US Army Corporal Billie Wade Rayburn was born in Jay, Florida on June 24, 1925, the grandson of William Franklin Rayburn (1869-1944) and Mary Elizabeth Warren (1869-1967). His grandparents were married about 1904 in Sedan, Wilcox County, Alabama and moved to Jones Mill in Monroe County as farmers. They relocated to Jay in Santa Rosa County, Florida sometime before 1920. There, they would remain farmers for the rest of their lives.
Billie's great grandfather was DeKalb W. Rayburn (1836-1901) who was born and died in Wilcox County, Alabama. During the Civil War he enlisted in November 1861 in Company "A" of the Confederate 23rd Alabama Infantry Regiment as a private. The regiment was transferred to Mobile, Alabama where disease began to take its toll. It was later transferred to Tennessee where it was active in the Kentucky campaign before being sent to Tracy's Brigade, Department of Mississippi & East Louisiana. It would fight at Chickasaw Bayou, Port Gibson, Champion's Hill, Big Black River Bridge, and Vicksburg. The regiment was surrendered at Vicksburg in July 1863, exchanged, and reassigned to General Pettus' Brigade with the Army of Tennessee. Bloody battles would follow such as Chattanooga and the Atlanta Campaign. After Hood had all but decimated the army, they were finally surrendered for the second time in North Carolina in April 1865.
As for Billie, having completed three years of high school he would enlist in the US Army on October 28, 1943 (another record says November 18) and was sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for processing and orientation. Upon completion of his basic training, he was sent overseas to a distribution center that determined what unit he would be assigned. He was finally assigned to Company "K" of the 157th Infantry Regiment attached to the 45th Infantry Division. Given his enlistment and basic training dates it is unlikely that he joined his regiment prior to the breakout of Rome, Italy on May 23, 1944. Regardless, the regiment stormed ashore in southern France on August 15 during Operation Dragoon to open a second front for the invasion of Europe. Facing light opposition from second string enemy troops they proceeded rapidly in linking up with George Patton on September 12. They crossed the Mortagne River on October 23 and two days later were thrown into a bayonet fight in a wooded area near Housseras, France. The fighting became ferocious and continued into November. However, on October 31, Corporal Billie Wade Rayburn was killed in action in the close quarter fighting in and around Housseras.
His remains were turned over to the grave's registration company and quickly buried in a military cemetery. His family was notified in Jay of his demise and his name was added to the ever-lengthening casualty list. After the war, his family requested that he be brought home to rest among his family. He arrived in May 1948 and was buried with military honors in the Jay Cemetery.
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