Jess, son of Nina Hopkins and Anderson Davis, served in WWII and Korea. He was a Bronze Star Recipient for saving many of the men in his unit at the risk of his own life. He never really got over being in the wars and became a loner and drank alcohol to allay the memories. In today's world would have likely been diagnosed as PTS.
In 1930 before the wars, he, his parents and two brothers were enumerated cotton farmers in Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, but their home was usually in Lincoln Parish. In 1937, he and his brother Thomas Henry were working in Talluah, LA at the time of their mother's death. Just a simple life was what he lived.
For years after the wars, he lived in a one-bedroom camper trailer. He loved the outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing especially with his Heard cousins. He always had a good hound dog at his side.
Jess first enlisted in the Army on Dec 30, 1942 and released Nov 1, 1945. He reenlisted May 20, 1948 and was finally discharged disabled September 20, 1951.
The Bronze Star: After serving bravely in WWII, Jess Anderson was considered a seasoned soldier by the time of the Korean Conflict. Being older and more experience, he was placed in charge of a small unit. While on patrol, the unit became under attack and pinned-down for a few days, and the only way the men could be rescued was by helicopter. Jess Anderson "held down the fort" while the other men ran for for the copter. The copter took off without Jess Anderson but planned to return quickly for him. A rain storm slowed that plan and it was a day or so before it could return. Upon reaching the area, it was thought they would find the body of Jess Anderson but instead, there were bodies of the enemy everywhere. Jess Anderson was delirious from what he mentally and physically endured but he was alive. He confronted, the best he could, with the demons of this ordeal the rest of his life....sometimes using alcohol as a self-medication. The men who he saved never forgot what he did for them. At his funeral one of the survivors retold his version of this story; a story of an true American Warrior from the backwoods of northern Louisiana.
Neither Jess nor his older brother Thomas Henry received a Purple Heart for their mental and physical injuries.
Jess Anderson took a beautiful German War bride, Olga, and brought her home in 1945 to rural Louisiana. Within months, his beloved fräulein left him for to go north to a big city. He never remarried or had children. He had a special bond with the daughters of his oldest brother, Perk, and they with him. Jess went to AL to help them when Perk was on his deathbed. He considered the oldest of these nieces his "next to kin".
A long-time cigarette smoker, Jess has a laryngectomy with a radical neck dissection for throat cancer just months prior to his death in the local rehab center.
In 1930 before the wars, he, his parents and two brothers were enumerated cotton farmers in Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, but their home was usually in Lincoln Parish. In 1937, he and his brother Thomas Henry were working in Talluah, LA at the time of their mother's death. Just a simple life was what he lived.
For years after the wars, he lived in a one-bedroom camper trailer. He loved the outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing especially with his Heard cousins. He always had a good hound dog at his side.
Jess first enlisted in the Army on Dec 30, 1942 and released Nov 1, 1945. He reenlisted May 20, 1948 and was finally discharged disabled September 20, 1951.
The Bronze Star: After serving bravely in WWII, Jess Anderson was considered a seasoned soldier by the time of the Korean Conflict. Being older and more experience, he was placed in charge of a small unit. While on patrol, the unit became under attack and pinned-down for a few days, and the only way the men could be rescued was by helicopter. Jess Anderson "held down the fort" while the other men ran for for the copter. The copter took off without Jess Anderson but planned to return quickly for him. A rain storm slowed that plan and it was a day or so before it could return. Upon reaching the area, it was thought they would find the body of Jess Anderson but instead, there were bodies of the enemy everywhere. Jess Anderson was delirious from what he mentally and physically endured but he was alive. He confronted, the best he could, with the demons of this ordeal the rest of his life....sometimes using alcohol as a self-medication. The men who he saved never forgot what he did for them. At his funeral one of the survivors retold his version of this story; a story of an true American Warrior from the backwoods of northern Louisiana.
Neither Jess nor his older brother Thomas Henry received a Purple Heart for their mental and physical injuries.
Jess Anderson took a beautiful German War bride, Olga, and brought her home in 1945 to rural Louisiana. Within months, his beloved fräulein left him for to go north to a big city. He never remarried or had children. He had a special bond with the daughters of his oldest brother, Perk, and they with him. Jess went to AL to help them when Perk was on his deathbed. He considered the oldest of these nieces his "next to kin".
A long-time cigarette smoker, Jess has a laryngectomy with a radical neck dissection for throat cancer just months prior to his death in the local rehab center.
Jess, son of Nina Hopkins and Anderson Davis, served in WWII and Korea. He was a Bronze Star Recipient for saving many of the men in his unit at the risk of his own life. He never really got over being in the wars and became a loner and drank alcohol to allay the memories. In today's world would have likely been diagnosed as PTS.
In 1930 before the wars, he, his parents and two brothers were enumerated cotton farmers in Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, but their home was usually in Lincoln Parish. In 1937, he and his brother Thomas Henry were working in Talluah, LA at the time of their mother's death. Just a simple life was what he lived.
For years after the wars, he lived in a one-bedroom camper trailer. He loved the outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing especially with his Heard cousins. He always had a good hound dog at his side.
Jess first enlisted in the Army on Dec 30, 1942 and released Nov 1, 1945. He reenlisted May 20, 1948 and was finally discharged disabled September 20, 1951.
The Bronze Star: After serving bravely in WWII, Jess Anderson was considered a seasoned soldier by the time of the Korean Conflict. Being older and more experience, he was placed in charge of a small unit. While on patrol, the unit became under attack and pinned-down for a few days, and the only way the men could be rescued was by helicopter. Jess Anderson "held down the fort" while the other men ran for for the copter. The copter took off without Jess Anderson but planned to return quickly for him. A rain storm slowed that plan and it was a day or so before it could return. Upon reaching the area, it was thought they would find the body of Jess Anderson but instead, there were bodies of the enemy everywhere. Jess Anderson was delirious from what he mentally and physically endured but he was alive. He confronted, the best he could, with the demons of this ordeal the rest of his life....sometimes using alcohol as a self-medication. The men who he saved never forgot what he did for them. At his funeral one of the survivors retold his version of this story; a story of an true American Warrior from the backwoods of northern Louisiana.
Neither Jess nor his older brother Thomas Henry received a Purple Heart for their mental and physical injuries.
Jess Anderson took a beautiful German War bride, Olga, and brought her home in 1945 to rural Louisiana. Within months, his beloved fräulein left him for to go north to a big city. He never remarried or had children. He had a special bond with the daughters of his oldest brother, Perk, and they with him. Jess went to AL to help them when Perk was on his deathbed. He considered the oldest of these nieces his "next to kin".
A long-time cigarette smoker, Jess has a laryngectomy with a radical neck dissection for throat cancer just months prior to his death in the local rehab center.
In 1930 before the wars, he, his parents and two brothers were enumerated cotton farmers in Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, but their home was usually in Lincoln Parish. In 1937, he and his brother Thomas Henry were working in Talluah, LA at the time of their mother's death. Just a simple life was what he lived.
For years after the wars, he lived in a one-bedroom camper trailer. He loved the outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing especially with his Heard cousins. He always had a good hound dog at his side.
Jess first enlisted in the Army on Dec 30, 1942 and released Nov 1, 1945. He reenlisted May 20, 1948 and was finally discharged disabled September 20, 1951.
The Bronze Star: After serving bravely in WWII, Jess Anderson was considered a seasoned soldier by the time of the Korean Conflict. Being older and more experience, he was placed in charge of a small unit. While on patrol, the unit became under attack and pinned-down for a few days, and the only way the men could be rescued was by helicopter. Jess Anderson "held down the fort" while the other men ran for for the copter. The copter took off without Jess Anderson but planned to return quickly for him. A rain storm slowed that plan and it was a day or so before it could return. Upon reaching the area, it was thought they would find the body of Jess Anderson but instead, there were bodies of the enemy everywhere. Jess Anderson was delirious from what he mentally and physically endured but he was alive. He confronted, the best he could, with the demons of this ordeal the rest of his life....sometimes using alcohol as a self-medication. The men who he saved never forgot what he did for them. At his funeral one of the survivors retold his version of this story; a story of an true American Warrior from the backwoods of northern Louisiana.
Neither Jess nor his older brother Thomas Henry received a Purple Heart for their mental and physical injuries.
Jess Anderson took a beautiful German War bride, Olga, and brought her home in 1945 to rural Louisiana. Within months, his beloved fräulein left him for to go north to a big city. He never remarried or had children. He had a special bond with the daughters of his oldest brother, Perk, and they with him. Jess went to AL to help them when Perk was on his deathbed. He considered the oldest of these nieces his "next to kin".
A long-time cigarette smoker, Jess has a laryngectomy with a radical neck dissection for throat cancer just months prior to his death in the local rehab center.
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