Corporal Archie L. Massey was born in State Line, MS on December 20, 1910, the son of John Joseph Massey (1863-1925) and Virginia Elizabeth Williams (1873-1954). He was the seventh of nine children born to his parents while his father supported the family as a farmer. With only a grammar school education, Archie left Mississippi and struck out for Escambia County, Florida sometime before 1935. At that time, he appears to have followed his older brother Oscar to Molino and both were working as truck drivers. By 1940, he was working for Albert Jacobi at his lumber mill in Molino and still living with Oscar.
With the war in its first year, Archie enlisted in the US Army Air Corps on December 19, 1942 in Pensacola and was sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for processing and orientation. He was sent to basic and advanced training before being assigned to the 32nd Mobile Reclamation Repair Squadron of the 327th Service Group with the 9th Air Force. The purpose of this unit was the complete repair, maintenance, and servicing of all aircraft attached to their squadron. This includes field repairs and salvage, removal and replacement of major unit assemblies, fabrication of minor parts and minor repairs to aircraft structures and equipment.
The squadron departed for England where they set up in Ibsley and then Stone Cross as their planes flew missions across the channel hitting French and German targets. Following the invasion of France in June 1944, the squadron moved with the war front as airfields were established on the continent. It was here that an accident occurred that took the life of Archie. The death was listed as a "DNB" or "died non-battle" but appears to have been a military accident. However, as in all combat zones this could have taken so many forms. Regardless, Archie was killed in service to his country. His body was returned home after the war and buried in Fruitdale Cemetery in Fruitdale, Washington County, Alabama.
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