Homer & Wallee Gilreath
Homer Ferman Gilreath was born on April 25, 1911 and is the son of Fate Gilreath and Etherl Patterson Spurlock Gilreath.
He married Wallee Hollandsworth on January 13, 1929 in Dekalb County, Tennessee. They were married by Reverend B. H. Brandon. According to the U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, his enlistment date was on December 31, 1943 at Fort Oglethorpe in Georgia. His Army Service Number is: 34922105. His Veteran's Serive Number is: 34 922 105. He was a Private First Class in Company C the 180th Infantry. He received the Victory Medal of World War II, the World War II label button, the EAME Theater Ribbon w/ medal; the Good Conduct Medal , the Army of Occupation Medal and the Purple Heart . He officially received the Purple Heart on March 3, 1945. He sustained severe injuries in Wimmenau, France at 1400 hours, on January 6, 1945. His wounds were cleaned and dressed by the 132 Evac Unit. On January 12, 1945, Major Leo R. Weinshel performed surgery at the 100 General Hospital. On January 26, 1945, his attending doctor was Captain William Taffet at 4151 USAHP, 111th, General Hospital APO 63. Surgery was performed again on February 3, 1945. His injuries were as follows: 1. Shell would (mortar, calibre unknown), penetrating, severe, right side of face, right lateral neck, right lateral distal thigh, lower posterolateral right chest. 2. Hemothorax, right, traumatic, severe, secondary to #1. 3. Foreign body, multiple, shell fragments, in right side of neck, in right zygomatic arch, in the lower left lumbar region, secondary to #1. 4. Fracture, compound, comminuted, right zygomatic arch, incomplete, secondary to #1. LD: 1-2-3-4, yes. Resection of 9th, 10th, 11th ribs, right. His injuries were so severe that they were going to leave him. Another soldier, who happened to be from McMinnville, Tennessee, said that he would be responsible for Homer and carried him. Company C of the 45 Division would later go on to be one of two divisions who liberated the Dachau Concentration Camp. He was a minister; he farmed, did carpentry, did repair work on televisions in a shop behind his house; he was self taught to play the piano, organ, guitar and fiddle. He helped work on Highway 53 when they were building it (where he met Wallee). He worked at Avco in Nashville, where they made airplane wings. They owned the Gilreath Store which was located at the top of Auburntown Hill in Woodbury, until renovating the store into their home. Homer also owned the West Main Service Station that was located in Woodbury, which would have been in the building between the Woodbury Funeral Home and the Flower Shop. Homer died on September 23, 1981 at his home in Woodbury, Cannon County, Tennessee. |
Wallee Hollandsworth Gilreath was the daughter of Willie Brown Hollandsworth and Mary Blair Hollandsworth.
Wallee died on October 23, 2002 at her home on Colonial Street in Woodbury |