Littrell Family Veteran’s Day Dedication

John Littrell had five sons and two son-in-laws serve between 1941 and 1952. Ancestors and descendants of John & Kizzie (Comer) Littrell have served in: Indiana Wars, The Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War (both sides), WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Iraq.

The son and son-in-laws of John & Kizzie:

World War II:

• JD Littrell: US Navy and US Army (Retired) JD would serve 28 months throughout the South Pacific(with the 63rd CBs) including at Guadalcanal in 1943. Following his Discharge from the US Navy (World War II) JD returned to the ‘bootheel’ area of Southeast Missouri until his enlistment in the US Army, September 10, 1947. JD was stationed with the 7th Tank Battalion, 3rd Armored Division as a Platoon Sergeant until being assigned to C Company of the 1st Battalion, 23rd Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division in Ft. Lewis (1950). The 23rd Regiment would soon ship-out for Korea aboard the USS General Freeman. JD received three Purple Hearts and the Combat Infantry Badge in Korea. A career soldier, JD served in two conflicts, World War II and Korea; two branches, Navy and Army; and had two sons serve in the Army, Troy and Glenn. JD was the first of John & Kizzie's to enlist and the family's first career soldier. http://littrellluttrell.blogspot.com/2013/05/jd-littrell-us-navy.html
• Redford ‘Red’ Littrell: US Army Red reported for service October 14, 1942, just one month after his younger brother, JD, had enlisted in the Navy. Red reported to Camp White, Oregon and served throughout the war with the 91st Recon Troop, 91st Infantry Division. He was discharged at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri on October 22, 1945. Redford received the Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge for action in Italy. http://littrellluttrell.blogspot.com/2013/05/redford-red-littrell-us-army.html
• Oliver James 'OJ' Littrell: US Army OJ was a Sergeant in the Medical Corps during World War II. He served in the South Pacific from August of 1945 to October of 1946 as a medic. OJ's son, Chief Master Sergeant Wallace (Wally) Littrell was a career soldier in the Air Force. http://littrellluttrell.blogspot.com/2014/11/oliver-james-littrell-us-army.html 
• Lindsay “Bordie” Thurman: US Army During WWII Bordie was a Corporal in the Army Air Corp. Bordie's great-great-granddaughter, Angela Cross Pfaff, US Air Force retired, is the families first female service-person. http://littrellluttrell.blogspot.com/2015/11/lindsay-bordie-thurman-us-army.html 
• Jesse Lee Davis: US Navy A son-in-law of John & Kizzie, Jessie was the husband of Letha Mae Littrell Davis. Jesse served on throughout the South Pacific during WWII. Jessie's son and great-grandson also served in the Navy, making them the only three generation service family. Billie Lee Davis (Cold War) and Blain Davis (Persian Gulf). http://littrellluttrell.blogspot.com/2015/11/jesse-lee-davis-us-navy.html

Korea:

• Albert Rubin Littrell: US Army Rubin was a Sergeant in the Army with plans to make it a career. During the Korean War he was wounded in the knee by a sniper, earning him the Combat Infantry Badge and a Purple Heart, but ending his Army career. http://littrellluttrell.blogspot.com/2014/11/albert-rubin-littrell-us-army.html 
• Leslie ‘Les’ Littrell: US Army Between WWII and Korea  Les would enlist at age 19 [in June of 1947]. He would be stationed at Ft. Lewis, Washington with "A" Co., 9th Infantry "Manchu" Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division (2ID). "A" Co would be deployed to Alaska and stationed at Ladd Air Force Base, near Fairbanks, and would remain there for 6 months before returning to Ft. Lewis. As a tank crew member he also was qualified as a Light Mortar Crewman. Les's son, John 'JL' Littrell would also serve aboard the US Kitty Hawk in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. http://littrellluttrell.blogspot.com/2013/05/leslie-les-littrell-us-army.html

Besides the 7 sons and son-in-laws of John and Kizzie, 7 grandchildren[bold type] of John and Kizzie mentioned above were also recognized with a brick at this years dedication. All together over 35 descendants of John and Kizzie [Comer] Littrell have served in the military over the last 72 years, covering 5 generations. From 1942 to 2014 there has always been a descendant of John & Kizzie in the military.
For more on the military history of the Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri go to:
http://www.communitywalk.com/military_roll_call/map/1620750

The family of Kizzie Zore Comer and John Daniel Littrell

......... When Uncle Jim and Grandpa John returned to Tennessee after checking out Missouri, John didn't return with Uncle Jim and his family to Missouri until a few years later. John ran a store in Tennessee, but because he tended to extend too much credit - he eventually lost the store and decided to take his family and join Uncle Jim in Missouri.
So in January 1932, John and Kizzie loaded the family into the back of Lee Flemmings flatbed truck ( Flemming made a living hauling families to Missouri ). The truck had only a partial tarp on it - so wrapped in quilts and toting "chicken in a lard can" they headed for Missouri. They worked for Bob Grear, sharecropping at LaForge [1935] for a while, and then moved into a two room shack on Uncle Jim's place. After that they lived on Joe Thomason's place and then Anniston [1940], and then East Prairie on property they purchased from Kizzie's brother Leslie Crutcher[LA] Comer who lived next door. John and Kizzie lived the remainder of their lives in East Prairie.

updated and reposted from 12-6-2016:   34 / 84