Note: This is a repost from Memorial Day. I took a veteran friend out to lunch today and didn’t end up with time to do much else.
My Dad’s older brother John Bennett Stanford was killed in action at Saint Lo France on the 14th of July of 1944 as US troops were fighting to wrest the area back from German control. My grandmother never talked to me about his loss, and my Dad’s mention of it only told me where he was. The graphic above lists the WWII war dead for Lubbock County Texas, for the Army only. The list contains 171 names, with my uncle listed in the second set of the last column. My uncle was far from alone in his sacrifice. There are similar lists for the other branches of the military in the national archives, but I can’t comment on those since I haven’t investigated them. In 1940, the census count for Lubbock County Texas was just over fifty-one thousand.
The Germans were heavily fortified at St. Lo and the fighting was grueling in the period in July known as the Battle of the Hedgerows. There was a subsequent period called Operation Cobra in which many perished from friendly fire, discussed in the linked article.
Well-researched article on the battle for Hill 192 which includes my uncle’s regiment. They had failed to take the hill in mid-June with heavy casualties but succeeded July 10th-12th. The date on the John Bennett Stanford’s tombstone is July 14th. If accurate, that would indicate he may have been killed in the fighting to take Saint Lo itself.
It is fitting that we should remember these fallen and that we should resist the current efforts to destroy the liberty they died defending.
Missionary Sojourn 
I have several family members that were in the military, but none of the ones I know of died in service. Father – Army (Korean War), Uncles – Army only I think (most likely Vietnam War), A Great Aunt – WAC (WWII?) , Husband – Navy (Middle East actions) I appreciate everyone’s service.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My stint in the NAVY ended up being in peacetime, since the armistice with N Vietnam was signed while I was still in boot camp. But as all your relatives know, there is always risk for those who serve.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your service.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen! Good read. Two of my brothers were in the Navy the same time as you. One of them at the tail end of Vietnam and the other, like you, just afterwards. I can’t remember what ship Mike was on, but Pat was on the Ranger. We’re all from Fort Worth 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Best I recall, the Ranger, and my ship, the Meyerkord, participated in evacuations from Vietnam around the first half of 1975. The carriers had to be careful to stay out of sight of land. If the South Vietnamese helicopter pilots spotted the carrier, many would fly out and land then refuse to leave. I saw many of those helicopters pushed into the ocean to make it possible for the carriers to retrieve aircraft they had aloft. You might ask Pat if he has any memory of that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pat was in from 72 to 75, and over there in 1974. He said he remembers carriers taking part in that and the Ranger almost did, but didn’t. Mike was on the USS Caliente. I think he was in from maybe 70 to 73 or something close. Those 2 had a small overlap. My dad was also Navy, then my oldest and youngest brothers and my husband were all Army. Army/Navy games were fun around our house 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen, Jon. I couldn’t agree more with your closing statement.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have the same problem with being unable to “like” from my phone.
LikeLiked by 1 person