 Courtesy Leon Armentrout |
Remember...James Shellace Armentrout
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Sergeant James Shellace Armentrout ("Jimmie") was born on August 24, 1930, near Whitmer, Randolph County, West Virginia. His parents, Sherman Odith Armentrout and Ethyl Lena Vance Armentrout, had a large family, five of whom lived to adulthood. Jimmie's siblings were Forrest William, Elwood Gerald, [Stanley] Keith and Ruby B. Armentrout. Jimmie's older brother, Forrest, was killed in 1945 in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II, in which Elwood also served. Like his siblings, Jimmie was educated in schools in rural Randolph County.
Younger than his brothers who fought in World War II, Sgt. James Armentrout entered service during the Korean War and was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, U.S. Army.
| On May 18, 1951, Jimmie was listed as missing in action while fighting the enemy in Hangye, South Korea. Although his remains were never recovered, on December 31, 1953, he was presumed dead. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. |  Tablets of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii. Courtesy American Battle Monuments Commission |
Sgt. James Armentrout was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal. (To see the full list of his awards with their visual representations, visit the American Battle Monuments Commission website and search for James S. Armentrout.)
 Grave marker for James Shellace Armentrout. |
In his honor, a grave marker for Jimmie was placed in the family plot in the Laurel Hill Cemetery, Whitmer, Randolph County, West Virginia. |
Biography submitted James S. Armentrout's cousin, Leon Armentrout.
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
