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
Jesse G. Hunt (1895-1918)
Corporal Jesse G. Hunt was born May 1895 to Willis Nathaniel Hunt and Annie Blond Strange in the Gift area of Tipton County, Tenn., the third of their four children. Jesse lost his mother at the tender age of 10, when his mother Annie died on Jun 30, 1906 after
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
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
After WWII, Tipton County’s Black veterans founded their own American Legion post
By Sherri Onorati – published in the Covington Leader, November 11, 2020 The soldiers who came home after World War I were tired, and traumatized and many felt out-of-place given what they had been through – even in their hometowns – places which should have been welcoming and familiar. A
James Kirby Smith
Pvt. James Kirby Smith was born in Brighton, Tipton County, TN to Robert Lee Smith and Frances Ida Huffman Smith on Sept. 11, 1895. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 28, 1918, under service number 3501627. He was 22 years old when he enlisted, 5′ 9 1/2″ tall,
Homer Augustus Smith
Private Homer Augustus Smith was born Aug. 8, 1892 in Brighton, Tipton County, Tennessee, the oldest son of Robert Lee Smith and Francis Ida Huffman Smith of Brighton. Pvt. H. A. Smith, service number 399860, enlisted in the U.S. Army Expeditionary Forces on July 23, 1918 and served with 27th
Charles E. Faught
Services are conducted for Navy Warrant Officer Services have been held in Madison, Fla., for Navy Chief Warrant Officer Charles Edward Faught, former Memphis and Covington, Tenn., resident, who died of a heart attack at sea. Burial was in Oak Ridge Cemetery at Madison. Mr. Faught, who was 39, died