Military service traced through history

Our family military history can be traced back at least thirteen generations! No wonder our family whole-heartedly supports the soldiers. I am very proud of them all!

Here’s my Dad.
And some interesting facts:
Twelve and thirteen generations ago, my grandfathers, Colonel Thomas Ligon, born in 1609, and Major William Ligon, served in England. A little later Colonel Benjamine Marshall, born 1681, served in Ireland.

We know of at least three American Revolution warriors in our family: Andrew Baskin, “Soldier John” Grigsby, and Captain William Castleman.

War Between the States: We had many direct descendants on both sides.
Several Coffey’s and then David Coffey, born 1839, who was a physician and Presbyterian minister and fought a few miles from his home and took care of Confederate soldiers. Alexander Valentine, born 1832, died in a Union prison in Illinois and was buried there. James Pope was killed at the Battle of Pea Ridge. John Iva Pope entered the war as a 14-year-old drummer boy, and came home four years later. His mother did not recognize him. James Tol Thomas fought with the Confederates and the Texas Rangers and died in 1910 returning from a veteran’s reunion.

WWI soldiers include my grandfather, Thomas Elisha Akin, who received an honorable discharge in 1919 due to Dependents and Distress in the Family. (Okay, I need to do a little more research on that one.)

WWII soldiers include several relatives in the US Army, Air Corps, or Navy. Jerry Akin was 18 when he went through training. He weighed 148 pounds when he left and 98 pounds when he came home. He was stationed in the Philippines. His mother probably didn’t recognize him either!

Korean War period soldiers include relatives Larry Wynns, Judson Pope, Richard Pope, Gene Anglin, and Ted Akin.

Soldiers during the Vietnam era include both of my brothers, Jimmy David Akin and Fredrick Akin.

Iraq War time period service was done by Lieutenant Jamin Miser. My dad was in the military for 33 years through several wars. Here are my nephews saluting at my dad’s 12 gun salute funeral.

This is not even the whole list of military people in our family. Many of our family members are serving in the military now, and I am proud of each one of them! If you are checking out your ancestry, it might be interesting to see who served in the military.