Army SFC Jesse Lee Mims was born in Old Texas, Monroe County, Alabama on July 9, 1923, son of Robert Mims of Pineapple, Alabama and Mrs. Annie B. Palmer of Pensacola, Florida. He grew up in Bay Minnette, Alabama and moved to Pensacola as a young man. Here. he would enlist in the US Army in 1943 during WWII but little is known about his military experiences during that time.
During Korea he was assigned to the predominantly black 24th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Division that was stationed in Japan as part of the WWII occupying force. But all of that changed drastically at dawn of June 25, 1950 when North Korean troops attacked across the 38th Parallel. Desperate fighting ensued between the South Korean Army and the invaders with only US air and naval power to support them. By July 1st, Jesse's 25th Division had landed and immediately thrust into the fierce fighting. By the 18th, Jesse's regiment and the entire division had joined the fight around the port of Pusan. After desperate fighting, the tide began to turn especially after the landing at Inchon on September 15th. From that point on, Jesse and his regiment drove the North Koreans north to the Manchurian border. There, they were struck by Chinese forces at the Chosin Reservoir and overwhelmed in sub-zero weather. Forced to withdraw, they lost 20% of their officers and 33% of the soldiers.
By early March 1951, the American and South Korean troops had regrouped and prepared for a full-scale offensive. As they advance across the Han River on March 6th, they ran into rough terrain with steep elevations against well entrenched enemy forces. But as time wore on, many of the regiment's soldiers threw their weapons and equipment way as they hastily retreated. The sergeants did their best to stem the tide but all to no avail. It was in this arena that SFC Jesse Lee Mims was killed in action on April 23, 1951. Sadly, his regiment's reputation was impugned by these isolated incidents whereas their bravery and overall performance was totally ignored by the American media and military authorities. The regiment performed well in later offensives but despite this they were disbanded in October 1951.
In the meantime, Jesse's body was sent home aboard the "SS Hoosier State Victory" in September 1951 and buried in the Byrd Cemetery in his beloved Monroe County, Alabama.
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