Military history

Stancil World War II Veterans


James Walter Sweesy
Air Force, LtCol
Born Nov. 9, 1920
Died Aug. 7, 1971 Goldsboro, NC; Buried at Arlington National Cemetery
In Air Force from 1937 to 1968. Enlisted for war Jan. 31, 1946, in Pittsburgh. Served in World War II, Korea (Okinawa), Vietnam (Saigon); was Lt. Colonel, 1st Lt. Was married to Rose when entered World War II. Had a 30-year Air Force career.

Married to Rose Marie Stancil, daughter of Thomas Emmette Stancil, granddaughter of George Ira Stancil

James Orville Stancil
Marine Corps, Platoon sergeant
Born Oct. 10, 1921

Served starting June 3, 1940, Parris Island, SC
October 1940, sent to Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island.

Son of Oscar and Mamie Hocutt Stancil, grandson of Henry Stancil

See more on James Orville Stancil

Henry Rudolph Stancil
U.S. Navy
Born Sept. 17, 1924
Died Dec. 4, 1993 Clifton Forge, Va.
Sent to Rhode Island at the same time his brother James Orville was there with the Marines. He was stationed aboard a PT boat in the Pacific

Son of Oscar and Mamie Hocutt Stancil, grandson of Henry Stancil.

John Frederick Hill
National Guard
Born May 20, 1922
Died May 10, 1973
Enlisted Sept. 16, 1940, at Smithfield, NC. He was in the Field Artillery Unit, a member of the National Guard, completed three years of high school. His civilian Occupation: Foreman, laundry or bookkeeping, Machine Operator.

Son of John Fletcher and Bertha Sasser Hill, grandson of Tempy Ann Stancil.

George Guy Stancil
Army
Born Oct. 23, 1911 Johnston County, NC
Died Feb. 25, 1986 Honolulu, Hawaii
Enlisted Oct. 15, 1940, and was sent to Hawaii. He fell in love with Frances Louis DeMella, they married and he was released from the Army and stayed in Hawaii.

Son of Oscar Stancil, grandson of Henry.

George Ira Stancil Jr.
Navy
Born Nov. 6, 1920 Beulah Township, Johnston County, NC
Died Feb. 8, 1995 Kenly, NC; Buried at Holly Springs
Served from Dec. 10, 1940 to 1963

Son of George Ira Stancil

William Carl Stancil
Army
Born Sept. 9, 1915
Died Dec. 14, 1979 Fayetteville, NC
Enlisted Feb. 3, 1941, at Camp Patrick Henry in Newport News, Va.
Carl suffered shrapnel wound in the Battle of Anzio beachhead in Italy that lasted from Jan. 23 to May 25, 1944. He returned to the states.

Son of Harvey Stancil

Harold Lloyd Stancil
Navy
Born May 7, 1924 Johnston County, NC
Died Oct. 13, 1944, on USS Franklin, South Pacific
Served from May 1941 to Oct. 13, 1944. Died in South Pacific and has a monument at Fort William McKinley, Manila, The Philippines. The piece of the Japanese aircraft that killed Harold on the USS Franklin in 1944 is in the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum exhibit in Charleston, S.C. Hale Ralph Stancil toured it and saw the piece that killed Harold.

Purple Heart Recipient page

Son of George Ira Stancil

Henry 'Ed' Edward Wallace
Air Force
Born June 17, 1920 Philadelphia, Pa.
Died Nov. 23, 2013 Newport News, Va.
Joined May 13, 1941, at Fort Bragg, NC. Ed was trained to be a bomber pilot. He was shot down in 1943 during bombing raids over Germany. Ed taken as a prisoner of War. He was released in 1945 after 14 months and the when the Allied Forces were victorious.

Husband of Irene Pittman, daughter of Gertrude Stancil, granddaughter of Harvey Stancil.

Joseph Downing Stancil in 1946

Joseph "Joe" Downing Stancil
Marine Corp, Merchant Marines, Able Seaman
Born July 31, 1924
Died Jan. 27, 2000 Wilson, NC
Enlisted into Marine Corp on Aug. 13, 1941. Served through July 7, 1942. Joined Merchant Marines June 30, 1944 and served through Sept. 26, 1946.

Served on:

  • SS Archbishop Lamy, Foreign Voyage to Bari, Italy & Marseille, France
  • SS A P Hill, Foreign Voyage To Naples, Italy & Marseille, France
  • SS William P. Duval, Foreign Voyage To Marseilles, France & Philadelphia, PA & New Orleans
  • SS Henry L. Ellsworth, To Providence, RI & New Orleans
  • SS Frederic A. Kummer, To Baltimore, Md. & New Orleans
  • SS Henry L. Ellsworth, To Mobile, Ala. & Providence, RI
  • SS William Ford Nichols, To Mobile, Ala. & Norfolk, Va.

    Son of John Millard Stancil, grandson of John Archer Stancil

"Tom" Eldred Francis Deans
Navy
Born March 31, 1918 Wilson County, NC
Died July 18, 1998 Buried at Maplewood Cemetery, Wilson, NC
Enlisted Jan. 9, 1942, at Fort Bragg, NC. Was MM1. Had one year of high school.

Husband of Myrtie Hill, daughter of James Clarence Hill, son of Tempy Ann Stancil Hill

Robert "Bob" Ernest Dennison
Army & Air Force
Born Jan. 15, 1914 Philadelphia, Pa.
Died December 1998 Fremont, NC
Enlisted Jan. 22, 1942, at Fort George G. Mead, Md. Later transferred to Air Force. Was a mechanic and a navigator in the service. His plane crashed in France after he was married.


Husband of Dot Stancil Dennison, daughter of George Ira Stancil

Earney Whitehurst Cayton
Army, Cpl
Born Oct. 17, 1913 in North Carolina
Died June 28, 2006; Evergreen Cemetery, Wilson, NC
Enlisted Feb. 7, 1942

Husband of Emma Lee Godwin, daughter of Bessie Stancil, granddaughter of Henry Stancil

Fletcher Blythe Hales
Army
Born Sept. 18, 1918
Died June 21, 2006 Kenly, NC; Buried at the Batten Family Cemetery, NC
Enlisted March 4, 1942, at Fort Bragg, NC. He had completed Grammar School.

Son of Delphia Pearl Hill and James Perry Hales Sr., grandson of Tempy Ann Stancil Hill.

Vernon Fletcher Hill

Vernon "Jim" Fletcher Hill
Army, Master Sergeant
Born March 10, 1917
Died Sept. 9, 1973 Johnston County, NC
Drafted and served from March 4, 1942, to Dec. 23, 1945. Enlisted at Fort Bragg, NC, on March 4, 1942, completed grammar school, occupation: Automobile Serviceman. After basic training at Fort Bragg he was sent to the Armored Cavalry Regiment at Camp Polk, La. There he learned to drive a tank and became a tank driver for the Army. Jim was stationed in Germany. He spent almost four years in the Army. His awards:

  • Army Good Conduct Ribbon (without knots) and medal
  • WWII Victory Medal Ribbon and WWII Victory Medal
  • American Campaign Medal WWII Ribbon and medal
  • The Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar
  • The Honorable Service Lapel Button
  • European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Ribbon with Double Stars on Ribbon and Medal

Husband of Dorothy June Hill. Son of Millard and Ziphia Hill, grandson of Tempy Ann.

Leon Daughtridge Hales
Army
Born May 12, 1920
Died April 23, 1984 Isle of Wright, Va.
Enlisted at Fort Bragg, NC, on March 30, 1942. He completed grammar school.

Son of Delphia Pearl Hill and James Perry Hales Sr. Grandson of Tempy Ann Stancil.

Paul Douglas Creech
Army
Born Dec. 12, 1921
Died July 7, 1997 Virginia
Enlisted at Fort Bragg, NC, on Sept. 15, 1942. He completed grammar school.

Son of Lillian Stancil Creech.

George Garland Stancil
Army Pvt.
Born June 6, 1918
Died Oct. 24, 2010 Durham, NC
Served in the Army from Oct. 12, 1942, to December 1945. Drafted Oct. 12, 1942, spent three days at Fort Bragg, NC. Was sent by troop train to Camp White, near Medford, Ore., for basic training. Camp White was dedicated on Sept. 15, 1942, and deactivated April 1946. Garland was part of the 91st Infantry Division. Garland spent 11 months in training. Garland rode a troop train to Fort Patrick Henry in Virginia. Enlisted for the war Nov. 25, 1942, at Fort Bragg. He was sent to Oran, Algeria, North Africa. He suffered a foot injury and had surgery to remove a piece of bone before meeting up with his division in Italy. Garland spent 14 months in Italy and marched from Naples to the Switzerland border. Garland was in Italy until 1944 when he was sent to France where 4,500 U.S. prisoners were housed. Garland was in charge of maintenance. He had a staff of 100 German prisoners kept the place running. His tour of duty was up in December of 1945. He returned to the U.S. by ship to Fort Patrick Henry and rode a troop train to Fort Bragg. He hired a car for $35 to take him to wife Doris' house in Johnston County.

Married to Doris, son of Harvey Stancil.

James "Jimmy" Harding Stancil
Merchant Marines, Lieutenant
Born June 20, 1921 Johnston County, NC
Died Feb. 18, 2009 Chattanooga, Tenn.;
Buried at Chattanooga Memorial Cemetery
Served from Oct. 19, 1942 to May 1946. He served all over the Atlantic, North Sea and South America.
He served aboard the sailing vessel the Joseph Conrad, USS Roger B. Taney, USS John A Dix, and USS Frederick Remington. Ports of call included St. Petersburg, Fla., Sheepshead Bay, New York, Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, Baltic Sea, and locations in the European Theater.
He was the medic and purser. Jimmy attained the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. He spoke fluent Castillian Spanish and was often the only one allowed to go ashore.

For more on Jimmy's military career, go to http://lcweb2.loc.gov/
diglib/vhp/bib/26535
.

Son of Leumos Stancil, grandson of Josiah Stancil

Needom Ralph Creech
Army
Born Oct. 10, 1918
Died May 17, 2003
Enlisted in the Army on Nov. 21, 1942, at Fort Bragg, NC.

Married Ila Stancil on Dec. 1, 1955, in Dillon, SC. Ila was the youngest daughter of Henry Stancil.

Willard Levi Burgess
Navy, PHM2


Enlisted Nov. 26, 1942, served as Pharmacist's mate 2nd class in U.S. Navy

Husband of Gloria Maxine Stancil Burgess Woods, daughter of Leumos Waverly Stancil (Josiah Branch)

Thomas Emmette Stancil Jr.
Navy
Born Dec. 15, 1924
Died May 23, 1980
Served from Dec. 8, 1942 to summer 1944.

Son of Thomas Emmette Stancil, grandson of George Ira Stancil

George Preston Hill Jr.
Coast Guard & Army, CW2
Born Oct. 15, 1926 Johnston County, NC
Died April 14, 1988 Durham, NC
Served in Coast Guard for four years from 1942 to 1946. Joined Army in 1947 at Fort Bragg, NC. Served during Korean War and two tours in Vietnam. He was a tug boat pilot and licensed harbor pilot. Participated in the testing of the "H" bomb. Retired from Army in June 1972 after 28 years of service. Received several medals while in service, including the Army Commendation Medal for Valor and Bronze Star for Valor.

Husband of Margaret Pope, son of Preston Hill, grandson of Tempy Ann Stancil Hill.

Freeman Durward Stancil
Army
Born Oct. 11, 1914 Middlesex, NC
Died April 25, 1998 Wilson, NC; Buried at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, Wilson, NC
Enlisted Jan. 23, 1943, at Fort Bragg, NC. He graduated from high school and his listed occupation was motorcyclist. Durward scored exceptional well on the electronic tests taken. He was selected to go to Chicago as the military was being built up. When the Marines built their base at Cherry Point, NC, Durward was sent there. Durward transferred from the Army to the Marine Corp

Son of Freeman Elbert Stancil, grandson of Samuel Stancil

Jarvis "Ras" Godfrey Hill
Army, corporal
Born Nov. 18, 1922
Died April 15, 1999 Kenly, NC; Buried at New Jerusalem Church, Kenly, NC
Enlisted Jan. 25, 1943, at Fort Bragg, NC. He completed grammar school, occupation: Automobile Serviceman.

Son of William Moses Hill and Carolyn Frances Stancil, grandson of Tempy Ann Stancil.

Kenneth Wesley Collins
Navy
Born Sept. 6, 1924 Calif.
Died Dec. 29, 2010
Entered service April 2, 1943. Served as Signalman Second Class US Navy. Discharged Feb. 4, 1946. Served NTS Faragut, Idaho for five weeks, then onto USNB Navy 3505. Stationed at Owendi Island in the South Pacific. Received Victory Ribbon, American Area, Asiatic Pacific 2 stars, points

Husband of Betty Stancil, daughter of Joe Stancil Jr.

Nelson Whitfield Furr
U.S. Army, Private
Born May 18, 1924
Died July 1981 Hampton City, Va.
Enlisted April 23, 1943, in Richmond, Va.
He transferred to the Army Air Corp. Stationed in the Pacific on Tenya Island. Discharged in 1946.

Husband of Dorothy Clell Hales, daughter of Delphia Pearl Hill and James Perry Hales. (Tempy Ann)

"Tom" Worth Hayes Stancil
Army, private
Born May 16, 1924 North Carolina
Died Dec. 28, 1985 Virginia
Enlisted July 26, 1943 in Fort Bragg, NC

Son of William Arthur Stancil Sr., grandson of John Archer Stancil

Lloyd Thomas Sellers
Army, PFC
Enlisted July 26, 1943 in Fort Bragg, NC, and received an honorable discharge on Jan. 24, 1946. He was a member of Company B 710th tank battalion. He drove a truck. Served in Guam, Leyte, Okinawa. He was awarded 4 bronze service stars.

Lloyd T. Sellers is the father of Margaret 'Marty' Loy Sellers. (John Archer/William Arthur/Margaret)

Paul Edwin Stancil Merchant Marines
Born Nov. 8, 1923

Served September 1943 to 1948

Son of Leumos Waverly Stancil, grandson of Josiah Stancil

Harold Stancil
Coast Guard & Army
Born June 25, 1925
Died March 24, 2011
Served from September 1943 to August 1953 in Coast Guard. Drafted into the Army in 1953 as a Mess sergeant.

Son of Leumos Stancil, grandson of Josiah Stancil

Lawrence E. House
Marine Corps, Pfc.
Born Feb. 15, 1921
Died Aug. 9, 1997
Served from November 1943 to March 6, 1946 with the 2nd Marine Division of the 6th Marines. Basic training at Parris Island, S.C. Was a machine gunner and sharpshooter, seeing action in Saipan and Tinia. In September 1945, he was in Nagasaki, Japan and Kyoto, Japan during the Occupation of Japan. The Marines asked him to stay in the service and attend Officer Training School, but declined. Was honorably discharged March 6, 1946. Married Reba March 16, 1946.

Husband of Reba, daughter of Delanie, granddaughter of George Ira Stancil

William "Bill" Arthur Stancil Jr.
Army, Pvt.
Born Aug. 8, 1925
Died April 16, 2003, Fairfax, Va.;
Buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Fremont, N.C.
Enlisted Nov. 23, 1943, in Fort Bragg, N.C. Worked on farm before enlisting. Army, Pvt. in Company F 260th infantry regiment 65th Division. trained as a cook. Served in Europe. Received an EAME (European-African-Middle Eastern) Campaign Medal and two bronze stars.

Son of William Arthur Stancil Sr., grandson of John Archer Stancil

Joseph "Joe" Elijah Stancil
Navy
Born Dec. 16, 1925, at West Virginia

Enlisted in the Navy on Dec. 16, 1943, after he quit high school. He reported to Navy Basic Training. On Jan. 27, 1944, he was sent to Navy School in San Diego, Calif. Joe worked on landing barges which unloaded landed craft and supplies on the islands. The ship Joe was on was the first to see Nagasaki after the atom bomb was dropped. Joe saw Asia, South Pacific and the South China Sea. Locations Joe visited included Saipan, Okinawa, Luzon, Guam and New Guinea. Joe served aboard the USS Wayne in January of 1946. He was a mailman 3rd class. The USS Wayne visited Seattle and San Diego. Then the USS Wayne went through the Panama Canal. The USS Wayne stopped in New Orleans then went to Mobile, Ala. The USS Wayne was decommissioned on March 16, 1946.

Son of Harry Lester Stancil Sr. and "Laura" Eleanor Christine Eyler Sayre Stancil Bishop.

Elmer Leon Godwin
Army, Sergeant
Born March 11, 1924
Died Feb. 9, 1998, Wilson, N.C.; Buried at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, Wilson, N.C.
Enlisted May 25, 1944. He completed grammar school and was in the automotive service business before the Army. He served in France where he met and married Dolly Jacqueline Vella.

Son of Bessie Stancil and James Marvin Godwin, grandson of Henry Stancil.

Paul Grady "PG" Hill
Army
Born Sept. 24, 1924
Died May 9, 2001 Kenly, NC; Buried at New Jerusalem Church, Kenly, NC
Enlisted Aug. 28, 1944, at Fort Bragg, NC. Completed grammar school, occupation: Automobile Serviceman. Served with General Patch in the 7th Army, which invaded southern France. Paul was wounded in the arm, near Nuremberg, Germany, awarded the Purple Heart and sent back to the states to recuperate.

Son of William Moses Hill and Carolyn Frances Stancil. Grandson of Tempy Ann Stancil.

Willard Grover Creech
Army
Born Dec. 17, 1926

Enlisted Oct. 13, 1944 at Fort Bragg, NC. Completed four years of high school and civil occupation geographer. Reported to Fort Bragg, N.C. According to enlistment records his civil occupation was geographer. He served in the 45th Army Division in Germany until the war ended in Frankfort and Munich. Grover began training to go to the Pacific area. The Atomic Bomb ended the war with Japan. His Division was sent to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Grover stayed there until he was discharged in 1946.

Married Ruby Irene Stancil, daughter of Oscar Stancil and Mamie Hocutt, granddaughter of Henry Stancil.

Jerome Clinton Kelly
Army
Born June 9, 1916
Died March 21, 1968
Enlisted Oct. 16, 1944, at Fort Bragg, NC.

Husband of Mildred Ruth Stancil, daughter of Lonnie Stancil, granddaughter of Samuel Stancil.

Bardin Jefferson "B.J." Bunn Jr.
Army, TEC 4
Born March 16, 1927 NC
Died July 27, 2006 Buried at Marsh Swamp Church Cemetery, Wilson, NC
Joined June 27, 1945, at Fort Bragg, NC, and served in Germany.
Was TEC 4.

Husband of Velma Hill, son-in-law of James Clarence Hill

Jimmie Robert Price
Army, corporal
Born Oct. 3, 1924
Died Jan. 7, 2000 Kenly, NC; Buried at Bethany Church Cemetery, Kenly, NC
Enlisted Nov. 28, 1945, at Camp McCoy, Sparta, Wisconsin for one year. He guarded prisoners in Wisconsin. Jimmy wore his Army uniform when he and Alice were married on Dec. 31, 1945.

Husband of Alice Stancil Price, daughter of Ronia Hill and Stephen Stancil, granddaughter of Tempy Ann Stancil

Thomas Ruffin Stancil
Navy
Born Nov. 3, 1915 Smithfield, NC
Died Dec. 3, 2007 Grayling, Mich.
Served in the Pacific. Prior to joining the Navy he wired tanks for the military in Detroit.

Son of Walter Greene Stancil, grandson of Henry Stancil.

Glenn Warren Stancil
Army, Pfc
Born Nov. 30, 1924 Johnston County, NC
Died Oct. 27, 2008 Johnston County, NC;
Buried at Center Ridge Cemetery, Johnston County, NC
Enlisted Nov 25, 1945, at Camp Pickett at Blackstone, Va. Was a one-year assignment upon enlistment.

Son of Alvin Stancil

Floyd Everette Hales

Born Aug. 20, 1927 NC
Died Feb. 9, 1980 Wilson, NC
Enlisted Dec. 17, 1945, at Fort Bragg, NC. He had completed four years of high school. His civilian occupation: Petroleum Storage Tech or Welder.

Son of Delphia Pearl Hill and James Perry Hales Sr. Grandson of Tempy Ann Stancil.

"Jimmy" Donald Eugene Renfrow
Army & Air Force
Born Nov. 8, 1927

Drafted January 1946. He passed the second physical and was sent to Fort Bragg. He joined the Army Air Corp. Jimmy transferred from the Army to the Air Force in 1947 when it was created. The Air Force asked for volunteers to attend cooking school.

Son of James Graydon Renfrow and Celia Rachel Stancil, grandson of George Ira Stancil

Winifred Hill Hales

Born Aug. 13, 1925 Johnston County, NC
Died Aug. 4, 1960
Enlisted April 22, 1946, at Fort Bragg, NC. He completed one year of high school.

Son of Delphia Pearl Hill and James Perry Hales Sr., grandson of Tempy Ann Stancil.

Joanne Sweetland Stancil
Army
Born July 3, 1921 at Orient, S.D.
Died Aug. 23, 1999
Served in the Army. She was a First Lieutenant. Joanne was an RN and was assigned to hospitals in Italy, Egypt and Africa.

First wife of Joe Stancil Sr., son of Harry Lester Stancil Jr., grandson of Harry Lester Sr. and great-grandson of Josiah Stancil

Nelmer Moses Hill
Army
Born Oct. 23, 1923
Died Oct. 25, 1983 Wilson, NC
Served as truck driver and a tree climber.

Son of William Moses Hill and Carolyn Frances Stancil, grandson of Tempy Ann Stancil Hill