Remembering contributions of past veterans

HEMINGWAY—A number of veterans live in the Hemingway and Johnsonville area, as well as throughout Williamsburg, southern Florence and northern Georgetown counties. Veterans from the World War II all the way through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can be found throughout the area. Veterans contributions through military service has been well documented throughout the history of the United States, and those contributions are nothing short of astounding.

However, many veterans continued to serve even after they hang up their uniforms, raking up accomplishments that prove just as staggering.

Veterans today deserve to be recognized for the work they have done, both in the armed forces and on the streets of their hometowns. In a number of various fields, there are veterans throughout, doctors, nurses, lawyers, mechanics, entrepreneurs and many more. Theirs is a heritage steeped in achievements, affecting the lives of the community every day for the better.

It is estimated that 1,000 World War II veterans, who have been tagged rightfully so as the “Greatest Generation,” die every day. With each passing goes another piece of history, another fascinating story, and another hero. It has been the history of this paper to document the stories of a number of veterans who remain with us, but tribute must still be paid to those who have already gone.

Thanks to the help of Nell Morris of the Three Rivers Historical Society, histories of area veterans have been preserved and are available for research purposes at the society’s headquarters in Hemingway. Out of that mountain of records and information, three veterans from the area were chosen at random to receive tribute on these pages, their stories being told once more in this 2009 Veteran’s Day edition of The Weekly Observer.

Henry Mouzon: 1741-1807

Born William Henry Mouzon II, this hero from the Revolutionary War was among the first men to call themselves American Patriots. Cousin of the famed General Francis Marion, Mouzon captained one a company in the Williamsburg Battalion, formed following the burning of his plantation by Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton in 1780. Under the command of Gen. Marion, the battalion would attack the forces of Col. Cumming Ball at the Battle of Black Mingo, where Mouzon would be wounded in the leg and unable to continue in Marion’s campaign.
Outside of his military service, Mouzon made great contributions to the young colonies. He surveyed the first scaled maps of North and South Carolina, which would remain the standards for the area following their publishing in London and Paris in 1775. In fact, a copy of the Mouzon map was actually carried by British Commander Lord Charles Cornwallis throughout the revolution. Today, Cornwallis’ map is on display at the University of Michigan Library.
Mouzon died in 1807 at the age of 66. He is buried in a cemetery in Williamsburg County on a family plantation. A mile marker was erected in 1996, highlighting Mouzon’s contributions to the United States.

Jerome Pilkington Askins, Jr.: 1923-1981

Counted among the “Greatest Generation,” Jerome Pilkington Askins Jr. was certainly that throughout Williamsburg County and the surrounding area. Askins was born in Hartsville October 18, 1923. Following his graduation from Kingstree High School in 1940, he enlisted in the military and would serve in the Second World War with the 21st and 7th US Air Force in the Pacific as an aerial engineer. During that time, Askins received a soldier’s medal for saving another serviceman from a plane that had caught fire, something that was never revealed to his family until after his death.
He was also a Purple Heart winner.
The contributions Askins made following the war made quite an impact over the area. In addition to being involved in a number of local organizations, including the Lions Club and American Legion, he was a member of the Williamsburg County Development Board. During his time on the board, Askins had a hand in bringing a number of bushiness and industries to the area, including Tupperware, the Coachman Inn, Elastic Corporation, Warner Brothers Industries, Electromotive and a number of other ventures that had helped further develop the area’s economy. He also was instrumental in brining a regional training center to the Williamsburg County, something that would eventually become Williamsburg Technical College.
Askins was married to Elma Juanita “Neetsie” Baker of Hebron, with whom he had four children, Patricia, Romie, Gregg and Tommy. He died April 18, 1981.

Merritt Morris: 1920-1991

On July 15, 1920, Merritt Morris was born in Olanta, SC to William Ellison and Ethel Lee Morris. As he grew older, Morris decided to pursue a career in medicine, enrolling at Furman University in Greenville to begin his pre-med studies. However, World War II would pull him away from Furman in 1942, when Morris became a member of the 306th Medical Battalion of the 81st “Wild Cat” Division that would serve in the Pacific. It was during the Palau Island’s campaign that Morris would lose his right eye, leading to his honorable discharge from the service in 1944.
Realizing his hopes of becoming a doctor were slim without his right eye, Morris ventured up to Cincinnati, OH to the Cincinnati School of Embalming. He would graduate in 1946 and start the Morris Funeral home in Hemingway a year later. Through the funeral home, Morris would touch the lives of citizens of Hemingway, Johnsonville, Turbeville, Olanta and Florence while suffering the loss of a loved on. However, his impact would reach far beyond the funeral home.
Described by his wife, Nell, as a “go getter,” Morris engaged in a number of ventures and projects, too many to list on these pages. Some of his highlights came as the first Chair of the Hemingway Development Board in 1957. He presided over the booming growth of the area throughout the 1960’s, seeing the Warner-Laros lingerie plant opening, the Electro Motive Manufacturing Company and WKYB radio. He was also heavily involved in bringing the city pool to Johnsonville—something citizens today are fighting to keep alive—and establishing the Garden of Devotion Cemetery between Johnsonville and Hemingway . Staying true to his original aspirations in medicine, Morris would work hard to bring a hospital to Hemingway, realizing that goal in 1977.
Merritt died tragically in a car accident on Jan. 5, 1991. His wife, Nell, and their three daughters, Merrinell, Amy and Loretta, survived him.

Three men, three different stories, three remarkable movers, shakers and difference makers in the history of our area. There were thousands of veterans like these, many that are still with us today. Thank a veteran today and everyday for the contributions they have made to this country, both in and out of the military.

Do you know of a veteran, living or not, who you feel deserves special recognition? Send us their story at “The Weekly Observer”, P.O. Box 309, Hemingway, SC 29554. You can also email us at jsweeney@florencenews.com

The information for this article was obtained through various sources, but mostly from “South Carolina’s Williamsburg,” by Eleanor Winn Foxworth, provided by the Three Rivers Historical Society in Hemingway.