US Army Private Helon Jernigan (1918-1983) was born in Santa Rosa County, Florida on August 8, 1918, son of Ezra John Jernigan (1893-1969) and Anna M. Cooley (1899-1984). He was the oldest of ten known children and was born in the Santa Rosa community of "Sullivan." His father supported his family in the timber industry from cutting cross ties in 1920, extracting tar from pine trees in 1930, and as a laborer in a sawmill in Menno in 1940. When Helon reached a working age, he too went to the sawmills.
With only a grammar school education and unskilled work experience, Helon chose to enter the Army on February 21, 1941. He was sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for processing, and would eventually be assigned to the 85th Infantry Division. Helon left the US on Christmas Eve 1943 and sailed for Casablanca in French Morroco. There, they received amphibious training as they prepared for the invasion of Italy. When ready, they sailed for Naples, Italy on March 21, 1944. The division, now under command of General Mark Clark's 5th Army entered combat on April 10, 1944 north of the Garigliano River where they took up defensive positions. Four weeks later, they attacked and took the Gaeta Peninsular. After a short rest, they took over the defenses on the Arno River before attacking the Gothic Line. Private Jernigan was wounded in action somewhere in this vicinity. For his courage, he was awarded the Bronze Star for his performance in combat after he was sent to retrieve casualties under intense fire in an embattled sector. The 85th Division would go on to fight numerous battles as they marched up the Italian Peninsular and finally hammered the German army into surrendering on May 2, 1945.
Helon would return home to marry his sweetheart Laura Lee Whitley on December 16, 1944 in Milton. After done his patriotic duty to his country, he would pass away on January 17, 1983 and was buried in the Hollandtown Holiness Cemetery in Jay, Florida
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