Joseph Byron "J.B." Croxton was born in Crenshaw County, Alabama on March 20, 1913, the son of Joseph Byron Croxton (1868-1930) and Chloe Dewitt Champion (1876-1927). His support their family as farmers as well as the logging business, but by 1930 both had passed away. Custody of J.B. passed to his Aunt and Uncle Joseph Lee Pierce (1877-1958) and Eula Irene Croxton (1885-1967) who owned the Standard Grocery Store at 1911 North 8th Avenue.
Five weeks after Pearl Harbor, JB went down to the recruitment office at the old Post Office building at Palafox & Chase Street. There, on January 10, 1942 he enlisted in the US Army and was sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for processing and orientation. After basic training he was assigned to Company "E" of the 148th Infantry Regiment with the 37th Infantry Division just before they were shipped to the Fiji Islands in June 1942. Before long they were deployed to combat at Munda and New Georgia. Next came Bougainville in November 1943 where they fought in the famous battle of Hill #700. This hill was the pivotal elevation that anchored the American defense. The enemy had no choice but to take it at all costs and the 148th had to prevent it at all costs! The fighting was some of the most brutal of the entire Pacific war! In the end, 560 enemy bodies were intermixed on the ground with 98 dead Americans and 581 wounded. On that bloody hill was three other Pensacolians fighting alongside JB: Sgt. William Alexander Riggins Jr. (1919-1994), Pfc. Eugene James "Jim" Crawford, Jr. (1919-1985), and Pfc. Theodore Broward Sellers (1919-2001).
Then came the Philippine invasion of Luzon and the capture of Manila. After landing at Lingayen Gulf on January 9, 1945, the 37th entered Manila on February 4th and crossed the Pasig River. There, they ran into heavy street fighting where casualties began to mount, especially among the civilian populations. Amid the door to door fighting, JB was cut down on February 10, 1945 and another gallant son of Pensacola was lost. Sadly, his aunt and uncle would receive the heart stopping telegram at their house as well as his 3rd Purple Heart. His body was returned home after the war and buried in the Rocky Mount Cemetery, Highland Home, Alabama.
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