2LT Durwood Chestlee Settles

2LT Durwood Chestlee Settles was born 14 Jul 1916 the son of Norman Leonard Shanks and Clovis Hurd. Norman was 37, married and had a daughter. Clovis was 17 and single. In April 1918 she married George Clark Settles who apparently adopted Durwood. The couple then had 4 more sons including a set of twins. George was a miner who supported his growing family on 35-60¢ a day and the family was living in Rock, West Virginia. We don't know why for certain but by 1930 Durwood was living with his maternal grandparents William Jonathan and Rosa Lee (Gunter) Hurd at 10 Water Street,  Martinsville, Virginia where William had a job as a planer in a furniture factory. George died in November 1933 in a hospital for the insane. Durwood completed high school and found work at the Dupont factory in Waynesboro, Virginia where he boarded with a widow, Mrs. Grace Parrish Marsh, at 869 Kenmore Avenue. His mother re-married, this time to William Cleveland Lusk and he was also a coal miner. William died in 1943. By this time Durwood had met and married in Neva Byrde Bassist of Harrisonburg, Virginia in February 1942.

Durwood was drafted in March 1942. He first went to Camp Lee near Petersburg, Virginia. He then went to Fort George Meade, Maryland and was sent to England and assigned to the 29th Infantry Division. Durwood and Neva had a son born in January 1943. While in England he was identified as a promising candidate for officer training and sent to Fort Benning, Georgia for Officer Candidate training. Commissioned after graduating he returned to the division when he was transferred from the replacement depot to C Company 116th Infantry on 20 Jun 1944 to serve as a platoon leader. He fought with the unit for 16 days before being wounded and evacuated to hospital. While he was recuperating from his wounds in England, Neva had another son in August 1944. 2LT Settles was again transferred from the replacement depot to C Company 116th Infantry on 9 Sep 1944. He was killed in action on 14 Sep 1944 leading his platoon in the action to clear German defenders from the area of the moat of Fort Montbarey at Brest, France. MAJ Dallas, the 1st Battalion commander, directed that 2LT Settles body be recovered before the attack recommenced at 1700 on 16 Sep 1944.

2LT Settles rests forever in the Brittany American Cemetery.

All of the brothers served during the war and 2 others died in service. PFC Roy Bernard Settles was killed in action on Guam while serving with Company "C", First Battalion, 21st Marines, 3rd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force on 28 Jul 1944. SM3c Earl Hurd Settles was killed in action at Okinawa on 4 Apr 1945 when serving aboard LCIL-82 which was sunk by a Japanese assault demolition boat. S2c Carl Clark Settles served in the Atlantic aboard the USS Opal. CPL Glen William Settles served in Headquarters 14th Infantry Regiment and in the Panama Canal Zone. 

One son and 2 grandchildren survive.