Today my walk was dedicated in honor of:
Army Airforce Sgt. James Hollis Simmons, Age 20 of Cumberland County
Killed in performance of duty Apr. 8, 1944
James was on a B-24 Liberator Bomber that was being moved to the Front in Europe duing WW2 when it crashed in Millington Tennessee killing Nine of the ten servicemen on board.
On a rainy April morning in 1944 somewhere northeast of Memphis, James — now a
Top Gunner — and nine other crew members were enroute to Morrison Field in West
Palm Beach, Fla., in a B-24H Liberator. After a short stopover in Morrison, they
would be sent to join Allied forces in the fight to defeat Nazi Germany.
All of that changed in an instant as the bomber, flying at about 5,000 feet,
exploded into flames midair and broke into three pieces over the skies of
Millington.
James is buried in the Smith Chapel Cemetery in Pleasant Hill, TN.
We had an amazing walk this morning. We stopped by and visited the war memorials down town. I want to thank everyone that honked and waved in helping me honor this amazing hero. It was amazing.
He will not be forgotten.
