thedrifter
07-03-06, 07:40 AM
Museum immortalizes service of Staff Sgt. Junior Spurrier
By BILL ARCHER
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
PRINCETON — The late Staff Sgt. James I. “Junior” Spurrier of Bluefield was honored as “the best fighting soldier of World War II,” by officials of the Mercer County War Museum board of directors during a ceremony Sunday afternoon to dedicate a memorial in Spurrier’s honor in the “Those Who Served Museum.”
Spurrier was known as the “One Man Army” and the “Sgt. York of World War II,” for his valor in combat in Europe. He received both the Distinguished Service Cross and the Medal of Honor among several medals. Tony Whitlow, president of the museum board of directors called Spurrier, “a super hero whose exploits have no equal.”
A crowd of more than 100 people packed the museum in the Mercer County Memorial Building. The crowd gathered for the dedication included Kathy Romano Cox, Spurrier’s first wife.
“I am very pleased that someone has finally paid a tribute for his exploits during the war,” Cox said.
The dedication was a fitting tribute for Spurrier who passed away on Feb. 25, 1984 at the age of 61. Whitlow provided a detailed report of Spurrier’s combat actions from the time of his arrival in France on D-Day plus-one. Whitlow included remarks made by Spurrier’s commanding officers who characterized his composure under fire, his intelligence and the fact that he was the “meanest, toughest and orneriest soldier” in the war.
“Audie Murphy received one more medal than Junior did,” Whitlow said. “We believe it was the Good Conduct Medal.”
Whitlow said in addition to Spurrier’s valor, it is important to remember “how many American lives were saved” as a result of Spurrier’s actions.”
Bill Blankenship, vice president of the museum board spoke about the “precious” items that are preserved in the museum. Blankenship served as emcee of the powerful ceremony that included an invocation by Jeremiah Murphy, who received a Purple Heart Medal as a soldier in the Vietnam War, and posting of the colors by the Marine Corps League.
Rebecca Terry sang the National Anthem, Jim Rose, a Vietnam War veteran and director of the Veteran Affairs Office led the Pledge of Allegiance and Angie Whitlow Whitley sang, “God Bless the U.S.A.”
Blankenship explained that J.R. Shuck, a “self-educated artist,” painted a likeness of Spurrier receiving the Medal of Honor from General Dwight Eisenhower in February of 1945. Blankenship read a history of the Medal of Honor and asked Vernon Fields, a Purple Heart Medal recipient from the Korean War, to offer the benediction. Fields said he was honored to be standing just a few feet away from Spurrier when he delivered his famous remarks at the Hero’s Day Celebration on July 4, 1945: “Hello folks. Thanks a lot.”
Ray Tilly of the Mercer County Veterans’ Council played “Taps.” “I played it real softly,” Tilly said. “I had never done it in a room like that with that many people. I didn’t want to be too loud.”
U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Terry Corder and Sgt. Christopher Burley of the Army Recruiting office in Princeton served as an honor guard for the memorial and stood at attention throughout the ceremony. Acting on Blankenship’s request, the two sergeants removed the covering on the exhibit to reveal the Shuck painting and a replica of Spurrier’s Medal of Honor.
The two sergeants in modern U.S. Army uniforms returned to attention and appeared to blend in with the uniforms of American soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines that line the perimeter of the museum.
The ceremony lasted less than 30 minutes, but many of those who attended remarked about the power of the dedication and of how fitting the ceremony was to honor Mercer County’s most highly-decorated soldier — Junior Spurrier.
— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com
Ellie
By BILL ARCHER
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
PRINCETON — The late Staff Sgt. James I. “Junior” Spurrier of Bluefield was honored as “the best fighting soldier of World War II,” by officials of the Mercer County War Museum board of directors during a ceremony Sunday afternoon to dedicate a memorial in Spurrier’s honor in the “Those Who Served Museum.”
Spurrier was known as the “One Man Army” and the “Sgt. York of World War II,” for his valor in combat in Europe. He received both the Distinguished Service Cross and the Medal of Honor among several medals. Tony Whitlow, president of the museum board of directors called Spurrier, “a super hero whose exploits have no equal.”
A crowd of more than 100 people packed the museum in the Mercer County Memorial Building. The crowd gathered for the dedication included Kathy Romano Cox, Spurrier’s first wife.
“I am very pleased that someone has finally paid a tribute for his exploits during the war,” Cox said.
The dedication was a fitting tribute for Spurrier who passed away on Feb. 25, 1984 at the age of 61. Whitlow provided a detailed report of Spurrier’s combat actions from the time of his arrival in France on D-Day plus-one. Whitlow included remarks made by Spurrier’s commanding officers who characterized his composure under fire, his intelligence and the fact that he was the “meanest, toughest and orneriest soldier” in the war.
“Audie Murphy received one more medal than Junior did,” Whitlow said. “We believe it was the Good Conduct Medal.”
Whitlow said in addition to Spurrier’s valor, it is important to remember “how many American lives were saved” as a result of Spurrier’s actions.”
Bill Blankenship, vice president of the museum board spoke about the “precious” items that are preserved in the museum. Blankenship served as emcee of the powerful ceremony that included an invocation by Jeremiah Murphy, who received a Purple Heart Medal as a soldier in the Vietnam War, and posting of the colors by the Marine Corps League.
Rebecca Terry sang the National Anthem, Jim Rose, a Vietnam War veteran and director of the Veteran Affairs Office led the Pledge of Allegiance and Angie Whitlow Whitley sang, “God Bless the U.S.A.”
Blankenship explained that J.R. Shuck, a “self-educated artist,” painted a likeness of Spurrier receiving the Medal of Honor from General Dwight Eisenhower in February of 1945. Blankenship read a history of the Medal of Honor and asked Vernon Fields, a Purple Heart Medal recipient from the Korean War, to offer the benediction. Fields said he was honored to be standing just a few feet away from Spurrier when he delivered his famous remarks at the Hero’s Day Celebration on July 4, 1945: “Hello folks. Thanks a lot.”
Ray Tilly of the Mercer County Veterans’ Council played “Taps.” “I played it real softly,” Tilly said. “I had never done it in a room like that with that many people. I didn’t want to be too loud.”
U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Terry Corder and Sgt. Christopher Burley of the Army Recruiting office in Princeton served as an honor guard for the memorial and stood at attention throughout the ceremony. Acting on Blankenship’s request, the two sergeants removed the covering on the exhibit to reveal the Shuck painting and a replica of Spurrier’s Medal of Honor.
The two sergeants in modern U.S. Army uniforms returned to attention and appeared to blend in with the uniforms of American soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines that line the perimeter of the museum.
The ceremony lasted less than 30 minutes, but many of those who attended remarked about the power of the dedication and of how fitting the ceremony was to honor Mercer County’s most highly-decorated soldier — Junior Spurrier.
— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com
Ellie