Family Veterans:
Military Heroes, War Dead, and Veterans
October 2009
On Memorial Day of 2006 I resolved to give a brief accounting of those who sacrificed for their country in military service. Following, grouped by conflict in reverse chronological order, are the contributions of our family's notable veterans.
Persian Gulf War, Operation DESERT STORM (1991)
- Thomas Allen JENKINS, LCpl, USMC
- Killed by friendly fire while repelling an Iraqi incursion into Saudi Arabia at Khafji, February 1991. Age 21.
Vietnam War (1964-1975)
- Jimmy Lee FISHER, Cpl, USA
- Long An, Southern Vietnam, 15 November 1967. Age 20.
World War II (1941-1945)
- Harry Theodore TAYLOR, USN
- Served as a gunners mate and killed aboard the U.S.S. Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i, 7 December 1941. Age 23.
- Herbert Dennis SHAW, CM1C, USN
- Died during the sinking of the U.S.S. Houston (CA-30) by the Japanese in the Sundra Strait of Indonesia off the island of Java, 1 March 1942; 638 of the crew of 1,008 perished and the rest were taken prisoner by the Japanese. Herbert was about age 37.
- Oliver Albert GOODWIN, Jr., USN
- Died during the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, July 1945. Age 33.
- Robert G. GUGLIELMETTI, USN
- Died in an airplane crash during training over the Pamlico Sound, Florida, November 1942
- George Lewis MAGATELLI, USN
- Died on 12 April 1942 in Solano County, California following contraction of a disease while serving with the U.S. Navy. Age 22.
- Warren G. EPPS, Sergeant, US(MC)
- Served in Saipan, Okinawa, and Korea; awarded the Purple Heart on 20 June 1945 after being wounded at Okinawa
- Charles J. MARCI
- Jerome J. MARCI, PFC, USA
- Served in the Philippine Islands as a light scout machine gunner; twice awarded the Bronze Star and earned a Purple Heart
- Louis Wayne "Bill" THOMAS, USN
- Served with the Navy Seabees in Okinawa
World War I
Spanish-American War (1898)
- Thomas James GOODWIN, USN
- Enlisted as a Navy fireman following the explosion aboard the U.S.S. Maine; after his discharge he worked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard as a stationary engineer and died there 30 years later in an explosion, 1 September 1931
- Henry Lee BOND, Pvt, USA
- Served in the Philippine Islands and Philippine Insurrection (~1898-1902); died on 26 January 1941 at the Veterans' Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico following decades of complications from malaria and dysentary contracted during his service
Civil War, Union (1861-1865)
- Henry B. and George B. CONVERSE
- Brothers Henry and George CONVERSE are said to have died in the service of the Union Army
- William CHAPMAN
- Died at Petersburg, Virginia on 25 March 1865 (Union or Confederate?), age 22
- Isaac Dennis MILLER7, Pvt, Iowa 24th Regiment Volunteer Infantry, Company D
- Wounded in the right leg at the Battle of Champion's Hill (16 May 1863) on the road to Vicksburg, Mississippi and again a year later at the Battle of Opequon Creek (19 September 1864) on the road to Winchester, Virginia, leaving his right leg crippled. Age 20.
- Allen CHAPMAN5, Iowa 37th Regiment Volunteer Infantry, Company E
- Allen and "the Graybeard Regiment" performed guard and garrison duty during several deployments in the Mississippi Valley
- Benjamin Franklin CHAPMAN, Iowa 11th Regiment Volunteer Infantry, Company A
- The 11th Iowa served in the Army of the Tennessee and engaged in the Battle of Shiloh, the Mississippi Campaign, and March to the Sea in Georgia
War of 1812 (1812-1815)
- Paul KESTER2, LANIER's Independent Battalion of Ohio Militia
- Killed upon return home to Preble County, Ohio
Revolutionary War (1775-1781)
- James CHAPMAN3, Pvt, Virginia Militia
- Served under Maj BOICE at the Battle of Camden, South Carolina, 16 August 1780, and later at the Battle of Yorktown, 19 October 1781
- John "Jack" CHAPMAN, Virginia Militia
- Served in the Seige of Charleston, South Carolina and second battle for Charleston