SSG James Bascom Smallwood

SSG James Bascom Smallwood was born 1 Nov 1914 in Bristol, Virginia. Called Bascom by his family, he was the oldest of John Thomas Kyle and Callie Ben (Mumpower) Smallwood's 8 children. His father worked for the Southern railroad repairing train cars, later becoming an inspector. The family lived on County Road 16 (later Mumpower Road) which was valued at $3000 in 1930 but only $2000 in 1940. Bascom was working at a foundry in 1940, reportedly earning $600 in 1939. Bascom was working for Enterprise Wheel and Car Corporation when he registered for the draft in October 1940.

Bascom was drafted in May 1941. Policy at the time had him assigned to a regional training center, Fort George Meade, Maryland, where he was assigned to the 116th Infantry which had been federalized just 3 months earlier. He would then train with the unit on the east coast until it was sent to England in September 1942. Once there he would train for the planned invasion and liberation of occupied Europe. It was during this time that he would demonstrate ability and responsibility that would result in promotion to SSG ahead of soldiers who had been in the unit when it was a National Guard unit in February 1941. SSG Smallwood participated in the amphibious assault on Omaha Beach at Vierville-sur-Mer, France on 6 Jun 1944. Having made it to the base of the cliff unhurt, SSG Smallwood went with 1LT Hooks as the lieutenant executed orders from MAJ Dallas to move up the cliff. He was killed in the fighting on top of the cliff that afternoon.

SSG Smallwood was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in Susong Cemetery in Bristol, Virginia.

Bascom had 2 brothers who also served. Ernest Edward Smallwood served as a S1c in the U. S. Navy aboard the USS Burke (DE-215) escorting convoys across the Atlantic ocean. Pete Smallwood served in the U.S. Army about 1954.