Unique History of Pensacola (2026)

03/12/2025

November 18, 1966 Pensacola Lost a Hero

Sergeant Donald Prue Smith was born on 22 December 1943, in Mobile, Mobile, Alabama, the son of Prue Smith and Mary T. Pruitt. His parents moved to Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida where he would graduate from Escambia County High School in 1961. Classmates remembered him for his intelligence and steady presence.

Upon graduation he attended Pensacola Junior College, during a time when many of America’s young men felt a duty to enlist in the military service. For Smith, his calling led him to enlist in the U.S. Army and eventually volunteer for the elite U.S. Special Forces.
As the conflict expanded, the U.S. beginning sending teams of Green Berets to organize and train the local militias to resist the rising communist forces.

He began his tour on 20 May 1966 as part of their A-Team as their Medic at the rank of Sergeant. In 1966, Detachment A-100 was part of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and was stationed at a compound in the Marble Mountains area, south of Da Nang. Their operational area included the surrounding region of Quang Nam province.

They were operating in and around the “A Shau Valley”, a deep, jungle-covered corridor along the Laotian border that had become a major infiltration route for the North Vietnamese Army. It was an unforgiving place, narrow, steep-sided, often socked in by low clouds, where visibility was poor and the enemy was skilled, aggressive, and familiar with the terrain. For Special Forces medics, the valley was especially lethal: they were frequently the first to expose themselves to fire while treating the wounded.

On November 18, 1966, Smith was part of a Special Forces Strike group operation in this dangerous valley, when his group made contact with a Vietcong Force, two Montagnards tribesmen were wounded, and one was killed in the initial burst of intense sniper fire. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Sergeant Smith ran to the two wounded men and carried them to shelter. When another man was wounded, he again exposed himself once again to the hostile fire as he helped him toward the perimeter of the camp. The Viet Cong shifted their fire and killed him with rifle and machine gun fire.

Surviving teammates later spoke of him with deep respect. They remembered a medic who remained calm under fire, who treated the wounded with confidence beyond his years, and who embodied the Special Forces motto, De Oppresso Liber (To Free the Oppressed).”

For Escambia County, he remains one of its honored sons, a young man who stepped forward, took on one of the most dangerous assignments the Army offered, and gave his life far from home in service to others. His friends remember him as a giving person who was determined to help others. One friend stated that, “I was a Pensacola Beach lifeguard with Don back in the '50's and '60's. He helped save people then and continued that course into the U.S. Army. That's who he was.”

His father had been a civil service employee at the Naval Air Station and would pass away in 1991 in Pensacola. He would join his son in Bayview Cemetery where both were joined by Mary two years later. In 2024, Donald’s wife, Donna Anne Kelson would join him as well.

02/12/2025

November 30, 1968 Pensacola Lost a Hero

Pensacola had already given many of its sons to the war by the
time William Thomas Damron arrived in Vietnam in 1968. Barely past his twenty-first birthday, he carried the quiet weight of command over “C” Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division, the Wolfhounds. Their reputation had been forged long ago, but now it would be tested again in the tangled fields north of Cu Chi.

By late November, the fighting west of Saigon had settled into a relentless rhythm: long patrols through rice paddies, the tense silence of night ambushes, and sudden bursts of enemy fire. Damron moved with the calm intensity of a leader who knew both the dangers and the responsibility that rested on his young shoulders. On November 30, 1968, while leading his men through one of these operations, enemy fire struck him down. Another North Florida name was added to the list of those who would never return to the white beaches and salty air of home. Though his life ended thousands of miles from Pensacola, William Thomas Damron lived on in the memories of his family, and in the Wolfhounds who had followed him into battle.

Born on August 3, 1947, in Pensacola, William was the son of Chester C. Damron, a Southern Baptist preacher, and Eleanor Louise Kendrick. He grew up in the quiet rhythms of the Gulf Coast, graduated from high school, and registered for the draft in 1967. Soon after, he entered the U.S. Army and, by September 7, 1968, found himself in Vietnam. The Wolfhounds’ combat zone in III Corps was among the most demanding in the country, stretching across Cu Chi, Hau Nghia, and the northwestern regions of Saigon, territory fiercely contested by the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong. After the upheaval of the Tet Offensive, Damron’s regiment was locked in nearly continuous operations: cordon-and-search missions, night ambushes, and sweeping maneuvers to prevent the enemy from regrouping.

On November 20, just two months after his arrival, Damron led his platoon into Dĩ An, Bình Dương. The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong were attempting a final push before the so-called “Mini-Tet” of early 1969. The Wolfhounds were engaged throughout the day, and amid the chaos, Damron and several fellow junior officers were killed. His remains were returned home, and his parents laid him to rest in Centerville Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Centerville, Louisiana, a young life that had left an indelible mark far beyond the Gulf Coast he once called home.

02/12/2025

December 2, 1950 Pensacola Lost a Hero

Sergeant Irwin Matthew Hurst was the son of James Artimus Hurst and Vichy LIllian Brawdy of Jesup, Georgia. His father supported the family as a foreman for a steam railroad as late as 1930 and passed away in 1932. Irwin would enlist in the US Army on November 19, 1945 and was sent to Camp Blanding for processing. Two years later he would marry Juanita Edward Garner on June 8, 1947. She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1917, five years his senior.

For whatever reason, Irwin is listed in both Escambia County, Florida, and Milton, Florida, although the connection is still unknown.

The year 1950 found Irwin a Sergeant 1st Class attached to the Heavy Mortar Company of the 32nd Infantry Regiment of the 7th Infantry Division. They were stationed in Japan as part of the occupation forces. When North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950 the 24th Infantry Division, was sent in at first. Irwin and his force would follow them in the landing at Inchon on September 15.

After Inchon and the recapture of Seoul, the division was moved to eastern Korea before advancing north toward the Yalu River. Elements of the division reached Hyesanjin, making them among the northernmost U.S. troops in Korea at the time. However, the unexpected entry of Chinese forces in late November 1950 forced the division into a fighting withdrawal southward from the Chosin Reservoir.
A brutal 17-day battle in freezing weather and rough terrain soon followed. In the period between 27 November and 13 December 1950, 30,000 United Nations troops were encircled and attacked by approximately 120,000 Chinese troops.

The cold weather was accompanied by frozen ground, resulting in frostbite casualties, icy roads, and weapon malfunctions. In the end, over 17,000 UN forces were killed or wounded or missing in action, or died of wounds. The Chinese suffered 3 times that amount.

At the time of the initial Chinese attack, members of Irwin's company were defending the area north of Sinhung-ni, on the east side of the reservoir. They were overwhelmed by the Chinese and on December 1, were forced to withdraw to friendly lines at Hagaru-ri. The withdrawal route was extremely dangerous, and many of the men were lost or captured during the moving battle, with survivors reaching friendly lines in Hagaru-ri on December 2 and 3. He was listed as missing in action and was never recovered.

02/12/2025

December 1, 1943 Cottage Hill Loses a HeroI

Willie Terrell Little was born in Cottage Hill on October 18, 1919, the son of Ira Hillary Little (1884-1973) and Emma Frances Jones (1895-1995). Emma and Ira would have at least five children as he supported his family first as a farmer, then as a house carpenter and a janitor at a public school. By 1935, Ira and Emma had split apart, and she would remarry Eddie P. Brown in 1936. By the age of 20, Willie had obtained a job as a mechanical laborer at Jacob Albert Jacobi's lumber mill in Molino.

Then came the war, with everyone crowding the recruitment offices trying to enlist. Willie made up his mind to enlist as soon as possible but first he had something more important to do. He and his sweetheart, Naomi Kathleen Matchette (1921-1997) obtained a license and married on January 26, 1942. A young daughter would result from the marriage by the name of Joyce Diane Little. With that taken care of Willie went to the recruitment office in the Post Office building at Chase & Palafox on February 18, 1942 and enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. Following his flight and gunnery training, he was sent to the Pacific where he was assigned to the 42nd Bomber Squadron with the 11th Heavy Bomber Group. In July 1942, the squadron was ordered to the South Pacific where they operated out of Plaines de Gaiac on New Caledonia, Espiritu Santo, and Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.

Eventually, orders came down to commence operations against Mili Island in the Marshall's. The island belonged to Japan and housed a radio direction finding beacon and a weather station. It was occupied by 2,000 Japanese sailors and 2,200 soldiers from the Imperial Japanese Army. By 1942, a seaplane base was constructed followed by an airfield with three runways and a radar station. The perimeter of the island was fortified with coastal defense and anti-aircraft guns thus making it a likely Allied target prior to the invasion of the Marshall's. These aerial attacks increased in frequency and severity even after Majuro and Kwajalein had fallen to the United States. Of the Japanese garrison only half of the 5,100 men survived to the end of the war.

On December 1, 1943, the young Pensacolian and his formation of B-24 heavy bombers took off and headed for Mili Island. Another bomber, piloted by Captain Jesse E. Stay, saw Willie's plane close by as the formation neared the island. Willie's plane, named the "Naughty Nanette," was piloted by 2Lt. George R. Dechert, and was following Captain Stay directly over the target.

One by one, they peeled off to make their individual runs and to get a better view of the target. The conditions were semi-instrument so once Dechert headed down, Stay lost track of him. As they circled back towards the target, he again saw Lt. Dechert making his bombing run. Sadly, that was the last time anyone ever saw Deckert and his Naughty Nanette! Each bomber in the formation made their individual run, dropped their bombs, then peeled back into the clouds.

They had failed to see any enemy Zeros in the air until they made their last run. As they cleared the target, they were attacked by five Zeros, coming in hard and fast. But they never saw any Zeros attacking Dechert's plane when he had made his run. Static interference on their radio was strong enough to make reception practically impossible so even if Dechert had transmitted, it is doubtful anyone would have heard it.

When Willie and his plane failed to return, they were officially listed as "missing in action." Ten men just vanished into thin air, never to be heard from again. In August, a telegram messenger was seen pedaling his bike up north Palafox Street and turning in front of Christ Church. Everyone turned and looked, hoping, and praying he wasn't heading for their house. When the neighbors saw him stop at #29 West Wright Street, they all breathed a sigh of relief for themselves but offered a quiet prayer for Naomi and little Joyce. A knock at the open screen door brought the young wife and mother to her knees.

Sadly, nine other families were receiving the same telegram including Carl Anderson, Bob Baker, Bill Barwick, David Buckles, George Dechert, Bob Lipe, and Bill Roy. All ten families would be waiting the rest of the war for the "final word." However, that word would not arrive from the War Department until January 20, 1946. Willie and his crew would never be coming home, and their bodies would remain in the dark depths of the Pacific Ocean for eternity. Such is the price and heartbreak of war!

02/12/2025

December 1,1950 Pensacola Lost a Hero

Sergeant First Class Frank Sims was born in Pensacola on February 23, 1922, the son of Allen Sims of 6098 North 10th Avenue. His father supported his family as a laborer for a construction outfit. After finishing one year of high school, Frank decided to enlist in the US Army on November 3, 1945. After his initial training, he was assigned to Battery "A" of the 503rd Field Artillery Regiment attached to the 2nd Infantry Division. This unit was only one of the two all African American units attached to the 2nd Division. By the time of the Korean War, Frank had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant First Class. At the beginning of hostilities on June 25, 1950, Frank and his battalion were rushed to the Pusan Peninsular on July 23rd, becoming the first American unit to arrive from the states. They were deployed to the Naktong River where they replaced the decimated 24th Division.

Frank's division broke through the enemy encirclement at Pusan and began fighting its way north. MacArthur's famous Inchon landing placed UN troops in the rear of the North Koreans and enemy resistance began to crumble. Fighting their way north at a rapid pace, Frank and the 2nd Division arrived within fifty miles of the Yalu River and the Manchurian border by mid-November 1950. Along the way, Frank's battalion had to be supplied with winter uniforms and gear as the temperatures began to drop. By November 25th the temperatures had dropped to minus -30 degrees, the coldest in over a century. By this time, the battalion was located at Kunu-Ri where they were boxed in by the mountains.

On November 25th, over 300,000 Chinese soldiers suddenly stormed across Yalu River without warning. It was the 2nd Infantry Division that happened to be the farthest north unit. Entrenched on the Chongchon River, they were struck so hard they had no chance of halting the Chinese advance. Thus, they were forced to withdraw to defensive positions at Sunchon or be annihilated. As the division pulled back from Kunu-ri heading for Sunchon, they fought an intensive rearguard action as the vanguard fought to break through well-defended roadblocks set up by enemy infiltrators. The 2nd Infantry Division, containing the 503rd Field Artillery Battalion suffered extremely heavy casualties in the process.

Many of the boys from the battalion were captured in the process including Frank Sims (Co. A), John W. Hall (HQ CO.) and 1Lt. Luther Napolean Waters from (Co. C). They were captured on December 1, 1950, just south of Kunu-ri and marched to Camp #5. There, Waters and Sims died from abuse and were buried near the camp. Waters' and Sims remains were never identified among those returned to the US. However, Hall's remains on the other hand were recently identified on June 6, 2017 and returned to the states for burial. Frank's battery commander, Captain William Harris Hickman, was also reported missing on November 30 and has never been found.

Official tabulation after the battle was that the 2nd Infantry Division had suffered 4,037 casualties, most of its artillery pieces, 45 percent of its crew-served weapons, and 30 percent of its vehicles during the battle. One participant of the battle was Congressman Charles B. Rangel who was attached to the 503rd Field Artillery with Frank Sims. In an interview, he describes the chaos and horror of the battle as a life-changing experience. As he says, "It was beyond your worst nightmare… nothing could be as frightening as that day."
Pensacolian Sergeant First Class Frank Sims was never found but his DNA has been collected from relatives in case his remains are ever discovered. On February 4, 1954, he was declared "presumed dead" and his name was inscribed on the "Missing War Memorial" in Honolulu, Hawaii.

01/12/2025

December 1, 1950 Muscogee Lost a Hero

Thomas Edward Jones, better known to his family as "Sugarboy" was born and raised in the Muscogee community of Pensacola on August 28, 1931. He was the fourth child of nine born to Thomas G. Jones (1902-1991) and Inez Mahala Steagall (1905-1986). His father supported the family as a laborer in the bustling logging community near Cantonment. His father would later become a carpenter working on the Works Progress Administration (WPA), renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration. This was a governmental agency that employed millions of unskilled Americans during the Great Depression to build public works, including the public buildings and roads.

Thomas enlisted in the US Marines on September 1, 1948 and was assigned to Company "I" of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Division. Thomas was proud of his assignment to the 5th Marines, the most highly decorated regiment of the entire Marine Corps. In the meantime, all was well in America in the peace that followed World War II.

But suddenly, in the predawn hours of June 25, 1950, over 75,000 soldiers of the North Korean army crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea. Thomas' regiment was sent to the Pusan Peninsular on August 1, 1950 to bolster the crumbling American and South Korean forces. To stop the enemy juggernaut, General Douglas MacArthur landed Thomas and his division behind their lines in an amphibious attack at Inchon on the 15th of September. This move severed the enemy's supply lines and eventually forced them to fall back. Within a month 135,000 enemy soldiers had been taken prisoner.

But for Thomas and his fellow Marines, there was more hard fighting ahead. Gradually, they pushed the North Koreans back north until they reached the Chosin Reservoir. Again, our forces were surprised on November 27, 1950 when over 120,000 Chinese soldiers charged over the border in freezing weather. After a 17-day battle, the 30,000 UN troops were encircled and faced annihilation. However, the 1st Marine Division only had one narrow road south available to them for escape. This road cut through some of the the harshest terrain ever seen in the annals of warfare.

On both sides of the road were steep cliffs and mountains that gave the enemy the ability to rain fire down on the retreating Marines. To make matters worse the temperature dropped to -36 degrees, freezing the vials of morphine and plasma for the wounded. Firing pins froze so weapons would jam and even the vehicle's batteries ceased working. Frostbite became as dangerous as gunshot and shrapnel wounds.

Along the way, Thomas and his regiment were ordered to attack west toward Mupyong-ni on November 27th, but it soon stalled, forcing them to dig in on the ridges surrounding Yudam-ni. As night came, three Chinese regiments attacked them, which quickly devolved in hand-to-hand combat. But Thomas and his regiment held the line with the Chinese dead piled up in front of the positions. With mounting dead, the enemy commander left the Marines of Yudam-ni surrounded but ceased their attacks to shift to other targets. Thomas had a temporary reprieve. But on November 30th, the Marines attempted a breakout with Thomas' 3rd Battalion as the vanguard of the convoy with a single tank leading the way. His convoy was forced to fight their way through one obstacle after another.

On the night of November 30/December 1, the Chinese struck the convoy inflicting heavy casualties. PFC Thomas Edward Jones was one of those killed in the heaving fighting by a mortar/artillery round. But, to the best of their ability, the Marines brought their dead comrades out with them to be buried later in military cemeteries. Thomas' surviving comrades made it out by December 4, 1950 and became known as the "Chosin Few" who survived the "Frozen Chosin." Over 18,000 UN forces were now casualties versus 48,000 Chinese. Thus, the name "Chosin" became embedded in Marine Corps lore and joined such hallowed names as Tripoli, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Iwo Jima!

The 5th Marines returned to the states in March 1955 and with them they brought "Sugarboy" home per the request of his parents. His remains were buried with full military honors in the Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery where he rests among his family today.

01/12/2025

November 30, 1942 Pensacola Lost a Hero

William Francis McKinlay was born in Pensacola, Florida on June 3, 1912, the son of Alexander "Alex" McKinlay (1865-1933) and Beulah McKinlay (1884-1950). His father was a native of Scotland and immigrated to America in 1887. He would marry Josephine McKinlay (1872-) from Mississippi in 1894 and they made their home at 725 Cedar Street. At the time, Alex was supporting them as a stevedore unloading ships at the docks. Nothing else is known of Josephine from this point on. Alex would marry again to Beulah (last name unknown) McKinlay in 1905 with the couple taking up residency at 717 West Zarragossa Street. Alex was well-known on the docks and even took a job for several years as a bartender for William E. McCauley (1864-1924) at 501 South Palafox.

McCauley was a Union Civil War pensioner from Baltimore, Maryland who had served with the 8th Maryland Infantry Regiment (3rd Artillery). After working for McCauley, Alex worked the local waters as a "bayman" in the fishing industry. Then, he was hired by the US Post Office prior to 1913 and would spend the next twenty years delivering mail. He would pass away at his home at 1790 East Lakeview Street after several days illness and was buried in Bayview Cemetery. By 1940, Beulah had moved out of their home and was living in Ensley with her son William and her daughter Annie Nora. William was running a poultry farm at the time until WWII began.

Almost immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack, William would enlist in the US Navy on December 18, 1941 and was sent to Birmingham, Alabama for processing and orientation. The Navy at the time was desperate for men to fight in the South Pacific therefore they didn't have time to train them properly. Some spent only one week in basic training before being shipped off to war. Luckily, William received a little more training and was finally assigned to the heavy cruiser USS Northampton (CA-26).

He came aboard on March 27, 1942 while his ship was docked at Pearl Harbor. William and his ship left almost immediately afterwards to take part in the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. He would miss the famous battle of the Coral Sea but was present and accounted for at milestone Battle of Midway where they screened the carrier, USS Enterprise. On September 1, 1942, William was promoted to Seaman 1st Class just before his next battle. During the battle of Santa Cruz on October 25th, the Northampton went to the aid of the damaged carrier USS Hornet before she sank.

On November 30, 1942, she was a member of a small task force of cruisers and destroyers off Savo Island that was sent to prevent the Japanese from reinforcing their troops on Guadalcanal. Confronting an enemy force of eight destroyers, the Americans attacked with their five cruisers and six destroyers. However, the Japanese at this point of the war were far superior at night fighting and their torpedoes were much better than the American version. Before the Americans knew it, the enemy destroyers had maneuvered into positions to fire their torpedoes.

In quick succession, the cruiser New Orleans had her bow blown off, the bow of the cruiser Minneapolis was completely folded over, and the cruiser USS Pensacola was hit by a torpedo and on fire with the loss of 125 men. Then William's Northampton was hit by two torpedoes at 2348 hours so close together than most aboard just heard one explosion. One of them struck her ten feet below the waterline and the other right at the surface. Three hours later she sank beneath the surface taking Pensacolian William Francis McKinlay with her. Many of the survivors were picked up by an American patrol boat PT-109 and brought to safety. Five months after the battle, the PT-109 would gain fame with her new skipper John Fitzgerald Kennedy (35th President of the US).

The Battle of Tassafaronga was a tactical defeat for the Americans especially since they had an overwhelming advantage in ships and firepower. However, one saving grace was that it prevented the Japanese from reinforcing Guadalcanal thus ensuring the Marine Corps victory there.

01/12/2025

November 29, 1944 Pensacola Lost a Hero

US Army Corporal Olin Iverson Handley was born in Mobile, Alabama on November 12, 1912, the son of George Thomas Handley (1883-1951) and Carrie Pearl Sutton (1886-1958). Olin's father was from Bibb County, Georgia and entered the work force there in 1900 as a laborer at a lumber mill. Ten years later he was a machinist for a steam railroad. But by 1918, he and Carrie had moved to Mobile, Alabama where he was still working as a machinist. Two years later they were still in Mobile but he was supporting them by selling lubricating oils. Then tragedy struck the family when their son James Thomas Handley, age 18, died on August 7, 1925 at the Pensacola Hospital following an operation. He had traveled over from Mobile to Pensacola to visit his aunt and uncle Henry H. Handley of 1201 West Garden Street. His remains were returned to Mobile and buried in the Pine Crest Cemetery. In 1930, George and Carrie were still in Mobile but he had become a traveling commercial salesman for a knife company. He and Carrie would return to Bibb County, Georgia in 1940 where George continued with his knife company job.

While the family was still in Mobile, Olin was attending the local schools there to include Wrights Preparatory School that was founded in 1893 by Dr. Julius T. Wright. Olin would study under Dr. Wright before enrolling in the Gordon Institute in Barnesville, GA., later known as Gordon College. There, he became the manager of their football team in his senior year and editor-in-chief of the college yearbook. After graduation, he enrolled in the University of Alabama.

Somewhere along the line he decided to enlist in the US Army in 1933 for a period of three years and received his discharge in 1936. Prior to his discharge he would marry Miss Betty Sue McNeill (also McNeal) (1916-1935) on February 9, 1935. She was the daughter of Neal Monroe McNeill (1878-1942) a farmer in Bluff Springs and Josephine "Phenie" Elizabeth Fail (1880-1961). Five weeks after the wedding, Betty developed pneumonia and passed away.

Three years later, Olin would marry again to Miss Clara Louise Gonzalez on April 29, 1939. She was a graduate of Pensacola High School in the Class of 1931 and the daughter of Hugh Fitzsimmons Gonzalez (1881-1939) and Clara Augusta Weekley (1882-1959). Her father was the manager of the Standard Export Lumber Company with an office at #602 Blount Building. Olin and Clara moved in with her parents at 106 West Hernandez Street but the following year had moved to Macon, Bibb County where their son, Hugh Thomas Handley Sr. (1940-2007) was born. After a short while they had moved in with his parents with Olin working as a farmer.
Then came the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and the recruiting stations began filling up the next day. On December 9th, Olin reenlisted in the US Army at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He was eventually assigned to Company "B" of the 113 Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. The primary role of these squadrons was as a highly mechanized reconnaissance force that could fight with the best of them if called on upon to do so. To meet the challenge, they were organized into three Calvary Troops, lettered A to C. Each Troop contained M8 Greyhound armored cars, M8 Scott HMC's and M24 Chaffee tanks. In all, they were a very potent force to encounter.

After training at Ft. Hood, TX they moved to Louisiana for two months performing war maneuvers. Then they boarded a train for Boston and were loaded onto a troop ship for the ten-day voyage across the Atlantic. In January 1944, they landed in Glasgow, Scotland where they disembarked only to reembark onto a troop train for Camp Lobscomb, 10 miles north of Salisbury, for more training. Here, their commander felt that two squadrons was far more effective than one regiment so he split them into two squadrons, the 113th Armored Cavalry Recon Squadron and the 125th Armored Cavalry Recon Squadron.

When all was ready, they loaded onto a LST for the voyage across the English Channel. They landed on Omaha Beach on June 16, 1944 where they were put into line for the breakout of Normandy. From that point on, they were in constant combat as they fought their way across France and entered the Aachen area in Germany on October 2. By November 26, they had moved to support the 84th Infantry Division during the Roer offensive. In this capacity, the 113th remained on its defensive mission in the Geilenkichen area. And it was here that Olin was killed in action and his body was turned over to the grave's registration company. Today, he rests peacefully in the Margraten Cemetery in Holland.

Afterwards, Clara returned to her hometown of Pensacola with her son Hugh and never remarried. Hugh would go on to graduate from Pensacola High School in 1958 as well as the University of Florida. He would enroll and graduate from the Florida College of Law as an attorney. He would pass away in 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia having retired from law.

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