Latest news with #Japanese-held
Boston Globe
26-04-2025
- Boston Globe
Wilmington marine killed in World War II to be laid to rest
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency His body was returned with a police escort to Wilmington on Thursday, with several residents lining the street in respect, according to video broadcast by WCVB-TV. A public wake will be held on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to noon at Nichols Funeral Home in Wilmington. A service will follow at noon. He will be interred with military honors in the family lot at Wildwood Cemetery at 12:30 p.m., according to a Edwinson was born in Lowell and was the oldest of six children. His family later moved to Wilmington, where he graduated from high school in 1938. Advertisement He first worked as a stonemason with his father, before enlisting in the Marines in 1940. He was serving on Samoa in 1942, undertaking jungle warfare training, when his platoon was called up as reinforcements for the beleaguered 1st Marine Division. Edwinson's platoon was patrolling along a Japanese-held roadway in the jungle foothills when the point unit was ambushed by Japanese machine gun fire, his obituary said. Edwinson and nine others were killed in the battle, and another two dozen were wounded. Advertisement He was buried on a hill alongside other members of his unit. Searches for the remains of the fallen Marines were conducted, but Edwinson was declared non-recoverable in 1950, according to the agency. The government conducted searches throughout the years and in early 2016 a recovery team unearthed military-issued artifacts and a dog tag that was consistent with another missing Marine. Additional remains were unearthed. Edwinson's remains were positively identified on Sept. 11, 2024, the agency said. Adam Sennott can be reached at
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
History: What is Palm Beach County's oldest structure? How did Military Trail get its name?
Eliot Kleinberg, a retired reporter from The Palm Beach Post and a historian, wrote more than 1,000 history columns for The Palm Beach Post published under the name "Post Times." The column title refers to the "Palm Beach Evening Times," sister publication of "The Palm Beach Post," which was founded in September 1922. "The Post" debuted in January 1916. They merged in May 1987, and the afternoon edition featured both mastheads. Casino magnate E.R. Bradley bought the papers in February 1934 and the Sunday edition was called the "Palm Beach Post-Times." More: How the Ashley gang, who robbed banks and killed law officers, met their bloody end Here are some of the historical facts and trivia that Kleinberg learned over more than two decades of writing. We thought we'd share a few with you, with more coming in the future. It really was a military trail. During the Second Seminole War, the longest and costliest of the Native American wars and one of the most unpopular in U.S. history, Maj. William Lauderdale was leading troops of Tennessee Volunteers. After the battles of Okeechobee in December 1837 and the battles of Lockahatchee (Loxahatchee), Jan. 15 and Jan. 24, 1838, soldiers went on to build Fort Jupiter. They carved the north-south trail to supply the fort. It's accepted as gospel by many. But the evidence all but dismisses it. The shantytown known as the Styx sprang up in Palm Beach in the 1890s for more than 2,000 Black workers who built Henry Flagler's nearby hotels. The story is that Flagler was eager to oust the residents so he could develop the land. He hired a circus to set up across the Intracoastal Waterway in West Palm Beach, gave Black residents free passes, and while they enjoyed the show, burned their homes down. But Flagler didn't own the land. The Bradley brothers, one of whom was the famous casino owner E.R., did, as a member of a pioneer family pointed out to The Post in 1994. The workers were squatters and could be evicted at any time. A former resident told Kleinberg before she died that she didn't remember any fire. Post Time: Pioneer's photos give glimpse of Palm Beach's mysterious Styx It originally was Boca de los Ratones — "mouth of the mice." In this case the translation referred to an inlet — a mouth — full of mice. The Boca Raton Historical Society says there was, in fact, an inlet with sharp rocks that gnawed the ropes of ships rocking at anchor along the shore. But the inlet was not in southern Palm Beach County. It was at Miami Beach. Map makers inadvertently placed it where it is now. Technically, it's a brick oil house, finished in January 1860, that stands alongside the Jupiter Lighthouse. The lighthouse wasn't officially considered completed until the first lighting on July 10, 1860. Here are some of Kleinberg's most memorable history stories: Tiny Sowell, the beloved Palm Beach High graduate, Class of 1941, had died at 21 in a foxhole on the Japanese-held island of Saipan on July 7, 1944. His remains had laid there for years before authorities could return. When they couldn't make a positive identification, he was buried in a numbered grave in Hawaii for seven decades. In 2015, the military took a DNA swab from his nephew and made a match. And in 2017, he was returned to West Palm Beach and buried the day before Veterans Day, with full military honors. Jeff Garten, ride captain of the Patriot Guard, a veterans group that provides motorcycle escorts, saluted and told nephew Lewis Sowell Jr.: "Soldiers don't fear dying. They fear being forgotten." For decades, people talking about what probably is West Palm Beach's oldest home repeated the story — that the original owner, British expatriate Richard Hone, was shot Oct. 20, 1902, by a mystery gunman on horseback who melted into the dark and got away with murder. The Post had gone with that version, and since the paper hadn't started until 1916, there was no way to check archives. But there was another way to check the facts. We got into editions of the Weekly Lake Worth News and the Tropical Sun, both predecessors to The Post, which heavily covered the slaying. It turns out one of Hone's employees was caught within days, confessed to shooting him through a window — though not from horseback — and eventually was hanged. "Those articles, at least those in Palm Beach Post archives," we wrote at the time, "now will have to be accompanied by what likely will be the most belated correction in the newspaper's history: 116 years." Eliot Kleinberg is a noted historian and former reporter for The Palm Beach Post. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County history: Oldest structure, Military Trail's name
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Columbia officials honor late WWII Iwo Jima vet with ceremonial wreath
On Friday, the city of Columbia, along with military representatives and community members, gathered to honor John Harlan Willis, a Medal of Honor recipient, during a wreath-laying ceremony at the John Harlan Willis Bridge Memorial on Highway 31. This event marked the 80th anniversary of his ultimate sacrifice during the Battle of Iwo Jima, where Willis demonstrated extraordinary courage and selflessness, paying the highest price to help save his fellow Marines. John Harlan Willis was born and raised in Columbia, Tennessee. He enlisted in the United States Navy on November 5, 1940. On Feb. 19, 1945, Harlan landed with the 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines on Iwo Jima. He participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima as a rifle company platoon corpsman and, on Feb. 28, while aiding fallen Marines during a fierce action near Japanese-held Hill 362, was wounded by shrapnel and ordered back to the battle-aid station. Disregarding his injuries, Willis returned to the battle area to resume casualty assistance. He was treating a wounded Marine when the enemy attacked his position with hand grenades. After throwing eight grenades back at the enemy, he was killed when a ninth grenade exploded in his hand. For his heroic actions that day during the battle, Willis was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. 'John Harlan Willis is a true American hero whose bravery on the battlefield inspires all Columbians," Mayor Chaz Molder said. "On this 80th anniversary of his ultimate sacrifice, dying while serving our country in World War II during the Battle of Iwo Jima, we gather to honor his memory and ensure that future generations never forget the courage and selflessness that defined him and his generation. Columbia and Maury County are proud to call him one of our own.' Friday's ceremony was well attended by local officials, military representatives, including retired U.S. Army Colonel Ashley Brown, who participated in the tribute. The colors were presented by American Legion Post 170, and attendees gathered to reflect on the legacy of courage and selflessness that John Harlan Willis left behind. 'It's important that we not only honor our veterans but ensure their sacrifices are remembered," City Manager Tony Massey said. "John Harlan Willis' heroic actions represent the very best of what it means to serve. His courage is a beacon of strength for our community, and today we stand united in remembering his incredible legacy. He was a true patriot.' The event concluded with a moment of silence as a wreath was placed at the John Harlan Willis Bridge Memorial, marking the 80th anniversary of his death and reaffirming the city's commitment to preserving the memory of its fallen heroes. Jay Powell is a reporter at The Daily Herald. This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Columbia officials honor late WWII Iwo Jima vet with ceremonial wreath
