SSG James Pershing Jordan

SSG James Pershing Jordan was born 16 Nov 1919 in Tyro, Virginia. He was the oldest of John Sewyn and Lacey (Fitzgerald) Jordan's 5 children. His father supported the family by farming his own farm near Massies Mill, Virginia. A younger brother died in infancy in 1931 and James' mother died at age 32 in 1935 and his father remarried in 1943. James would never meet his half-siblings. In 1939 James moved to Waynesboro, Virginia and took a room with the Mays family at 453 Winchester Avenue and worked at Wayne Manufacturing Company where he operated a rip saw. 

James was drafted in late February 1942 and reported to Camp Lee where he began his 5 months of military training. Before he was sent to England he married Helen Mae Taylor of East Rainelle,West Virginia on 29 Aug 1942. Soon after his marriage PVT Jordan left for England where he was assigned to K Company 116th Infantry. Once with the unit he trained for the planned amphibious invasion of Nazi occupied France and the now PFC Jordan took part in that landing. In the days that follow he demonstrated his competence and leadership abilities including an action for which he received the Silver Star for which the citation reads as follows:  

"While his company was advancing, PFC Jordan aided the advance materially by exposing himself and bringing fire upon an enemy emplacement. This enabled an officer and another enlisted man to outflank the position and neutralize enemy resistance, there-by killing seven Germans and capturing eleven others. His heroic action at the risk of his own  life reflects credit upon himself and the military service."

It was probably as the result of this that he was promoted to SSG on 14 Jul 1944. He was wounded in an arm and foot when the unit came under artillery fire. Evacuated to hospital, he did not return to the unit until 8 Sep 1944. He continued to fight with K Company until he was killed in action on 5 Dec 1944 near Koslar, Germany. 

SSG Jordan was repatriated in 1949 and re-interred in Riverview Cemetery in Waynesboro, Virginia. 

James Pershing Jordan is the nephew of CPT James Oren Jordan.