Scott County the Beginning
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Veterans of Scott County; Legendary Stories
Commander, Henry Barton Cecil;
Lost at Sea
Henry Barton Cecil was born February 17, 1888 and was the son of Beaty and Pauline Cecil. He entered the service and served in the regular US Navy until his appointment to the United States Naval Academy in 1906 where he graduated in 1910. He served as Commander of the United States Naval Air Base at “Harbor Watch” near Brest, France where they engaged the German submarines in the English Channel.
After WWI, Commander, Cecil was killed in a blimp accident while a guest on the nnaugral flight of the USS Navy Blimp Akron off the coast of New Jersey on April 4, 1933. Afterwards an airfield was named in his honor near Jacksonville, Florida. Known as Cecil Field.
Major, James J. Cecil;
US Medical Corps
James J. Cecil was born March 6, 1893 and was the son of Beaty and Pauline Cecil. He joined the military around 1912 and served as a Captain in a Cavalry unit during WWI. He graduated from the University of Texas Medical School with a M.D. also received a B.S. degree in Literature from Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. He received his training at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and Army General Hospitals in New Orleans., Atlanta, Tuscaloosa, Camp Buckner and Camp Van Doren, Mississippi. His embarkation was July 14, 1944 and served as a Major of the medical corps in New Guinea during WWII. He returned to the United States June 2, 1945 and was discharged at Pasadena Station Regional Hospital in Pasadena, California on April 4, 1946 after serving 43 months during WWII.
After his service in WWII he worked at Patton State Hospital in California as a psychiatrist and retired in 1955.
Pvt. Ezekiel L. Strunk; wounded WWI
Ezekiel Leo Strunk was born May 27, 1896 was the son of Gideon and Martha (Jenkins) Strunk. Pvt. Strunk entered service in 1917 with the Second Engineering Co., received his training at Camp Jackson, South Carolina and served in France. Pvt. Strunk was severely wounded and remained hospitalized for five months in France and another four months after his return to the United States. He was honorably discharged in 1919 and was awarded a Purple Heart.
Ezekiel Strunk married Ida (Phipps) December 1, 1928 and they had one daughter Wilma J. (Phillips). He died November 16, 1970 and is interred in the Hazel Valley Cemetery, Scott County, Tennessee.
2nd Lt. James M. Cross; Distinguished Service Cross, WWI
James M. Cross was born August 13, 1889 in Scott County, Tennessee and was the son of Rev. William A. and Emily
(Sexton) Cross. James Cross entered service on January 3, 1910. He served in the Mexican Punitive Expedition in Vera Cruz, Mexico for about six years. He was called to duty when the US entered WWI where he was commissioned as 1st Sgt, he quickly rose through the ranks as he showed excellent leadership abilities, soon rising to the rank of 2nd Lt. He was assigned to the 108th Infantry which was a machine gun company. Under the leadership of 2nd Lt. Cross he led the 108th Infantry to victory in many battles against the Central Powers of Europe and was crucial for major victories for the US forces.
2nd Lt. Cross’ outstanding record includes 28 major battles in WWI, the Mexican Punitive Expedition, Personal Citations from the President of the United States, the President of France and the King of England for distinguished service and valor. The Purple Heart, Distinguished Service Cross, French Crois de Guerre. There were other awards that he would not accept because that he didn’t want to receive them in a public setting.
His wounds include; shrapnel in the lung, was wounded in the arm, the loss of a leg and had third degree mustard gas burns. 2nd Lt. Cross retired from service on June 19, 1928 and was active in several community organizations until his death on February 8, 1966, he was buried in the Cecil Cemetery in Scott County, Tennessee.