US Army PFC Iva Clarence Wiggins was born in McCullough, Escambia County, Alabama on November 8, 1921, the son of Irene Vitalis Wiggins (1895-1975). In 1920, his mother was living with her widowed father who was a farmer in Flomaton, Alabama. Ten years later, she located to Jeddo in Monroe County, Alabama with her father Jonathon Jackson (1867-1939) and her step mother Millie Wiggins. Iva would have been nine years old at the time but there was no mention of him. Five years later they had relocated once again to Monroe County, Alabama. In 1940, Iva is working as a farmer and living with his mother and her sisters in the Pollard/Century area where they were renting a house for $3.00 per month. By 1945, Irene was living in Atmore, Alabama until she moved to Bluff Springs. She would reside in Pace, Florida from 1972 until her death in 1975 and subsequent burial in the Serenity Gardens, Milton, Florida. Her daughter, Maggie Inez Wiggins Davis (1918-2002), would follow her in death in 2002.
Iva was also the great grandson of Confederate Private Elijah Clinton Wiggins (1840-1890) who enlisted in Monroe County, Alabama on November 15, 1862 in Company "A" of the 4th Alabama (Russell's) Cavalry Regiment and the 4th Alabama Cavalry Battalion (Love's). Upon his death his wife, Sarah Abigail Rigby since 1867 (1850-1943) applied for her widow's pension on May 28, 1898. Elijah's regiment participated in such battles as Chickamauga, Knoxville, and Atlanta.
After WWII began, Iva enlisted in the US Army on November 5, 1942 and was sent to Ft. McClellan, Alabama. He was evidentially assigned to the 61st Armored Infantry Battalion with the 10th Armored Division. His division would enter France on September 23, 1944 at the port of Cherbourg and was then deployed to Teurtheville for more training. On October 25th, they joined General George Patton's 3rd Army for their dash across Europe. The battle of Metz was quickly followed by Patton's routing of the Germans along the Siegfried Line. By November 19th, they had crossed into Germany and began preparing for their next offensive.
It was about this time that Iva was hospitalized with frostbite due to the cold temperatures. It must have been severe because he did not return to duty until February 1945. Fortunately for him, his hospitalization took him off the front lines during the costly debacle later known as the Battle of the Bulge. In his absence, his division would be the first to come to the rescue of Bastogne on December 18th. But by the time he returned to duty, the Germans had been repulsed with great loss but sadly there were more battles to come.
As he returned to combat in early February 1945, the division was reassembling at Metz to began their attack on the German defenses. The Allies quickly overran the crumbling German army before crossing the Saar River and capturing Trier. Then came the Moselle River followed by the crossing of the Rhine River on March 28th. The 10th division would help isolate Stuttgart and then raced eastward to the area around Lorch, Germany. Here, on April 19, 1945 Iva was killed in action.
His remains were turned over to the graves registration company and buried in a military cemetery. After the war, his mother requested his remains be returned home at the government's expense. In response, he was disinterred and shipped home aboard the Army Transport SS Carroll Victory in October 1948. In November 1948, he was reburied with full military honors in Barrancas Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida.
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