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Joseph B. Brannon is buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium at Plot H, Row 1, Grave 40. He enlisted in the US Army at the age of 25, on July 5, 1944, and served in the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Division as a Private. He was killed in action eight months later on March 3rd, 1945. My research on Mr. Brannon found his year of birth was 1919 that the 1920 Shelby County census listed a Joseph B. Brannon as the grandson of Mr. John B. Woodfin. However on the 1930 census is shows a grandson of the right age as John D. Brandon? A photo of the 1938 graduating class of Timpson HS shows a J. B. Brannon and the military information I found on the national archives lists him as completing 4 years of high school. Although this archive record showed him as a resident of Shelby County he was not listed as a local veteran on the Shelby County Historical website. A book that I downloaded from the state titled World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, State of Texas shows Joseph B. Brannon from Jefferson County. It is the same individual as his Army serial number matches all documents. The historical website also shows a J. B. Brannon marrying a Jessie Mae Williams on February 4th, 1938. This would have made him about 19 years of age.
I received the following from David Pike who had previously completed some research on Timpson, Texas veterans.
“Pvt. Joseph B. Brannon, born 16 Jan 1919, was married to Jessie May Williams on 2 Apr 1938. He was inducted into the U. S. Army on 5 Jul 1944, and received his training at Camp Hood, Killen, Texas. After his training he was assigned to the 22nd Infantry, 4th Division and served in France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany. Pvt. Brannon was killed in action on 3 Mar 1945. He was survived by his wife and two small children, Dixie Jo and Johnny, his parents and brothers and sisters. His body was laid to rest at the American Cemetery, at Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. He was awarded the Purple Heart. In the 1920 Panola County Census he is listed as the son of J. Alvin Brannon, widower, J. B. was one month old.”
