Remembering three patriots

Last week our country celebrated its 230th birthday. As usual the fourth of July was marked across the country by parades, patriotic songs, and plenty of pyrotechnic displays. For me it was a time to remember those thousands of brave men and women who paid (and are still paying) the ultimate sacrifice to keep this county free. In this column, I would like to pay tribute to three of these patriots.

Private Ralph Porter was born in Tryon in 1918. He joined the Army on March 12, 1942 at the age of 24. Ralph wanted to be a paratrooper so he went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina and became a member of the 376th Field Artillery Battalion in the famous 82nd Airborne Division also known as "the screaming eagles". On February 12, 1944, after several battles in Italy, Ralph was wounded by small arms fire near Anzio, Italy. Several days later, he died of the wounds he sustained. He had been in the army for one year, eleven months, and four days. Ralph is buried in Plot J Row 15 Grave 40 at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy. Small white crosses mark the graves of 7,861 American soldiers interred there.

Private Rufus Junior Gosnell was born in 1922. He joined the Army on December 4, 1942 at the age of 20. Junior wanted to drive a tank so he went to Camp Croft in South Carolina and became a member of the 894th Tank Destroyer Battalion. On April 9, 1945 his tank (see picture above) was entering the Italian town of Massa when it was hit by several bazooka rounds. Several of his comrades escaped, but Junior was killed. He had been in the army for two years, four months, and five days. Junior posthumously received the Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters for his heroism. He is buried in Plot G Row 1 Grave 18 at the Florence American Cemetery in Florence, Italy. The crosses of 4,402 fellow soldiers dot the beautiful landscape at this site.

Corporal Ivan F. Hefner was born in 1930. He joined the Army on August 2, 1945. He was only fifteen years old! Ivan wanted to be an infantryman and went to Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina for infantry training.

He became a member of the 2nd Infantry Division, 38th Inf. Rgt. The Korean War started on June 27, 1950. On October 12, 1951, Corporal Hefner was killed in action in North Korea. He had served his country for six years, two months, and ten days. He was only twenty one years old when he died, and is buried in Henderson County. Over 36,000 soldiers lost their lives in the Korean War.

Thousands of American men and women have paid the supreme price for the freedoms we sometimes take for granted today. You may be asking why I chose to write about the three patriots above. Well, they were my Uncles.

Uncle Ralph Porter was my mother's brother. He left behind a girl friend that he had planned to marry when he returned home. Uncle Junior Gosnell was the husband of my mother's sister. He had a daughter, Ann, whom he never saw. She was born while he was overseas. Ann Gosnell Fagan now lives in Landrum with her husband, Bobby Joe Fagan. They have two grown children, Tammy and Sammy. Uncle Ivan Hefner was my father's brother. He was also single and so young when he decided to serve his country.

May their memories be eternal.

Footnote: I have received information that the town of Massa, Italy is planning to erect a memorial honoring the soldiers in Junior Gosnell's tank in April, 2007. I hope others out there in cyberspace who might have known one of my uncles will respond to this column. shefner@savcps.com.