Eddie Blanton's Military Service in WWII

Eddie Blanton (1920-1943)

I have always been fascinated by my Uncle Eddie's military service. His military service was not a long one, and it appears that the last year of his life was spent with some illness. Although he died on duty, it was a case of acute appendicitis that led to his death. In March 2002 I filled out a formal request form which was sent to the National Personnel Records Center in St Louis MI for a copy of Eddie's military records.
An immediate family member was required for me to obtain these records, so being a niece was not enough. Thankfully, Aunt Linda was living in Clayton at the time and she graciously agreed to be the sender and recipient of these records. In August 2002, she received the military file and forwarded it to me. Included in the records were the Navy muster rolls, Eddie's dental records, medical records, naval correspondence and even his fingerprints.
According to his medical record primary cause of death was Poisoning, Anesthesia, due to Pentothal Sodium. Contributory factors included Acute Appendicitis. Doses of Pentothal large enough to produce
adequate relaxation also caused moderate cyanosis. He seemed to do well until after the operation when his respiration failed. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. This does not mean that he was deliberately or accidently poisoned. Even today, every surgical procedure has risk factors that cause the simplest of procedures to become complicated.
I find his medical history recorded by the Navy rather revealing. I'm no nurse but noted in Eddie's past medical history was mention of several episodes of arthritis flares. It is interesting to note, that 6 months prior to his death, the arthritis flares were diagnosed as Rheumatic Fever.

Here I will give a timeline and description of his treatment while in the Navy.

Eddie enlisted on June 19, 1942 and was sent to Norfolk Va on June 22, 1942. There is record of dental xrays taken, along with multiple vaccinations including Cowpox which resulted in no severe reactions.

Not much else is noted in his record until March 5th 1943. On this date he complained of pain in the right shoulder and right wrist. The physicians noted in his medical record that this probably existed before his enlistment in the Navy. Eddie's own description of his history confirms this. He gave the physcians a history of been laid up three or four months with a similar attack of painful joints in the right shoulder, wrist, hip, and knees before entering the Navy. He was diagnosed with acute arthritis and given pain medication.

March 7th 1943 Eddie was transferred to the U.S. Naval Air Station in San Juan, PR for further treatment.

Between March 7th and April 1st Eddie had labs and x-rays of the heart. He had no enlargement of the heart and no other cardiac symptoms. He did, however, have a fever at times along with the joint pain and swelling.

On April 1st, the Navy diagnosed him with Rheumatic Fever. He stayed in the hospital for treatment until May 28th 1943 when he was sent back to active duty aboard the Hilary P Jones.

He had no other health issues until September 25th 1943 when he reported for nausea and abdominal pain. He went to surgery and died immediately after its completion.

Martha Collins family Mystery

Information on Martha Collins Brown (1873-1949). She was born in Wyoming County WV and married Granville Brown in Whitesville, Boone County WV. Here's a new family mystery! Actually, not so mysterious, just unusual. Per another researcher, rumor has it that Grandma Blanton's mother, Martha Collins, was forced to leave her family, or asked to leave the Collins family around 1898 or thereabouts. I have tried to find out why..one lady told me that Martha's father kicked her out of the house, she ended up in Boone County, living with Granville Brown and his first wife Margaret Milam and family. Martha wasn't there very long when Margaret died in 1898. Martha stayed to take care of Granville's large family of 8 kids. In 1902, she was 28, he was 56, they married and she had 10 kids of her own including Grandma Vertie and Rufus Brown. To give a little history, Martha's father was Anderson Collins and her mother was Litha Collins. Anderson and Litha were 1st cousins. Anderson's mother Malvina was sister to Litha's father Perrin Collins. Sometime between 1898 and 1899 Martha was asked to leave her fathers home in Wyoming County WV. I believe it must have been soon after her mother Litha died in 1898. I recently discovered that Anderson Collins remarried in 1899 to another relative! This woman, was Martha's own first cousin Rosa Elswick. Rosa's mother was Louvenia Collins who was also Litha Collins sister. Anderson was 53 and Rosa was 23 when they married. Rosa was only 2 years younger than Martha. I'd leave home too!

The Mysterious Life of Litchfield Blanton

The Blanton family of West Virginia is very unique and the only one located in the West Virginia coalfields. (that i know of) The progenitor of this WV family was my grandfather Litchfield B Blanton. It is unknown why he settled in this region. I've heard my aunts say that he came into town after he hopped off a train. He ended up at a local boarding house and stable where he got a job. Perhaps he originally intended to move on, but within a few months of coming to Whitesville in 1919, he married the boardinghouse/stable owners daughter, Vertie Marie Brown. Family legend leads one to speculate that he left his home in Wise Co, Va because of his behavior and subsequent dealings with the law. It was speculated that he had run from the law. Recently I've discovered documents that support this tradition. Twice, he served time for youthful recklessness. At 18 as a young man and then at 21 he commited grand larceny and spent 1 year in prison. The fact that his own father, John Blanton, believed for a time that Litch was dead, does lead me to believe that he did have something to hide. We may never know what all those reasons were, if any.



My father and aunts believed that Litchfield was somehow cheated out of an inheritance that his mother supposedly left him. I"ve been told that sometime in the early 1920's a man from "the government" came to Litch's home and tried to get him to sign his mark on a paper. Because he couldn't read, Litch took the paper to a neighbor who told him not to sign anything. From that instance the story came about that it regarded the sale of land that Lucinda had left to her children. However, records from Wise Co do not bear this out to be true. I've not found any references to land belonging to Lucinda or Litchfield. I have found court records on a land dispute between 2 John M Blanton's of Wise county and a nearby county. I believe this is why a county official may have tried to contact John's son Litchfield as a witness or to certifiy he was the son of one of the said John M Blanton's. Anyway, I believe I have put an end to the mysterious "got cheated out of land" speculation in our Blanton family tree. Litchfield's father John retained his land as a result of the court transaction.


Litchfield seems to have purposely set out to hide his identity at times, other times, as a historical note, it is common for documents to stray slightly from their actual content..incorrect spellings, birthdates, etc. In my search for records involving Litchfield I've found references to him as Litchfield, Linchfield, Litch, L.B. and Lee B. Blanton. He was probably called by all these names at one time or another however, I suspect that the Lee B may have been an error in some documentation or perhaps is actually another person. (or perhaps this was done on purpose?) This means that I'll have to rely on documents from the Boone County Courthouse in Madison WV for more information on Litchfield, at least while he lived in WV. I've recently obtained Litchfields death certificate which documents his parents, cause of death and other vital info. Census records have been found for Litchfield and his family from 1900 to to 1930 which gives us a virtual timeline of his whereabouts and his life.


I have always been curious as to his whereabouts around the First World War. Did he serve? Was he here in WV or still in Va? As required by law in 1917 males of eligible age were required to register for the draft. I thought for sure I'd find something in Wise County on Litchfield. Nothing, so I searched the surrounding counties. Still nothing. I never thought to look in the state of WV but that is where I found a WWI military registration card for a "Litch" Blanton. It must be our Litchfield. He registered out of Kayford WV as a miner. If this is our Litchfield Blanton then he gave a false birthdate. Probably not uncommon in those days, especially if you didn't want to fight in a war. He could have tried to find an age restriction. (doubtful). The interesting thing that was documented on the card was that he indicated a wife and one child. His wife was probably Ada who he married in 1914.


Here I will give a timeline of L.B. Blanton's life as we know it up to his marriage to my grandmother. Litchfield was born Feburary 12, 1887 in Coeburn, Wise County Virginia to John M Blanton and Lucinda Catherine Ramey. This information is confirmed by his birth and death certificate. He had at least 10 siblings including a set of twins who died within 10 days of each other due to an outbreak of measles. One other sibling also died of measles. No information on the 1890 census because these records were burned in a fire. Litchfield and some of his siblings were registered on the Wise County school census for 1895, Big Stone Gap district. So we do know that Litchfield went to school for a time. He must not have paid much attention in class because despite this school census, the 1900 Wise county Federal census shows Litchfield, age 13, living with his father John Blanton and brothers, Clinton L 18, and Eddie H 15. Litchfield and Clinton are listed as "cannot read or write". Eddie is listed as "can read, cannot write". Litchfield never did learn to read or write. No information on Litchfield between 1900 and 1910 until the Federal Census of 1910. Litchfield had apparently left Wise County because he was found living with a family in Castlewood, Russell County Virginia listed in its census as follows Virginia 1910 Census Miracode Index Litchfield Blanton Age 22 State VA Color W Enumeration District 0054 Birth Place Virginia Visit 0322 County Russell Relation Boarder Other Residents Relation Name Age Birth Place Head of Household John Ransy Litchfield is listed as being Single, a coalminer machineman. This John Ransy may actually be John Ramy, possibly a close or even distant relative to Litchfield's mother. It was not uncommon in those days to find work close to relatives. Sometime between the census and July 1910 Litchfield returned to Coeburn because On July 2, 1910 Litchfield married Corrie Anderson in Coeburn Virginia. I've yet to research what happened to this marriage, if they divorced or she died. Nothing found in the Fidicuary or Divorce records for Wise County. That doesn't mean that they had to get divorced in Wise County or they could have been living in another state or county when they either divorced or perhaps she died. In any event, by April 15, 1914 Litchfield married again. This time to Ada Anderson, apparently Corrie's sister according to the marriage licenses. Corrie and Ada appear to have the same parents because they are seen together on the 1900 Census for Dickenson Co under David and Mary Anderson. At some point between 1914 and 1917 Litch and Ada must have relocated to the coalfields of WV where he was found during the WWI draft registration in June of 1917. Then, back to Wise County Virginia.


Now his life starts to get more confusing. Something happened between Ada and Litchfield sometime after Ted's birth.Whatever the reason, sometime after Teds birth, Litchfield is said to have relinquished care of his son to his older brother Livingston Blanton and then he left Virginia. What happened to Ada? There is no mention that she also relinquished care of their child Ted. I'm not sure when (or even if) Livingston took Ted as his own. At least not while Ted was a young child. Where did he go and what did he do during that time. Family tradition indicates that he wandered around the country for several years, that his family didn't even know where he was for years, etc.etc. This doesn't seem to be the case. It doesn't seem probable that Ada died because my conversations in the past with Ted and Ancil Blanton indicate that she lived for a long time. Although I'm still curious as to what happened to Ada I may have found documentation that she and Ted were alive and well living together in Wise County during the 1930 census. I found a census record for Wise County Va, Lipps District with an Ada Blanton living with husband "Lee B Blanton" and son Theodore. This could be merely a coincidence. However, there are no other county records for a Lee B Blanton, and I've only found one Theodore or Ted Blanton for that whole region in Va. . Could Ada have been living alone and merely "suggested" her husband and son still living with her? It's possible. By that time our Litch was married to Vertie Brown and already had a number of children. Litchfield appears in the Boone Co WV census with his family in 1930. I'd had difficulty finding them in the 1930 census but now I know the reason was because he is listed as "Linchfield" Blanton. Ironically, during the enumeration of this census it appears that Litchfield's father John was either living or visiting and he is also listed with the family. That is the reason why I and other John Blanton researcher's couldn't find him on the Wise Co Va Census for 1930. Litchfield's early life seems to be filled with "gaps" that we may never be able to fill in. I do feel comfortable in the fact that we've narrowed some of those gaps by finding public records supporting his whereabouts during those years. I'm still searching..

Litchfield Blanton And His Many Wives

Litchfield Blanton and his many wives More wild info found on Litchfield Blanton. He must have been quite the ladies man! I found another marriage. Yes that makes four women I've found that he married. I have no doubt it is him. He married Viola Marshall in McDowell County WV on July 10, 1915. Strange, he married Ada Anderson April 14, 1914. The marriage certificate to Viola says L.B. Blanton. Could be that there might be another L.B. Blanton. Doubtful since this marriage cert states that his parents were John and Sis Blanton. John Blanton's marriage certificate gives Lucinda Catherine Ramey's nickname as "Sis"..can't be a coincidence. So, to wrap up the wedded bliss of our grandfather, who was quite the liar. His first marriage was to Carrie Anderson July 2, 1910. Both from Wise Co, Va, he was 22, she was 18..next he married Carrie's sister Ada April 14, 1914. Both from Wise Co, he was 33, she was 20. I find it fascinating that he we went from 22 to 33 in 4 years. Then he somehow ended up in McDowell Co, WV as a coal miner and married Viola Marshall in 1915. Both state they are from Harlan Co, Ky. Now he's 26 and she is 22. Then he marries Vertie Brown my grandmother on Jan 20, 1920. He was 27 she was 20. Actually she lied, she was only 17. Ironically, his marriage certificate to grandma stated he was from Boyd Co, Ky. He was actually from Wise Co, Va. He sure knew how to keep his secrets well. I wonder what else I'll find. I'll let you know..

Captain Ralph Stewart (1752-1835)

From "West Virginians in the Revolution" on page 274 :
Stewart, Ralph(Captain) Va. No. 23949 No. W. 6168
Service-Virginia

Born in Augusta County, Virginia, 1752, later removed to Giles and Montgomery County, and died in Logan County, November 17, 1835. About 1800,
he had a cabin on Clear Creek in what is now Wyoming County, West Virginia.
His wife; Mary Clay, was the daughter of Mitchell Clay, first settler of Mercer Coutny, Va., and their marriage bond dated June 25, 1877, is filed in Montgomery County, Va. They were married by the Reverend Edward Morgan.

Was commissioned captain in 1773, by Lord Dunmor, Governor of VA, and served
as a ranger. Was at Point Pleasant under General Lewis in the battle ub
1774. In 1778, his commission was renewed by Patrick Henry, then Governor
of Virginia, was ordered with his company to South Carolina to join the the
army under General Green, and ws attached to the regiment commanded by
Colonel Robert McCleary and Major Smith. Fought at Guilford Courthouse, Hot
Water, Ground Squirrell, Charlottesville, and Yorktown. He was wounded in
the right arm by a sabre cut from one of the "Butcher" Talereton's men and
was on the invalid roll for the state of Virginia. According to his pension application, When Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Gen. Washington made Ralph one of the guard that kept the English commander a prisoner of war. His commission and discharge, left with Colonel George Pearis for safe-keeping, were lost or stolen when the latter's home was plundered.

Soldier received pension in 1834 and his widow received pension in 1846 at
which time she was 74 years old. Supporting date ws submitted in this case
by Edward Burgess, Patience Chapman, Mitchell Clay, Francis Hedrick, Charles
L. Clay, and the Reverend Richard Brooks.

Matthew(1732-1814) and John(1759-1832) French

Matthew and John French are perhaps my favorite ancestors. They were my first to be researched, after hearing my grandfather talking about his ancestor that fought in the Revolution. I discovered that he had two that fought. Father and son. Numerous sources indicate that Matthew and his son John on 09/12/1777-Swore allegiance To Captain Joseph Cloyd's Company. They fought at the Battle of Whetzell's Mill and Guilford County Courthouse in North Carolina as well as defending areas close to their home on Wolf Creek, Giles County Virginia.

Not much else is said of Matthew, but sources have more to say about John. On February 10, 1781 Colonial William Preston ordered the militia of Montgomery County to assemble at the Lead Mines and on the appointed day 350 men obeyed the orders of their commander. One company from the Middle New River Valley which was commanded by Captain Thomas Shannon was among the assembly.
Some of the names of the privates who went along with Shannon included Matthew French and his eldest son John. March 6 1781 at Whetzell's Mill North Carolina, Lee's Legion and Colonel Preston's Backwoodsmen met the British and a bloody battle took place. On the Eve of this battle, John was detailed as one of the guards to protect the wagons. The next day when the shooting started John left his post against his commanding officer's orders and went to the fight and shot several of the enemy. The officer in charge of the wagons reported John for disobedience of orders and demanded that he be court martialed. Major Joseph Cloyd made the remark that since John ran to the fight instead of away from it, if they court martialed French for such a cause, he would never again fight.

He served during the Revolutionary War. Remained in the 86th Regiment of Virginia Militia and served as Captain of the 86th regiment in the War of 1812.

Attached are photos, one of the Giles Co Memorial to soldiers of the Revolution which stands in front of the court house. Matthew and John French are among those listed. Also a photo of the Tombstone of Matthew French erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution

Mitchell Clay (1736-1811)

When people think of the first battle of the American Revolution they think of Lexington and Concord. The shot heard round the world. Did you know that some historians believe that the first battle was actually the Battle of Point Pleasant? It was also called Dunmore's War. Many of my ancestors participated in this battle. Including Mitchell Clay. Mitchell's father William was also there but was killed by Indians while he was out hunting for the troops prior to the battle. Mitchell and his family were living in Giles County Virgina not far from Narrows. (Note: This does not include Mitchell's military service for the French and Indian War)

On to Mitchell's military service: June 2, 1774 Mitchell is listed as a private in Capt. Daniel Smith's Company of Militia in Fincastle County Revolutionary soldiers.

As stated below, between 1774 and 1777 Mitchell went from a private to Captain. He was reimbursed for provisions during the time he and his sons worked as spys.

Swore Oath of Allegiance October 12, 1777.
Mitchell Clay recommended as capt 2nd Batallion, 86th regiment. Listed on Capt Daniel Smith's Co of Fincastle Co Militia. Capt George Parris Co. Particiapant in Battle of Point Pleasant. Capt James Robertson Co 51 days, paid 3.16.6 51 days rations. Spy. Mitchell Clay and sons, Ezekiel and David, swore alligiance to the state of Va 10-13-1777 51 days on duty, found one provision. On Michael Woods List.