 are in the United States.
The following graduates of
Romney High School are serving overseas:
Marines: Raymond Long, James
Wagoner.
Navy: Robert Sanders, Edward Strieby, Beery Schuller, Andrew Schuller, Francis
Seahold, Michael Harmison, Marvin Smoot, James Ansel, Charles Kackley, Blair
Long, Yonely Newhouse, Elmer Sanders, Roy Smith, Charles Sanders, Leo Ruckman,
Dane McGee, Campbel 1 Wollord, Allen Swick, Kenneth Martin, Paul Ganoe, Charles
Seaton, Jr., George Heavener, William Parker, William Powell, Manning Williams,
Harold Davis, James Easton, ?? Twigg, Vernon Alt.
Army: Baker Foley,
Clarence Ludwig, Hartzel Michael, Paul Harmison, Carroll Hott, Marvin Powell,
Earl Shaffer, Roy Ludwig, Maurice Whipp, Holland Rannells, Air Force, William
Rannells, Air Force, James Rannels, Bernard Kenny, Robert Singhass, Raymond
McDonald, Myrl Ruckman, Lyle Sneathen, Emory Turner, Edward Allen, Eugene Payne,
Paul Wolford, Paul Allen, Orville Haines, Kenneth Haines, Lynnus Kidwell, L. G .
Martin, William Martin, Leon Parker, Charles E. Wolford, Elmo Wolford, Rex
Swisher, Philip Cherry, Elliot Heatwole, Theodore William Martin, Joseph
Coleman, Earl Staub, Lazarus Shear, Robert Thompson, Ralph Nealis, Paul Oates,
Charles Heriott, Bill Frank Pownell, John H. Parker, David M. Whipp, Charles
Sites, George Harmison, Vance Zimmerman, Robert Oates, Air Corps, Luke Michael,
Wiliam Corbin, Arno Hott, Randolph Ewers.
Women overseas:
Amy Alexander, Nurse; Julius McDonald, Nurse; Sara
Hartman, WAC.
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