World War II Service Records: Caswell County, North Carolina

World War II Service Records: Caswell County, North Carolina

Caswell County is fortunate to have: World War II Service Record Book of Men and Women of Yanceyville, N. C., and Community. The publication was sponsored by V.F.W. Post No. 7316 (assisted by the "Yanceyville and Community Business Men"). This "assistance" apparently came in the form of advertisements purchased, which appear at the rear of the undated book.

While the title references Yanceyville and community, the dedication indicates that the book was intended to cover Caswell County. A special section is devoted to "Gold Star Boys" -- those from Caswell County who died in World War II.

However, it is unfortunate that the book apparently only includes white soldiers. This is only apparently so because the book contains a photograph section and a section of names only. A few females are included.

The advertisers are: Bank of Yanceyville; Cole Chevrolet Co.; Caswell Furniture Co.; Yanceyville Tire Service; Caswell Motor Co.; Caswell Hardware & Implement Co.; Richardson's Barber Shop; W. H. Hooper & Son; Gunn Electric Appliance Company; C. B. Rogers; Brooks, White & Long Funeral Home; Dailey Motors; Rice's Clothing and Accessories for Men; and Gunn Tractor & Equipment Company.
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V.F.W. Post No. 7316, World War II Service Record Book of Men and Women of Yanceyville, N.C., and Community. Marceline (Missouri): Walsworth Brothers, Undated. Print.
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Query whether this book was the idea of Yanceyville's Johnny Oliver Gunn (1892-1992). Toward the end of World War II, Gunn proposed that the Caswell County Board of Commissioners be empowered to appoint a person or committee "to compile and publish a record of the history of the members of the United States Armed Forces" who were residents of Caswell County and to "put such records in permanent form and binding." The results were to be published and all associated expenses paid through a special property tax of "one cent on each one hundred dollars of the taxable property of the county."

While no such tax is known to have been imposed and no publication was authorized by the Caswell County Commissioners, the local V.F.W. post did compile and publish the book described above.