At 8:00 PM on the night of June 17, 1936, two hundred young men and women walked down the aisle of the Pensacola High School auditorium to receive their diplomas. They had just listened to an inspiring commencement speech from Dr. W. S. Allen of Stetson University in Deland. Dr. Allen implored the class to find within themselves those things they did best and "work out your plan with vigor and courage!" Within five years, those words would bear fruit as the class of '36 marched off to WWII. Their average age was 23-years old and many would be fighting and dying in faraway battlefields! Two of these students, Cecil Turner Wilson and Louis Raymond Barrow would mount the stage that night to receive their diplomas from Oliver John Semmes Sr. and would go on to fulfill Allen's prophetic words!
Cecil Turner Wilson was born in Pensacola in 1918, the son of James Turner Wilson (1897-1963) and Hilda Margaret Hallmark (1895-1969). Hilda was the granddaughter of Judge George Stone Hallmark (1846-1906) and Leila Ann White (1843-1919) of which the George Stone Hallmark Elementary School was named. She was also the daughter of George Chaffee Hallmark (1872-1960) and Eva Dorothea Pfeiffer (1873-1955). James was a machinist by trade and spent his early life working in that capacity in shipyards and NAS. He was reared by his parents David W. Wilson (1857-1903), a section foreman at a local sawmill, and his second wife Catherine "Kate" Turner (1855-1918). After her husband died in 1903, Kate and her seven younger children were supported by her son Cecil Frederick, a house carpenter, and Jack Marion who did odd jobs as a laborer.
By 1917, James had grown up and married a local debutant, Hilda Hallmark (1895-1969) shortly after her graduation from Pensacola High in the Class of 1917. In fact, she had every intention of leaving with her girlfriends for Florida State College for Women in Tallahassee on the morning of September 19th. However, young James was obviously a smooth talker because things didn't work out that way! Instead, the young couple gathered at her father's house at 11 North Spring on the evening of the 18th. There, with only the immediate family and some hand chosen close friends, they were married. At the time, young James had been a machinist for the L&N Railroad but because of WWI he was able to get a more lucrative job at NAS as a machinist. He now earned enough to rent a house at #9 North Spring Street for $25.00 per month, right next door to his in-laws at #11 (today's northwest corner of Spring & Garden St.). In fact, Hilda's grandmother Leila Ann Hallmark was living at #17 so the Hallmark family were now all together. By 1918, James and Hilda had a good home, a good job and now just prior to the end of the war, Hilda gave birth to a healthy boy, Cecil Turner Wilson.
James would remain a machinist until sometime before 1927 when he decided to open the Wilson Produce Company at 210 East Garden Street (12 East Government St. 1931). Most likely his father-in-law had an influence since he currently owned the company of Levy-Hallmark Produce Company (with partner Joseph M. Levy) at Zarragossa and the northeast corner of South Tarragona. James took as a partner, Francis "Frank" Juventus Riera (1874-1965) who was a county commissioner (1923-1929), former city councilman, and a charter member of the Knights of Columbus. He was also the son of Anthony Joseph Riera, a former Confederate cavalryman with the 15th Confederate Cavalry. This partnership lasted until around 1934 when he again partnered with Aaron Jacob Weitzen from Walasanka, Hungary. Aaron had previously owned the People's Fruit Company before merging to become the "Wilson & Weitzen Produce Company" at 314 East Wright Street (241-43 East Garden St. 1938) with Hilda their bookkeeper. By 1940, Lee W. Noble had taken over the company (renaming it the Fruit Produce Company) and James was now a salesman for the company. Sometime after 1944, James returned to the NAS O&R department where he stayed until he retired. He would pass away in 1963 and was joined by Hilda, six years later in St. John's Cemetery.
His only child, Cecil grew up at 9 North Spring Street and would eventually graduate from Pensacola High in the class of 1936 where he was known as "Ce." Graduating from PHS just a couple years before him were his uncle and aunts, Leila Mai 1926, George Stone 1931, and Chaffee Magruder Hallmark 1934, all siblings of his mother. He would soon enroll in the University of Florida where he majored in marketing and business administration. By 1942, he had graduated and was working for the "Modern Home Equipment Company" but the war had begun in earnest and men were needed badly for the armed forces. As a result, on March 20, 1942, he made two very important decisions that day! One, he married PHS classmate Maria "Mary" Kastanakis, Class of 1938 and on the same day he joined the US Army. Sadly, Pensacola High classmate and best friend, Louis Raymond Barrow was unable to follow him into the service! Louis was the son of Raymond Alexander Barrow and had grown up only three blocks away at 240 West Garden Street. However, Louis was now married and attending Atlanta Southern Dental College and would not graduate until 1943. In the meantime, when Cecil's induction was complete, he was sent to Fort Sill, OK where he was trained as a field artillery officer. Upon completion, he was sent to Ft. Benning, GA for parachute training and deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division. During activation of a second airborne division, the 82nd was ordered to provide artillery elements to the new division, thus the transfer of Cecil to the 101st.
In mid-August 1943, the 101st completed their training and reorganization and were ordered to England. Upon arrival, the were quartered in the villages of Wiltshire and Berkshire, where they continued reorganizing and began training for D-Day, scheduled for the 6th of June. The 101st was to seize key enemy positions west of Utah Beach. They were to also eliminate the enemy's inland beach defenses, so that the 4th Infantry Division could move inland from the beachhead without hindrance. On June 5th, Cecil anxiously boarded his transport and flew off into the dark skies with all the other planes all heading into hell! At 0048 of June 6th, the planes were over the target and the world's greatest battle was enjoined! But Cecil's drop was a horrible disaster from the first. The division's artillery landed totally off course, losing all but one howitzer and incurring severe casualties. Intense fighting followed on the ground and continued until June 27th when the 101st was relieved having suffered over 1,500 casualties. They returned to England in mid-July for replenishment and training until they were called forth for Operation Market-Garden. D-Day for the new battle was September 17th with Cecil and his artillery jumping into the Netherlands two days later. Fighting immediately became fierce however the 101st captured all their objectives as ordered and were relieved in November 1944.
But history was not yet finished with Cecil and the 101st paratroopers! As a complete shock, the German Army made a surprise "last ditch" attack on December 16, 1944 that became known as the bloody "Battle of the Bulge." Known as the Ardennes Offensive, the entire key to a German victory was the crossroads that connected seven roads at Bastogne! By day #2 of the battle, the defending 28th Division was exhausted and collapsing from the overwhelming assaults. To stem the tide of Germans, the 101st was ordered to immediately saddle up and head for Bastogne before it was completely lost. Unable to parachute because of the weather, they were forced to travel 107 miles through the snow, arriving on December 19th. It was here that Captain Cecil Turner Wilson from Pensacola, Florida entered the nation's history books! Never expecting a winter attack, the senior officers of the 101st were all absent when the orders to march for Bastogne came down. So, the command of the division fell to none other than Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe, the division's artillery commander, Cecil's commander! But in true Army fashion, orders were received to march behind the 82nd Division heading for Bertogne, not to Bastogne. As they slugged along behind the column of the 82nd, Cecil and the 101st vanguard approached a crossroads where one road led to Bastogne and the other to Bertogne. With McAuliffe now over the division, command of the his artillery fell to Colonel Thomas L. Sherburne Jr. And none other than Captain Cecil Wilson was appointed his assistant. At the fork of the road, the two men were directed by the MP's to take the road to Bertogne. But Sherbourne stiffened and ordered them to direct ALL 101st units along the Bastogne road instead. His orders were followed and the 101st arrived in Bastogne without further delay! (Bastogne, the First Eight Days by S.L.A. Marshall, 1946 reprinted 1988, page 16)
Upon arrival, Cecil set about gathering information for his Colonel as to the available ammunition (down to ten rounds per canon) and displacement of the troops, artillery, and armor. While in the division's headquarters, Cecil witnessed General McAuliffe receive a surrender notice from the German commander. Sensing an American annihilation, the German general wrote McAuliffe that he had till 4:00 PM to surrender or face total destruction. The general's return response was "nuts!" The comment completely baffled the entire enemy command who had no idea what it meant in "Americanese!" Unknowingly, Cecil had just witnessed firsthand a battle cry that would enter our history books along with Farragut's "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" and John Paul Jones "I have not yet begun to fight."
Cecil finished out the war with the 101st, having seen the death and destruction that comes with all war. As the Army began its transition to a peacetime force, he was given leave until his discharge became effective on February 14, 1946. Upon return, Cecil and Mary made their home at 209 Corry Drive in Warrington. Cecil would marry again in 1955 to Dana Marie Burke (1938-2003) from Gonzalez, Florida. He would retire from his business called the Wilson Pump Company before quietly passing away on January 10, 1992. He was buried in St. John's Cemetery, survived by two sons and seven daughters. However, as many people over the years pass his grave they will never realize that this man once stood and fought a desperate battle amongst the gallant defenders of Bastogne, and personally witnessed his CO tell the entire German army, numbering 449,000, "nuts" to Americans surrendering to you!
Captain Cecil Turner Wilson, 101st Airborne Division, WWII
Certificate of Voter Registration of Cecil's grandfather, 9-5-1988, Escambia County, Florida at age of 31-years old. Ironically, the supervisor of elections that approved David's certificate was former Confederate Sergeant William Henry Trimmer. He enlisted in the Confederate Army on March 27, 1861 with the 1st Florida Infantry Regiment. One year later, he reenlisted and was sent to Richmond, VA in April 1862 as a hospital clerk. By October 1862, he was transferred to Selma, Alabama to assist in the construction of the famous Confederate ironclad CSS Tennessee. He would later become a POW at the Battle of Olustee and was eventually buried in Molino, Florida.
Gravesite of Cecil's grandmother, Mrs. Catherine "Kate" Turner Wilson, wife of David W. Wilson, Gonzalez United Methodist Cemetery, Gonzalez, Escambia County, Florida
Death of Cecil's great maternal grandfather, Judge George Stone
Hallmark, Pensacola News Journal 7-13-1906
Death of Judge George Stone Hallmark, Pensacola News Journal 7-13-1906
Elementary School named in honor of Judge George Stone Hallmark, 115 S. "E" Street
Cecil' s maternal grandfather George Chaffee Hallmark (1872-1960)
Hilda's parents, George Chaffee and Eva Dorothea Pfeiffer Hallmark on their 50th Wedding Anniversary, Pensacola News Journal 2-11-1945
Pensacola News Journal 2-11-1945
Partner of Cecil's father James T. Wilson,
Francis "Frank" Juventus Riera (1874-1965)
Francis "Frank" Juventus Riera (1874-1965)
Riera passed away on September 12, 1960
High School Rag Announcement of Hilda's Wedding 9-23-1917 PNJ
Hilda Margaret Hallmark wrote the PHS Class of 1917 Class Song, 6-7-1917 PNJ
Hilda Margaret Hallmark wrote the PHS Class of 1917 Class Song, 6-7-1917 PNJ
Graduation Commencement, Pensacola
News Journal 6-8-1917
Class of 1917 celebration for the young
lady's college departure , 9-16-1917 PNJ
The young ladies of the Class of 1917 prepare for college, 9-6-1917 PNJ
James and Hilda Marriage Records, Pensacola, Florida 9-18-1917
Pensacola News Journal Wedding Article 9-19-1917
Signature of James Turner Wilson 1918
Petition for Naturalization of Aaron (Yacob) Jacob Weitzen 1939. Note the two witnesses to his character were James Turner Wilson and E. E. Harper, former City Chief of Police
James Turner Wilson's produce business
partner, Aaron (Yacob) Jacob Weitzen 1939
Aaron Jacob Weitzne's Citizenship
Ceremony, 11-10-1939 PNJ
Wilson & Weitzen Produce Company AD 4-5-1934
One of several articles on Weitzen & Wilson
Produce Company 11-15-1935
Weitzen & Wilson Produce Company
employee captured WWII 11-15-1935
Obituary of Cecil's father James Turner Wilson 2-21-1963
Grave site of James Turner Wilson and Hilda Margaret Hallmark, St. John's Cemetery
Cecil's first wife Maria "Mary" Kastanakis,
Valedictorian of Pensacola High 1938
Signature of Cecil Turner Wilson, 1942
Captain Cecil Turner Wilson (left) and his best friend Dr. Louis Raymond Barrow (right) Dr. Barrow would become a well-known Pensacola dentist on 12th Avenue. Not only his best friend but his brother-in-law Chaffee Mcgruder Hallmark was fighting with the US Army Air Corps in Europe.
Lt. Cecil Turner Wilson is referring to Henry Lewis Stimson, Secretary of War, who spoke of the creation of the two new "Airborne" divisions. Due to interagency squabbling, the "gliders" were transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division. This is sending a telegraph message home to James and Hilda, his parents.
Pensacola News Journal enroute to Ft. Benning 9-19-1917
Pensacola News Journal 10-15-1944, eight weeks prior to Cecil entering the famous Battle of the Bulge on 12-16-1944. Here Cecil & Mary's "Pretzel" was entered into his own battle
The 101st Division's 75mm Pack Howitzer battery providing support at Bastogne
Bastogne was surrounded and constantly shelled by German artillery fire, which prevented Colonel Sherburne from being able to concentrate all of his artillery fire on one location or sending reinforcements to assist any particular location. At one point, enemy Panzers and infantry broke through the American lines about 0730. Many of the artilleryman were forced to fight as infantry to survive. What serviceable cannon the Americans had left were so close that they had to lower their muzzles and shoot straight into them at point blank range. The withering fire destroyed several oncoming panzers and their crews and forced the others to hastily retreat. Captain Wilson, along with General McAuliffe and Colonel Sherburne inspected the carnage after the fight.
Brigadier Anthony C. McAuliffe (1898-1975), retired a five-star general in 1956
Pensacola News Journal Cecil's return from the war 11-4-1945
Pensacola News Journal Cecil's separation
from the US Army 2-17-1946
Cecil's 2nd wife, Dana Marie Burke Wilson Gauthier (1938-2003) buried Barrancas Cemetery. Daughter of Teague Burke and Glenda Marie Coats (1914-1994) and granddaughter of Ezra Alonzo Coats (1882-1964) and Vernie Towery (1892-1918). She is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in New Madrid, Missouri. Above photo was taken at J. M. Tate "Junior" High in 1954 in the 8th grade.
Captain Cecil Turner Wilson's Obituary,
Pensacola News Journal 1-13-1992
The unassuming gravesite of Captain Cecil Turner Wilson at St. John's Cemetery. "His grave belies not the patriotism and courage of the man that lies beneath"
Cecil's best friend, Captain Louis Raymond Barrow WWII, US Army Dental Corp, 124th gun battalion. 71st Infantry Regiment with four battle stars in the European Theater
Dr. Louis Raymond Barrow (1917-2008)
Gravesite of Dr. Louis Raymond Barrow at St. John's Cemetery
Dr. Barrow's grandparents, Capt. Willis Green Barrow and his wife Rosa Reid Campbell, PNJ 7-8-1934
Capt. Willis Green Barrow was the legendary captain of the "Tarpon", which sank in August of 1937. The Tarpon ran into an unexpected storm off Ft. Walton and sank nine miles offshore of Panama City. Most of the crew were lost and Barrow was picked up in a life rat but died shortly afterwards on September 1, 1937. Based on his popularity he was buried with a large crowd of spectators in St. John's Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida.
Obituary of Raymond Alexander Barrow March 1976, PNJ
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