Reunion at Brighton was a Magnificent Success
As printed in The Commercial Appeal, July 27, 1894 Veterans Greeted Each Other Assemblage was the largest yet had since the organization of the association – speeches made by men who were in the thickest of the fray The twentieth annual reunion of the Confederate Veterans of West Tennessee was
OLUNE WAKEFIELD
OLUNE WAKEFIELD Written by grandson David Eaton Olune Wakefield, born on March 17, 1930, to Bob and Gertrude Wakefield in the small town of Drummonds, Tennessee, grew up with dreams of a simple life. Little did he know that destiny had other plans in store for him, ones that would
James Alan Wilks
Specialist Four (SP4) James Alan Wilks (10 Jul 1948-27 Oct 1969) was drafted into the United States Army in October 1968, just a few short months after graduating from Frazier High School in Covington. The son of Ruben H. (1912-2005) and Laura N. Wilks (1930-2016) of Covington, SP4 Wilks began
Holmes N. Thompson (1894-1991)
Holmes Napoleon Thompson was born Feb. 2, 1894 in Mason, Tipton County, Tenn., the son of William Thompson and Martha Adams and the oldest boy of six siblings. Federal census report that he completed four years of high school and could read and write, which at that time was quite
Gone but not forgotten: Remembering those whose lives were lost in Vietnam
By Sherri Onorati, The Covington Leader, May 22, 2014 Two veterans mourn fallen soldiers at the Celebration of Service and Sacrifice event’s traveling Vietnam Memorial in October 2013. Nearly a dozen Tipton Countians were killed in action during Vietnam. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, the day we honor
Mason’s Ahmid Doggett served and died during World War I
By Sherri Onorati, The Covington Leader, May 23, 2019 During the First World War, Tipton County lost both Black and white sons to the ravages of war, as grief knows no color, and death does not discriminate. Ahmid D. Doggett of Mason was born on Sept. 15, 1886, one of
Men of Valor: A Tipton County Museum exhibit honors the Wakefield and Wherry brothers
By Sherri Onorati, The Covington Leader, November 11, 2020 The Wakefield/Wherry brothers. A family’s legacy – a torch of honor and patriotism – which started with a father and uncles serving in the United States Navy and Army during World War II, was passed down to sons and now grandchildren and
African-Americans enlisted in World War I to prove patriotism
By Sherri Onorati, The Covington Leader May 24, 2018 Several African-American units saw action alongside French soldiers fighting against the Germans. During World War I, 171 black soldiers were awarded the French Legion of Honor for their efforts. More than 350,000 Black Americans served in segregated units during World War
Thomas C. Bethel
Thomas C. Bethel was drafted into the U.S. Army on November 3, 1944 at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was shipped to Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania for basic training. On August 25, 1945 he departed for the Pacific Theater. He landed at Okinawa on September 27, 1945. Thomas’s awards and decorations include: