My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Raleigh Hamilton Alexander, Jr.
Raleigh Hamilton Alexander, Jr. (b. July 22, 1925, d. February 02, 1995)
Notes for Raleigh Hamilton Alexander, Jr.:Raleigh Alexander joined the U.S. Marines on October 23, 1943 during World War II. He was with Battery A, 1st Battalion,14th Marines, 4th Division, 5th Corps. He was sent to a base in southern California for basic training. After basic training, he wanted to go to radio school but since it was full, he chose the telephone school.
On January 1, 1944, he started telephone school at Camp Pendelton, California. He learned to climb poles and splice wires in combat zones. While at the school, he got a weekend pass and arranged to meet his 1st cousin, O. T. "Son" Alexander, who was also stationed in California. They went to Los Angeles and decided to go to the famous Hollywood Cantine, and signed their guest book.
After he completed his training at the telephone school, he was shipped out from San Diego, CA on April 10, 1944 on an aircraft carrier to the 4th Marine Division base on Maui, in the Hawaiian Islands.
He was in the Pacific Theater and participated in the landings at Siapan on July 4, 1944, Tinian on July 24,1944 and Iwo Jima on February 28, 1945. He was wounded in the foot and leg at Tinian Island on July 25, 1944, when an aerial bomb exploded over his tent. Out of twenty men, he was one of the three that survived this incident, for which he received the Purple Heart.
In the battle for Tinian Island, 368 Marines were killed in action. After being wounded on Tinian Island, he was taken aboard a hospital ship bound for Pearl Harbor, by way of the Marshall Islands. When they were informed that the hospitals in Pearl Harbor were full with casualties from the Battle of Siapan, they headed south toward Guadacanal, but ended up at new Hebrides Island where he recovered from his wounds.
While he was recovering from his wounds, he was fortunate enough to see both Jack Benny, Bob Hope and even heard Frances Langford sing a song for the boys in the wards during one of their USO tours. Soon after that, he started the long journey of over six thousand miles back to his home base in Maui, Hawaii.He was released from the hospital on October 10, 1944 and sailed to the islands of Guadacanal, Taligi, New Caladonia and Pearl Harbor, before finally reaching Maui, Hawaii, which had become the home base of the 4th Marine Division where they had been trained intensively before going into each separate action that they were involved in during WWII.After Iwo Jima, they received even more intensive training for the anticipated invasion of Japan, which fortunately did not take place as planned.
He was discharged from the Marines on October 20, 1945. After WWII, he was in the reserves and was promoted to Corporal when he was recalled for duty during the Korean War. In the last moments before his ship was to leave the dock, an officer boarded the ship and asked if anyone present had received a Purple Heart in the service of WWII.When Raleigh confirmed that he had been wounded in the service of his country, he was released from further military service on those conditions.
Raleigh worked at the Chattanooga Glass Company before WWII and about 1948 he was hired at the Southern Bell Telephone Company where he worked in Chattanooga and later transferred to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1962. He had over 30 years service with the Telephone Company when he retired in May of 1984.
Raleigh was usually called "Junior" by his family, and was an avid supporter of his beloved Tennessee Vols Football and both the Vols and Lady Vols Basketball teams. He was an usher for each of these leagues and for the U.T. Baseball and Track teams also. He was well known by the members of these leagues and was proud of his association with all of these collegiate teams.
Raleigh was a member of the Methodist Church, the Telephone Pioneers of America and the Mended Hearts, a support group for heart by-pass patients.
More About Raleigh Hamilton Alexander, Jr.:
Burial: Unknown, Chattanooga National Cemetery.
Interest: Genealogy, Photography.
Military service: October 23, 1943, USMC, 14th Marines, 4th Div., 5 Corps- WWII.
Occupation: Chattanooga Glass; South Central Bell.
Religion: Methodist.
More About Raleigh Hamilton Alexander, Jr. and Betty Sue Sells:
Private-Begin: Private
Children of Raleigh Hamilton Alexander, Jr. and Betty Sue Sells are: