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Remember...Opie Lee Abbott
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Pfc. Opie Lee Abbott:almost a Christmas baby:was born in Clio, Roane County, West Virginia on December 21, 1914. He was followed one year later by his sister Ova Lula (Ovie). They were just two of the large family of William H. and Edith C. Ashley Abbott, whose household also included Roy W., Howard L., Joseph R., Clyde F., Elizabeth S., and Robert E., according to the 1930 Census.
On May 18, 1945, Mrs. Abbott received notification from the war department that her son Opie had been killed in action on May 2. However, because she received two letters from her son dated May 3, she entertained the hope that the war department's message might be in error. Sadly, the family later learned that Opie had indeed been killed near Ulis (Weis), Germany, when he ran into a German ambush as he was bringing a captured truck back to the rear.
A farmer in civilian life, Pfc. Abbott received his grammar school education in Roane County. He was inducted into the Army on May 20, 1942, at Huntington. He was single at the time of his induction. His tours included service in Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany.
Article contributed by Patricia Richards McClure.
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.
