D-Day to Inchon: 'Greatest Ranger That Ever Was' Tommy Gwynn Dies at 106
An Army Ranger who fought through D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Inchon, escaped enemy captivity twice and was wounded two dozen times across two wars has died at 106. Thomas Edward “Tommy” Gwynn, known throughout his adopted hometown of Tullahoma, Tennessee, as “the greatest Ranger that ever was,” died Monday, […]
WWII Veteran Who Fought in Tunisia With 1st Armored Division Dies at 107
Horace Carratelli, a 1st Armored Division veteran who served as a first sergeant in North Africa and Italy during World War II, died March 23 at 107 years old. He was believed to be one of the last surviving members of the division who fought during the Tunisia campaign, which included the pivotal Battle of […]
Native American World War II Veteran, Final Member of Unit, Dies at 101
As the number of remaining World War II veterans continues to dwindle, Gilbert “Choc” Charleston, one of the last Native American WWII soldiers and the final surviving member of his unit, died on Thanksgiving night at age 101. The news of Charleston’s passing was confirmed by the Choctaw Nation, of which the veteran was a […]
Soldier Dies on Fort Leonard Wood Rifle Range
An 18-year-old from California has been identified as the Army National Guardsman who died Friday on a rifle range at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Pvt. Andrey Okunev, 18, assigned to Company B, 1stBattalion, 48th Infantry Regiment, was pronounced dead after a midmorning “incident” on the range, according to Army officials. Base public affairs officials declined […]
Tom Lehrer, Army Vet, Song Satirist and Mathematician, Dies at 97
LOS ANGELES — Tom Lehrer, the popular song satirist who lampooned marriage, politics, racism and the Cold War, then largely abandoned his music career to return to teaching math at Harvard and other universities, has died. He was 97. Longtime friend David Herder said Lehrer died Saturday at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He did […]
Army ROTC Cadet Dies During Fort Knox Land Navigation Training
A 22-year-old Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadet died Thursday during a land navigation exercise at Fort Knox, Kentucky, the service announced. Cadet Neil Edara, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, became unresponsive while participating in a routine land navigation drill, a core component of the Army’s ROTC summer training event, which draws thousands of cadets from […]
D-Day Veteran and TikTok Star 'Papa Jake' Larson Dies at 102
PARIS (AP) — D-Day veteran ″Papa Jake″ Larson, who survived German gunfire on Normandy’s bluffs in 1944 and then garnered 1.2 million followers on TikTok late in life by sharing stories to commemorate World War II and his fallen comrades, has died at 102. An animated speaker who charmed strangers young and old with his […]
Army Veteran and 'Walking Tall' Actor Joe Don Baker Dies at 89
When was the last time you stood up and applauded a movie? That’s the question the trailer for the vigilante film “Walking Tall” asked American audiences in 1973. The movie was a smash hit for Cinerama and made its lead actor, Joe Don Baker, an equally instant hit. Baker had been a mainstay supporting actor […]
Oldest Known Pearl Harbor Survivor Dies at 106
Vaughn Drake Jr., an esteemed Central Kentuckian believed to be the oldest survivor of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, died last week. Drake died April 7 at the age of 106, according to a news release from the nonprofit Affinity Media and Public Relations announcing his death. His visitation is Thursday at the Milward […]
Home from Boot Camp, Army Recruit from Oregon Dies of Fentanyl Overdose
Army recruit Tyson Richardson was home for the holidays in Oregon and out with friends looking to have some fun. Several days before he was set to resume boot camp in Georgia, he took some multi-colored pills laced with fentanyl. While others were partying in another room at a Lake Oswego apartment, Richardson lay unconscious. […]