In 2014, local military veterans and community and civic leaders in Spalding County, Georgia began working on a project to honor members of the United States military who lost their lives during war time. As a result, the committee chose to research all the names listed on war monuments located throughout the city of Griffin, Georgia.
The goal of the project was to research approximately 12 names from the list per year. Students at Gordon State
College were responsible for the research phase of the project, and the information students provided assisted the committee in performing oral histories and interviews with surviving family members and friends of the deceased.
In addition, plaques will be erected throughout the city in honor of each solider.
The research and oral interviews will be compiled into a series of documentaries prepared in conjunction with students at Southern Crescent Technical College. The documentaries will be kept in state and local archives, as well as provided to family members.
During this class, Gordon State students worked closely with committee members and the City of Griffin
Archives to follow guidelines and criteria planned out for the project. Students will be credited and acknowledged for their research on the final documentary.

When I first heard about this course I was so excited. I wanted to be a part of such a special project, and, truth be told, I wanted to gain better research habits. I knew I would be researching soldiers and their military story. I knew from the very beginning that these men were KIA (Killed in Action) or MIA (Missing In Action) veterans. What I didn’t expect was to have an emotional connection to them. I found out about their lives and families, almost like a scavenger hunt.
This class, however, went from being a project to being someone’s personal story. This happened for me while I was researching First Lieutenant James Reese. I call him “My Lieutenant.” I began searching for First Lieutenant. Reese’s grave in
Griffin at the Westwood Gardens Cemetery. When I found him I was so excited, because I had been walking through the graveyard for about an hour. I brushed off his headstone and saw his name and that’s when it became real for me. He was a human life that was lost in order to serve my country. From that moment on First Lieutenant Reese was no longer a picture on a page or information on a website; he was a life.
They were all special to someone: sons, brothers, and friends. They were lives that mattered and were important. The more research I did on these soldiers the more I ached for their story. In the beginning I would look at a name on the page as a challenge,
I wanted to find everything I could on this person. As this class continued, I would no longer look at a name on a page but rather a sad story. I knew the ending; these men would never make it home.
Many times this class was overwhelming, not because of the requirements of the class but because we all knew how the story ended. Each person had a connection to these men; it was shown through their style of research. For me, I wanted to have an emotional connection to these other men as I did with First Lieutenant Reese. I wanted to find their graves. If they were not buried in the United States then I would make sure I had a picture of their grave. I needed to remember these men were lives lost and not simply a name. The research that was done in class will be able to continue the story of these men who never made it home.
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Jennifer Grant

I was excited to learn about the archive internship course because I intend to pursue a master degree in public history. The opportunity to engage in research was what led me to enroll in the class. The fact that we would be researching military soldiers who died during every major war the United States has been involved in, from Word War One to Korea, intrigued me. As the child of a Vietnam War veteran, I grew up with first hand knowledge of the effect that war can have on a combat soldier.
I could only imagine what the families of the soldiers who died during these conflicts must have experienced, and still experienced throughout their lifetimes. I wanted to learn the stories of these men and women who served in our military. My research allowed me to see past a picture of a soldier in uniform and into their lives and experiences. Long before putting on their uniforms, these men and women were nurses, farmers, and pilots. Some were pursuing degrees in college when they chose to enlist in the military. Some were quiet everyday Americans working in local mills and trying to raise a family, while others saw the military as their path to a better way of life.
This course also helped me increase my research skills and pointed me towards available websites and institutions for genealogical research. I learned that research takes time, lots and lots of time, and patience. You slowly whittle away the unnecessary information until you get to the core data you need to answer your questions and to develop a well rounded picture of a person’s life. This class showed me that I was born to do research!
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Pamela Fuentes

When I first heard of the plans for this class, I was excited and looked forward to it. Then I had second thoughts. Is this what I want to look into? I was not sure I would feel right working on this project, writing about those that did not come home from war. I served in Iraq and Afghanistan and saw friends of mine lose their lives in combat, and I came through without a scratch. How can someone go on the same missions along the same roads day in and day out and nothing happens to them, but a soldier goes out on his first mission and gets killed? How can one convoy drive past an IED (improvised explosive device) and the enemy not push that plunger setting off the IED but instead wait for the next convoy? There is no real answer. I was advised by many that this course could be useful in relieving some of the guilt I have about returning from war when others did not.
What I have seen is there are no real answers as to who gets killed and who does not; it is the luck of the draw. Only God knows. Does that make it easier? “NO” it does not. This course showed me that we need to remember those who died for us in those faraway lands. Their loss helps insure our freedom to enjoy the great things this country offers.
These soldiers gave their lives of their own free will. I believe most knew what they were risking and did so willing, believing in what they were fighting for. They put that uniform on and went off to war with the thought in the back of their mind they may never come home. Through my research, I saw how many diverse lives these soldiers came from, some from rich families, some poor, some educated , and some school drop outs, but they all fought and died for what they believed in and fought with honor.
I also learned that research for this type of class can be done in so many ways. There are the school records of those you are researching: grammar, high school and college records. Then you have the newspapers and court house records such as census, marriage, home ownership and death records. I really found that new thing we call the Internet. I was able to research a lot of the areas already listed using the Internet, as well as military and after action reports of battles. This course has shown me that historical research work might be what I want to pursue after college.
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Thomas Shedd

The research internship provided an excellent opportunity to examine the recent history of local citizens while fostering an environment that promoted creative investigation and proficient analysis. The careful study, which allowed us to delve into the past and actively participate in discovering the events and lives of earlier generations, was personal and exceedingly rewarding. Each name represents a story, but it also affords a chance to continue the narrative that is recalled only by family members.
Examining and studying primary source documents is not only exciting, but it offers a hidden and personal perspective into the past. Although research on all of the conflicts proved challenging, it was the work on the Great War that presented the greatest obstacles. Personal diaries, however, provided a genuine glimpse into the past. The soldiers’ handwritten accounts of hardship and persistence are both heartbreaking and inspiring. It is the descriptions of the individual experiences that are so valuable in understanding and completing the stories of local KIA’s.
For me personally, it is the discovery of new or prior unknown information that is so appealing. It is highly unlikely that I will discover some yet unveiled material to the world, but to uncover some original or unexpected knowledge that I previously did not know is quite intoxicating. Despite the hard work and patience required, research offers the best chance for discovery and is, therefore, the most satisfying quality of studying history.
It is a privilege and an honor to work on the project for the families and the community. The most important aspect of the project was keeping the stories of the men and women alive so that their sacrifices will not become lost or forgotten. Thank you to the committee members and the City of Griffin Archives for the opportunity to work on this project. Also thank you to Dr. Aiello for cultivating an atmosphere which not only permitted, but encouraged the pursuit of unrestricted research.
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Scott Dalton

I first became interested in this project when I heard we were going to be conducting research. My fondest joy is when I get to write about events of the past, especially local ones. What really inspired me to take up this project was my time spent on the school paper. Every month I would be assigned the task of unfolding a new story. Then, I noticed that a research seminar opportunity was available. It was going to be an exciting experience; we were going to be collecting information and assisting the community.
It seemed like the perfect project; we started the first week off with a list of names. We collected the names five at a time; each of us picked one of the soldiers and worked from there.
It became evident in the first week that this project was going to be intense. Research became more than just research. I saw their faces, letters, baby pictures. I learned where these men went to high school, how they spent their time. The more time you spend researching one, the more heartbreaking and bittersweet it is to get to know them. I was raised to honor and respect our military; dead or alive, each one had given up their time as citizens and served their country. However, it was not until this project that I could say I broke down and cried because of it. For example, there were many cases with the one-year drafts in Vietnam where men were close to serving their time overseas but died before they could make it home. This project was more than just seeing a dead man’s face smiling in a picture frame; the faces are haunting and the stories are real.
You may not always get a picture alongside the information, which causes the person to be less relatable. However, there is nothing like placing words with a face. All it takes is a letter and a smile.
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Savannah Boyd

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian crown, and his wife, the
Archduchess Sophie, in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, sparked the hostilities that led to the beginning of World War
I. The war grew into a major conflict fought in Europe and around the world between July 28, 1914 and
November 11, 1918. Initially fought between the Entente Powers—Britain, France, Serbia, and Imperial Russia, and the Central Powers—Germany and Austria-Hungary, additional countries later joined each side in the conflict, with the United States allying with the Entente Powers.
The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. Beginning in 1917, the United States made major contributions in terms of supplies, raw material and money. American soldiers arrived in large numbers on the Western Front in the summer of 1918 and played a significant role in the Allied armistice of November 11,
1918. The Treaty of Versailles officially ended the war between Germany and the Allied Powers; it was signed on 28 June 1919, five years to the day of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
More than 4.7 million American military personnel served during World War I. The United States suffered
116,516 deaths, with 53.402 of them battle related.

The Rainbow Division was so christened by Secretary of War Baker when he assembled the official division. It represented organizations from twenty-six States of the Union, embracing a territory from coast to coast and from
Maine to the Gulf of Mexico. In Baker’s selection, only those units which had shown marked ability making them worthy of distinction were chosen, the majority having seen actual service either in the Spanish-American War or during the more recent border troubles. To be among them was an honor of which any man can be justly proud; for being so chosen is significant of the proven ability that our country appreciates. Sergeant Troy Barnett was one such soldier.
One hundred million people depended upon the Rainbow Division to carry Old Glory to victory on the battlefields of Europe. The division was selected to be among the first to France and to be America's representatives in the greatest struggle of the ages – World War One.

• Sergeant Troy Barnett was born around March 1898 in Griffin, GA. His family’s ancestry is documented as land owners before the Civil War in
Spaulding County. His parents, however, moved from the Griffin area around the turn of the ninetieth century.
• Sergeant Barnett’s service predates the United States’ draft (1917). He was assigned to the 2nd Georgia Infantry, 151st Machine Gun Battalion, R. F. D. /
42nd "Rainbow" Division.
• Sergeant Barnett was killed in action on November 5th, 1918, just six days before the armistices. On November 11, 1918, Armistice Day, fighting ceased at 11:00 am.
• Records such as birth and death certificates did not become official (mandated by the state) until 1919. For this reason information prior to 1919 is difficult to obtain. Most KIA’S in France were buried in France. However, protest by families urged the Army to rethink its policy. Following the war, France was more concerned over rebuilding its devastated nation and did not want trains loaded with Allied bodies crossing the country. Consequently, the French government halted the exhuming and transportation of deceased soldiers’ remains. If Sergeant Barnett’s body returned to the United States, it was probably after 1921.
• The American Legion Post in Griffin, GA shares his name.

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive began on the morning of September 26, 1918. Nine companies of the 77th Division
(554 men) were isolated by German forces during an Allied advance in the Argonne Forest in October 1918. They became known as the Lost Battalion. While Second Lieutenant Albert Parham was in the Argonne Forest, he was selected as one of a few officers to lead a detachment of soldiers to search for and rescue the Lost Battalion. The
Americans moved beyond the Allied line and became completely cut off and surrounded by German forces. The
Germans occupied the forest, which needed clearing before the relief operations could begin. On October 8, 1918,
American forces located and relieved the Lost Battalion.

• Second Lieutenant Albert Whitfield Parham was born on August 18, 1893 in Raleigh, N.C. and his family lived in Greensboro, N.C. He had one brother and one sister. Second Lieutenant Parham attended Homer
Military School, which was a preparatory school for boys in Oxford, N.C.
He completed his education at Salisbury Business College in Salisbury,
N.C. After college, Second Lieutenant Parham worked for Georgia Cotton
Mills in Griffin, GA.
• On April 7, 1917, Second Lieutenant Parham volunteered as a Private in the United States Army and was sent to Fort McPherson. On January 1,
1918, he was shipped to officers’ training at Leon Springs, TX. By June
1st, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant and issued orders to report to the Infantry Replacement Troop for duty. On August 17, 191, he headed for Camp Merritt, N.J. from which he steamed for France.
• Second Lieutenant Parham’s ship landed in France on the 1st of
September and within thirty days he was fighting in the Argonne Forest.
He was killed in action on October 7, 1918, while part of a detachment sent to relieve the Lost Battalion.
• Second Lieutenant Parham served with Company “E” 308th Regiment,
77th Division. He was originally buried in France. It was three years before his remains were returned to the United States. He now rests with his parents at Alta Vista Cemetery in Gainesville, Georgia.

World War II, or the Second World War, began in 1939 with Germany’s invasion of Poland. Japan later allied with Germany with the intent to place Asia under Japanese control. Japan invaded Asia in the mid-1930s, and it was at war with the Republic of China in 1937. There were now two major powers with the desire to rule the world. Germany pushed into France in 1940. After France surrendered in June 1940, Germany invaded
Russia in June 1941. Germany, led by Adolph Hitler, intended to put all of Europe under its rule.
In the mid-1930s, the United States stopped supplying Japan with the much-needed resources of scrap iron and oil. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, sinking most of the United States Pacific Fleet. The attack led the United States to declare war on Japan. Following the declaration, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The conflict involved two main groups.
Russia, the United States, and Britain constituted the bulk of the Allied Powers. The Axis Powers were made up of Germany, Japan, and Italy.
By the time the war ended, it encompassed over thirty countries and one hundred million people. The total number of deaths reached levels the world had never seen before, and may never see again. More than 16.1 million American military personnel served during World War II. The United States suffered 405,399 military deaths, with 291,577 of those due to battle.

In 1944, the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight Eisenhower, wished to open a wider front as the
Allies began advancing on Germany’s homeland and started looking at different battle plans. British Field
Marshal Bernard Montgomery wanted to go into the Lower Rhine area of Belgium as Germany began launching their V-1 and V-2 rockets on Britain.
The operational plan called on units from the United States 101st, 82nd, 508th Parachute Infantry
Regiment, the British 1st, and Polish 1st Airborne troops. All units were to capture and hold different bridges until ground forces traveled overland to help with the push towards Germany.
The operation started well, but unexpected issues developed. The Allies encountered difficulties with dropping the British troops and with the boats needed to help the U.S. troops cross rivers. In addition, bad weather caused a delay moving the Polish troops into battle on time. All this led to the Germans’ ability to form a defensive and then turn and counterattack.
The cost of the failed operation to Allied forces was 15,000 to 17,000 troops killed and wounded, such as
First Sergeant Noah W. Barfield . The British 1st Airborne Division alone suffered almost 1,500 deaths and
6,500 captured.

• First Sergeant Noah W. Barfield was born September 3, 1913 in
Spalding County Georgia to Mr. Lloyd C. Barfield and Katherine B.
(Campbell) Barflield. He had three sisters: Nolie A. Barfield
(Walker), Birdie L. Barfield and Clara L. Barfield. He was never married nor had any dependents at the time of his death.
• First Sergeant Barfield did not complete High School, only grammar school. To have reached the rank of First Sergeant without a high school education said a lot about how smart First Sergeant Barfield was and what a great soldier he was.
• First Sergeant Barfield joined the Georgia Army National Guard in
1940. At the outbreak of World War II, he was assigned to the 30 th
Infantry Division HQ Company.
• On February 14, 1945, First Sergeant Barfield was killed in action in
Belgium. Although his body was never recovered, his name appears on a marker at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial.

On December 16, 1944, three German armies, made up of more than a quarter-million troops, launched the deadliest and most desperate battle of World War II in the heavily forested Ardennes region. Its objective was to split the Allied Armies up in a blitzkrieg thrust through the Ardennes to
Antwerp and to capture an important harbor in Antwerp. The Germans caught the allies completely by surprise.
Europe was in the midst of one of the worst winters in fifty years. Germany slipped its forces up close along the whole of the Allied lines because snow, caused by low cloud coverage, kept Allied spotter plans from flying reconnaissance. Private First Class Robert Jay Gaddy and the 99 th
Regiment, also known as the “Battle Babies”, found themselves in the middle of German fire. The
99 th held fast to the northern shoulder of the German advance, refusing to give them access to a vital road which led into Belgium.

MEDALS AWARDED
Purple heart, Combat Infantryman Badge,
American Campaign Medal, and WWII Victory medal
• Private First Class Robert Jay Gaddy was born in 1925 in Spalding
County, GA. to Ernest and Lulla Gaddy. He had four brothers: Donald,
Harold, Johnny Charles, and Ernest, and four half-sisters: Georgia,
Jimmie Lou, Elmer, Ethel, and one sister: Mamie.
• Private First Class Gaddy graduated from Spaulding County High
School and worked for Dundee Mills in East Griffin, GA.
• Private First Class Gaddy enlisted into the Army on March 21, 1944 at
Fort McPherson and was stationed in the 393 rd Infantry Regiment, 99 th
Regiment known as “the Battle Babies.”
• Private First Class Gaddy was killed in action on January 30, 1945 during the Battle of the Bulge in France. He is listed on a memorial marker in Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle,
Belgium.

• First Lieutenant Ralph Jones (Smokey) was born in Griffin, GA on December 9,
1922 to Ralph and Cynthia Jones. He had four sisters: Cynthia, Carolyn, Emily, and Betty, and one brother: Walter.
• First Lieutenant Jones graduated from Griffin High School and attended the
University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, GA. While at college, First Lieutenant
Jones was Vice-President of the Y.M.C.A., a member of the Cadet Bugler staff,
Cyclops staff, Debate Club, Sigma Theta, Pan-Hellenic Council, Tennis Team,
Rifle Team and Sergeant’s Club. In addition, he helped organize the “Hell’s
Angels” flying Club.
• First Lieutenant Jones joined the United States Marines in 1941 and attended
Officer Candidate School at Quantico VA. From 1942-1943, First Lieutenant
Jones attended Flight School in Pensacola, FL., where he qualified on B-25
Bombers. In 1943, he was assigned to the Pacific Theater of combat.
• On May 5, 1944, while flying a bombing mission over New Britain near Rabaul,
New Guinea, First Lieutenant Jones' bomber plane was shot down with seven crew members on board. The Crew remained missing until 1998, when a team received numerous inquiries in reference to an aircraft crash site found by a local farmer about 800 yards west of the Tobera runway. In 1999, the remains of the crew were recovered and sent to the United States.
• A marker honoring all seven crew members lost that day is located in Arlington
National Cemetery. Lt. Jones is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Griffin GA.

On October 3, 1944, Second Lieutenant Frederick D. Melton’s unit, 113 th Cavalry Reconnaissance, advanced on the small German city of Havert. The platoon to their right failed to come up and Second
Lieutenant Melton’s men were ordered back into their original position.
When he got back to base, Second Lieutenant Melton checked on his platoon and discovered five of the men missing. He told his platoon Sergeant, “Give me what protection you can with rifle fire.” Second
Lieutenant Melton went into the city and one by one brought back men who were wounded, carrying them over his shoulder. Time and again one of his men asked him to let them rescue the next man, but his reply was always
“They are my men and I’ll bring them back.’
Second Lieutenant Melton successfully rescued four men. While bringing back the fifth man, a German sniper killed both Second Lieutenant Melton and the man he was carrying.

• Second Lieutenant Frederick Davenport Melton was born on August 15,
1924 to Oliver Quimby Melton and Mary D. Melton of Griffin, GA. He had one brother Oliver Quimby Melton, Jr.
MEDALS AWARDED
Presidential Citation and the Silver Star
• Second Lieutenant Melton attended high school at Baylor School, a prep school in Tennessee, where he helped lead the school’s football team to the 1940 Mid-South Prep Championship. Upon graduation, he attended college at The Citadel in South Carolina. He left college to enlist in the
Army when the war broke out.
• Second Lieutenant Melton was stationed at Fort Riley, KS after enlisting.
He was assigned to Officer Candidate School where he graduated at the top of his class. Second Lieutenant Melton received his officer commission at the age of 19, making him one of the youngest officers in the Army.
• Second Lieutenant Melton was assigned to the 113th Cavalry
Reconnaissance. He was killed on October 3, 1944 at Maas River,
Netherland, while attempting to rescue men of his platoon who had been wounded.

The Korean War lasted from Jun 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953. The principle combatants were South Korea and the United Nations, led by the United States, against North Korea, China, and the Soviet Union. The end of
World War II created the circumstances for the Korean conflict. Following the Second World War, it was agreed that Korea, north of the 38th parallel, would become a Soviet occupation zone and south of the 38 parallel would become a United States zone of occupation.
Both South and North Korea claimed they were the rightful leaders of all Korea, which led to the North invading the South in 1950. The United Nations stepped in to help South Korea. Over the first year of the war, the two sides pushed each up and down the peninsula. When United Nations’ forces drove the North Koreans to the border of China, China responded by sending troops to support North Korea.
After the first year, it became a war of lines as the two sides attempted to settle on a peace agreement.
Delegates signed a ceasefire in July 1953. However, no official peace treaty between North and South Korea was ever signed, and hostile conditions still exist between the two nations. The United States currently has around 38,000 troops stationed in South Korea.
More than 5.7 million American military personnel served during the Korean War. The losses for the
United States amounted to 36,574 dead, with 33,741 of those due to battle. Men such as Private First Class
Bobby L. Byars and Second Lieutenant Robert W. Duncan made up part of America’s losses.

• Private First Class Bobby Ladon Byars was born on June 6, 1932 to
Carlton Dean Byars and Martha Louise Allen Byars. He had two brothers: James A. Byars and Charles R. Byars.
• Private First Class Byars joined the National Guard of Griffin, GA in
February 1949, and then joined the Army in August 1932. He was sent to
Fort Jackson, SC for basic training, after which he went to Fort Benning,
GA for additional training in December 1949. He was assigned to Fort
Lawton, WA in July 1950 and was deployed to Korea in September 1950.
He was assigned to Company M, 31st Regimental Combat Team.
• By December 12 of that year, Private First Class Byars was considered
MIA. On December 31, 1953, he was presumed dead. Decades passed and Private First Class Byars’ remains remained missing. In the early
1990s, the North Korean Government returned several boxes of remains to the United States, which were stored until science progressed to the point where the remains could be identified.
• In 2013, Private First Class Byars’ remains were confirmed via DNA testing. He was returned home to Griffin, GA and given a military funeral. He is remembered on memorials in Ohio and Hawaii. His family awaited his return for over fifty years. Since 2013, Byars has been resting peacefully in Oak Hill Cemetery in Griffin, GA.

• Second Lieutenant Robert Whitfield Duncan was born on July 26, 1929 in West Point, GA to Robert E. Duncan and Evelyn Duncan. He had two brothers: Dan Duncan and Ronald Duncan.
• Second Lieutenant Duncan attended Griffin High School and North
Georgia College, where he graduated with a B.S. in Business
Administration in 1952. He was a Distinguished Military Student, and a member of the Pan-Hellenic Council, Rex Fraternity, Sergeant’s Club,
Officer Club, Future Business Leader’s Club, and NCO Club. In addition he served on the CYCLOPS yearbook staff and was Captain of the
PMS&T Staff.
MEDALS AWARDED
Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman's Badge,
Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service
Medal, National Defense Service Medal,
• Second Lieutenant Duncan was killed in action in North Korea on July
18, 1953.
Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
• Second Lieutenant Duncan served in the Navy from 1947 to 1949 before attending college. After college, he enlisted into the Army and became a member of the 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was stationed at Fort Jackson, SC before being sent to Japan on June 28,
1953. Two days later he was sent to Korea.

For the United States, the Vietnam War began with advisors assigned to help the South Vietnamese Army and
French as early as 1950. In the early 1960s, the United States doubled its forces in the country because by this time the French had pulled out. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson stepped up the fight when he mobilized the Air
Mobile Division (Air Cav) to Vietnam to fight what he called “Communist aggression.” The war raged on until the
United States pulled out in 1975.
This was the first war the United States engaged in where there were no real front lines and where the need for helicopters was essential in moving troops to and from the fight. This was a conflict in which the United States won every major engagement, but lost the war. Generals and politicians disagreed on how to best utilize the United States’ military to conduct the war.
More than 8.7 million American military personnel served during the Vietnam War. Throughout the conflict, the
United States suffered 58,209 deaths, such as Private First Class Gary Anderson and First Lieutenant James
Robert Reese . Many people continue to believe the United States lost the Vietnam War; however, the sacrifice made by United States’ soldiers in Vietnam must be remembered and honored.

• Private First Class Gary Anderson was born on the August 25, 1949.
At the time of his death, he was survived by his parents, brothers, grandmother, and two daughters. He attended Fairmount High
School for two years, but left school to go to work.
• Private First Class Anderson attended Fairmont High School in
Griffin, GA.
• In 1968, Private First Class Anderson was drafted into the Army where he served as a heavy vehicle driver for the 32 nd artillery, 6 th battalion. On November 29, 1969, he was on his way home when his plane crashed in the Ninh Thuan, Binh Duong Province, fifteen miles from his destination of Saigon. Due to the poor weather conditions, the plane could not land properly. The plane was missing for nine days before the wreck was found and his body was recovered. Out of forty-four passengers, only two survivors remained.
• His family misses him to this day.
MEDALS AWARDED
Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense
Service Medal, and
Vietnam Campaign Metal

• First Lieutenant James Robert Reese was born on March 19, 1942 to James
M. Reese and Hazel Reese. He had one brother, Fred Reese, and one sister,,
Anne Wainwright.
• First Lieutenant Reese graduated from Griffin High School in 1960. He was a member of the Aerie yearbook staff , Key Club, Senior HI-Y Club. He was voted “Wittiest” by his senior class. He attended the University of
Georgia where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega.
• First Lieutenant Reese enlisted into the United States Marines in 1963. He was stationed in Vietnam on July 7, 1968 as a “Birddog” pilot in the VMO-
6 Squadron.
MEDALS AWARDED
Purple Heart, Air Medal, National Defense
Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal,
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
• First Lieutenant Reese was killed on December 2, 1968 when his plane was shot down. He is buried in the Westwood Gardens Cemetery in Griffin GA.

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Korean War :
Vietnam War :
World War I:
World War II: