BG Arthur Taylor Sheppe

BG Arthur Taylor Sheppe was born 2 Oct 1924 in Enfield, North Carolina. He was the youngest of 5 and 2nd son of Edwin Samuels and Elizabeth Virginia (Williams) Sheppe. His father supported his family as a superintendent of public schools in North Carolina, principal in Covington, Virginia, owner/editor of the Highland Recorder in Monterey, Virginia and taught at R.E. Lee High School in Staunton, Virginia and was editor of the Staunton News Leader. He was also the author or textbooks used in Virginia public schools. One might think that there were high expectations for Arthur. His sisters Dorothy and Ruth died young.

Arthur attended Staunton Military Academy (class of 1922), Emory University in 1923-1924 and the University of Pennsylvania in 1925-1926. Arthur and Ruby Hazel Blair were married on 16 Oct 1937.

Arthur enlisted in L Company 116th Infantry of the Virginia National Guard in 1920 and rose to rank of SGT before being commissioned as a 2LT in 1928. He was promoted to 1LT in 1933 and to CPT in 1935. He was commanding L Company 116th Infantry when the unit was federalized/called to active duty on 3 Feb 1941. CPT Sheppe was promoted to MAJ in May 1941 commanding 3rd Battalion 116th Infantry and to LTC in November 1942 and was then made Executive Officer of the 175th Infantry Regiment with which unit LTC Sheppe went ashore at Omaha Beach on 7 Jun 1944. He replaced COL Warfield (who was killed) as commander of 2nd Battalion 115th Infantry on 12 Jun 1944 and commanded the battalion throughh to Saint-Lo. He was then reassigned to command 3rd Battalion 115th Infantry for a short time before again becoming Executive Officer of the 175th where he was serving at the time Brest was captured. Commissioned as a COL in the Regular Army in 1946 he commanded a regiment at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. He resigned after 3 months to return to civilian life.  His awards during the war included the Silver Star and Bronze Star Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters. Virginia's Governor Battle asked him to return to service in 1947 to reorganize the 116th Infantry and he commanded the regiment until forced by a heart attack to retire in 1952. It was at that time that he was promoted to BG.

President of Gus Dull Transfer Company, ran for Staunton City Council in 1948, was manager of the Stillwater Worsted Mill near Craigsville, Virginia and participated in several community organizations. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Staunton Rotary Club, Circus Saints & Sinners and Country Club of Staunton.

After retirement, he worked as Veterans Claims Agent for the Veterans Administration. He was living at 1625 North Augusta Street in Staunton in 1974. BG Sheppe died at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia on 3 Jun 1974 and was interred at Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton, Virginia. 

LTC Harold Andrew Cassell

LTC Harold Andrew Cassell was born 18 Apr 1908 in Ceres, Virginia. He was the 6th of 8 children born to James Franklin and his second wife Mary Emily (Spangler) Cassel. His father had 8 children by his first wife as well and supported his large family by farming and blacksmithing in Bland County, Virginia. After 7 years of public school education, Harold left school and went to work, probably to help support his family including his aging father. His father died in March 1930 at the age of 80.

By that time Harold was working at Garst Brothers Dairy in Roanoke, Virginia. Harold married Mary Katherine Goggin on 17 Sep 1930 in Roanoke where they lived. Although he was 21 he was still living in his now widowed mother's household. In order to supplement his income Harold had enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard on 18 Aug 1925. He rose through the ranks being promoted from PVT to PFC to CPL to SGT to 1SG and then MSG before being commissioned a 2LT on 15 Mar 1938 and being federally recognized at that rank on 28 Jan 1939. He was serving in Service Company 116thh Infantry at that time. The couple had a son in 1940. Harold was now manager of the dairy and doing very well owned the family home at 302 Guilford Avenue which was valued at $4000 and reported a 1939 income of $1540.

2LT Cassell was mobilized with his National Guard unit on 3 Feb 1941 and went with that unit to Fort George Meade, Maryland. He received a reserve commission as LTC on 5 Dec 1943 although he was not promoted to CPT with federal recognition until 18 Apr 1943. He was federally recognized as a LTC on 29 Jun 1950. After having served as regiment executive officer LTC Cassell took command of the 116th in November 1944 before command of the unit was given to LTC Sidney Bingham in early December 1945.

On 6 Jun 1944, D-Day, LTC Cassell was serving as the 116th's Executive Officer. He replaced the wounded LTC Tom Dallas as commander of 1st Battalion 116th Infantry on 5 Aug 1944 near Vire, France. On 10 Nov 1944 he assumed command of the regiment from COL Dwyer who was being transferred. He relinquished command to LTC Sidney Bingham at the beginning of December 1945 but would again command the regiment during its duties in the occupation of Germany after May 1945 and was still commanding the unit when it demobilized at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey in 1946. LTC Cassell was one of he only 50 men who had mobilized with the unit in February 1941 who were still with the regiment 5-years later. LTC Cassell was then assigned to the Fort Leavenworth where he and Mary would have a 2nd child, a daughter, in April 1949. After being reassigned in 1949 the family lived in Anne Arundel, Maryland. As a LTC, Harold was paid about $5600 in 1949. Then he had an assignment in Japan and in the Republic of Korea before returning to Fort Benning and Columbus, Georgia where he commanded the 1st Battalion of the School Brigade at the Infantry School there until 1957. LTC Cassell then served a tour  in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where he was Chief of the Tuscaloosa Military Sub-district. He was then assigned as commander of the Western Area Command, an Army Reserve unit. LTC Cassell retired from the Army on 30 Jun 1961 and lived in Columbus, Georgia.

LTC Cassell died 22 Jan 1974 in Columbus, Georgia. He rests forever in the Fort Moore Main Post Cemetery at Fort Benning, Georgia. His awards include the Silver Star, 3 Bronze Stars (BSM with 3 OLC) and the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.

COL Robert Franklin Leedy

COL Robert Franklin Leedy was born 28 Jul 1863 at Leedy's Pump in Rockingham County, Virginia. He was the third of six children of John Brower and second wife Sarah Ann (Mauck) Leedy. The couple had lost their first two children in childbirth. Robert also had a half-sister, the daughter of his father's first wife Lydia Margaret (McCreary) who had died in 1856.

His father served in several units (CSA) in the Civil War ultimately being promoted to COL. Great-grandfather Conrad Harnsberger served in CPT Thomas Buck's Company 8th Virginia Regiment in the Revolution and as a COL in the war of 1812 dying of yellow fever in Norfolk in 1814 and was a founder of Elkton, Virginia. Great, great-grandfather Wilson Cary Nicholas was a former Governor of Virginia (1814-1816) and Nicholas county, Virginia (now West Virginia) was named for him. Great, great-grandfather CPT Richard Stites was commanding a company in Hunt's Battalion when wounded on Long Island later dying of his wound(s) on 16 Sep 1776. His great, great, great-grandfather was President Thomas Jefferson.

BG George Washington Ball Jr.

BG George Washington Ball Jr. was born 16 Feb 1881 in Iowa City, Iowa. He was the firstborn son of George Washington and Estella Esther (Walter) Ball. His father was prominent local attorney, former State Senator for Iowa County and a Mayor of Iowa City.

George Jr., graduated from the College of Law of the State University of Iowa and joined his father's practice. He also was head of Johnson County and Ball Abstract Companies. In June 1905 he married Maude Hester Young. The couple would have 3 children, the youngest of which died in 1921, age 6, of polio.

George enlisted in I Company 50th Iowa Volunteer Infantry on 9 Jul 1900. He received his commission as 2LT on 3 Apr 1901. He was promoted to 1LT on 22 Jun 1903. George was again promoted to CPT on 9 May 1904 and appointed Commander I Company 54th Infantry Regiment, Iowa National Guard (apparently reorganized from the 50th). He was promoted to LTC on 10 May 1914 and was the regiment Executive Officer when the 54th became the 1st Infantry Regiment on 4 Jul 1915. The unit was mustered into service at Camp Dodge on on 26 Jun 1916 and mustered out of service on 15 Jan 1917. However, the United States would soon be involved in the war in Europe. COL Ball sailed to France as commander of the 133rd Infantry Regiment a part of the 34th Division on 28 Oct 1918. COL Ball returned to the United States in July 1919. Promoted to BG, he was assigned to the 175th Brigade of the 34th Division retiring before 1924.

BG Ball died on 3 Jan 1924 as a result of an automobile accident in which he fractured his pelvis and which, in turn, resulted in pulmonary thrombosis. He was buried in Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City, Iowa.

BG Ball was a life member of the National Rifle Association of America. 

Great, great grandson of COL George Moffett, former commander of the Augusta County Regiment (an ancestral unit of the 116th Infantry Regiment). 3rd cousin once removed of former commander of the 116th Infantry Regiment, BG George Murrell Alexander.