Some people think of Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer, but this Memorial Day one should pause and remember those who paid the ultimate price while serving in the military. The Toler family has not been immune to military casualties over the years.
During World War I, William Harvey Toler, son of Louis L. Toler and Sarah Cayton Toler, died from blood poisoning after he removed a splinter from his arm. You can read more about his life in a previous post.
Born on July 4, 1926, William Howard Jewell, Jr., the son of W.H. and Mittie Z. Toler Jewell, joined the United States Army and served in the 255th Infantry in the European Theater during World War II. He was killed in action in Germany on April 15, 1945 at the age of 18. [I need to research his military career in more detail. I see a future post on his life in the future.]
Alton Lee Toler, son of Tilmon L. “Tim” and Viola Edward Toler, served during the Korean Conflict. He was killed in action on May 20, 1951 at the age of 23. According to the American Battlefield Monuments Commission (ABMC), “Private Toler was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while attacking enemy positions near Masogu-ri, South Korea on May 20, 1951. [He] was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.”
Shelton Toler, born May 10, 1939, the son of Lewis B. and Esther A. Lewis Toler, joined the United States Air Force on May 16, 1956. While stationed at Dover Air Force Base, he died November 4, 1964, when the C-133 airplane he was on crashed near Goose Bay, Labrador.
Delos Toler, born August 3, 1932, the son of Ulysses G. and Lovie M. Toler, joined the US Army. He was serving active duty as a Sergeant First Class at Ft. Polk, Lousiana, where he died on June 23, 1965 at the Fort Polk Hospital. He was buried at the San Jose Cemetery, Panama then reinterred at the Corozal American Cemetery on 6 March 1995, according to the ABMC.
S
tanley Gray Toler was born December 9, 1946, the son of Aubrey A. and Melba E. Stilley Toler. He joined the United States Army on December 26, 1965, and was sent to Vietnam. He died there on September 2, 1966, just short of his 20th birthday.
We pause this day to give thanks and to remember those who gave their all.