Military Role Call: Remember Our Veterans on Veterans Day 11-11-11

As part of the 'Military Role Call' book project this video was developed to recognize the service of past and present Littrell Family veterans.

-click the arrow to access the video-

At the recent reunion in Grandin, MO I obtained information about a current family member serving in the Navy. Blaine Scott Davis is serving aboard the Destroyer, USS Benfold.

Blaine is the son of Wayne Lee Davis and grandson of Billy & Alberta Davis and great grandson of Jesse & Letha Mae (Littrell) Davis. Jesse and Bill also served in the US Navy. We will add Blaine to the video with Jesse and Bill soon.

 

The Boys of Anniston, MO.
The Armistice of 1918

 

About some in the Video

Who Was: Col. John Luttrell?

Frontiersmen, Soldier, Businessman.  John Luttrell was one of seven partners that formed the Henderson Company, aka The Transylvania Company, with Col. Richard Henderson.  Prior to the Revolutionary War Col. Henderson and Luttrell, at the Treaty of Watauga purchased most of Kentucky from the native Americans of the area.  Upon completion of the treaty they set out to join their employee Daniel Boone
who had set out days before to blaze the trail [Wilderness Trail] into Kentucky.  Richardson, Luttrell and their party joined Daniel Boone at the founding of Ft. Boonesborough days later.  At the beginning of the Revolutionary War John Luttrell returned to his home in North Carolina and was commissioned Colonel in his colonies militia.  He served throughout the war until he was killed at the Battle of Lindleys Mill in an action against the rear guard of a 'Tory' unit who had kidnapped the governor of North Carolina.  Col. Luttrell had no children when he died leaving no descendants as attested to by lawsuits involving his widow and half brothers [including Thomas who was also at the founding of Ft. Boonseborough].

• John Luttrell is the 2nd cousin twice removed from our ancestor Timmons Literal.  To determine your relationship to John Luttrell count the generations from Timmons to you, add two to it and you would be second cousin # removed.  For instance there is Timmons, his son John(1), my father JD(2) and then me(3).  So I'm second cousin five times removed.     for more on the Battle of Lindleys Mill

Who Was:  Robert Luttrell?

Robert was the great grandfather of Timmons Seburn Literal.  According to Virginia records he served 2 months and 10 as a private in Capt. Ball's company of the Fauquire County Militia in the fall of 1881.

Rodham Literal?

According to Lincoln County, Kentucky Records the grandfather of Timmons Seburn Literal served as Captain in the 'Cornstalk Militia'  during the summer of 1800.

Eli Franklin Literal:

Eli Literal served in the 9th Tennessee Cavalry during the Civil War.  The father of Timmons Literal it is believed that he died at Tunnel Hill, Georgia and was buried in a mass grave there.

Who Was: John Pittman?

John Pittman, of Greenwood, Ms. was a comrade of JD Littrell during the Korean War.  On 11-26 1950 in fighting near Kujangdong ( Kunu Ri ) JD was wounded by grenade fragments for which he would receive his third Purple Heart. The account of that event is best illustrated in the words of the citation (Congressional Medal of Honor) that acknowledged the heroism of John Pittman who saved the lives of JD and others that night:

“Sgt. Pittman, …volunteered to lead his squad in a counterattack to regain commanding terrain lost in an earlier engagement. Moving aggressively forward in the face of intense artillery, mortar, and small-arms fire he was wounded by mortar fragments. Disregarding his wounds he continued to lead and direct his men in a bold advance against the hostile standpoint. During this daring action, an enemy grenade was thrown in the midst of his squad endangering the lives of his comrades. Without hesitation, Sgt. Pittman threw himself on the grenade and absorbed its burst with his body. When a medical aid man reached him, his first request was to be informed as to how many of his men were hurt. This intrepid and selfless act saved several of his men from death or serious injury and was an inspiration to the entire command. Sgt. Pittman's extraordinary heroism reflects the highest credit upon himself and is in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the military service.”

The added significance of John Pittman's heroism and a testament to the fighting in Korea was the fact that after almost a year of fighting John Pittman was the first Medal Of Honor winner in Korea to live to receive his medal.

Who Was: Zachariah Belew?

Zachariah was the great great grandfather of Kizzie Zore Comer who married John Daniel Littrell, son of Timmons Literal.  He served in the South Carolina Militia as part of Col. Brandon's Regiment during the Revolutionary War.

Who Was: Harbert H. Ezell?

Harbert Ezell, unlike most of his family and neighbors from Lawrence County, Tennessee served in the Union Army during the civil War.  He is the grandfather of Kizzie Zore Comer who married John Daniel Littrell and Donie Ezell who married John's brother James Carroll Littrell. 
Kizzie has the distinction of having a grandfather on each side of the Civil War as her other grand father, Jesse Comer served in the Confederate States Army.

For more information on our family veterans and the 'families ‘Military Role Call’ project click the ‘Veterans’ link below or in the table of contents.