WILLARD AKERS (my grandfather) and b: 06-01-1921. He married Flo Lewis b: 03-28-1925. He volunteered for the Army in 1939 and rode a Harley Davison in the army. In 1943 after World War II had broken out, his 701st Company T.D.BN., shipped out to Europe. In May 1942 he departed overseas with the army. He saw combat for three non stop years in Orain, Africa, Tunisia, Naples, Foggin, Anzio, Rome, Arno, North Apennines, PO Valley and received seven Bronze Stars for his heroics. When papaw returned to the US in June of 1945, he remembers that when his ship came into the harbor of New York. As soon as he and the other crewmembers saw the Statue of Liberty that they had fought for they began to cry. They bowed and kissed the ground. Many of their friends lost their lives for that statue of freedom. But, they made it home safely. He told me one time he was so cold and tired that he crawled back into a foxhole or cave and there was a dead German soldier there. He said that he was too tired to care. He was so cold that he used the dead German’s body to keep warm. Another time he grew tired to the point of exhaustion. He was right in the heat of war and bullets were flying everywhere. He said there was a big gas tanker of something. But, it was very flammable and right out in the open. He said he was cold and wanted shelter so he crawled up under it and kept warm and went to sleep. That shows you what 3 years of non-stop killing and surviving will do to a man. That he is willing to be blown up for a good nights sleep. He said that he saw a many of his close friend fall in battle and says that
there is things he saw that no one should ever see.

Willard Akers was raised at the Scuddy Coal Camp. He attended Defiance Grade School. His father John took him into the mines when he was 16 years old. He left the coalmines when Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president. President Roosevelt started the W.P.A. and the C.C.C. for young boys. Willard got a job with the C.C.C. and stayed there for 15 months. He then left the C.C.C. and volunteered for the Army in 1939. He rode a Harley Davison in the army. In 1943 after World War II had broken out, his 701st Company T.D.BN., shipped out to Europe. In May 1942 he departed overseas with the army. He saw combat for three non stop years in Orain, Africa, Tunisia, Naples, Foggin, Anzio, Rome, Arno, North Apennines, PO Valley and received seven Bronze Stars for his heroics. When papaw returned to the US in June of 1945, he remembers that when his ship came into the harbor of New York. As soon as he and the other crewmembers saw the Statue of Liberty that they had fought for they began to cry. They bowed and kissed the ground. Many of their friends lost their lives for that statue of freedom. But, they made it home safely. After returning home from the war, papaw went to work for Marlowe Coal Company for a while. In 1957 he went to work for the Appalachian Regional Hospital (ARH) in Hazard, KY. The ARH was represented by Local Union 14637 of District 50, Allied and Technical Workers of the United States and Canada. Papaw was elected president of the union and held this position for 23 years. He retired from ARH after 29 years in 1986. He was working maintenance. He came a long way from a nurse aide to maintenance
with just a 3rd grade education.

Submitted by: Paul Akers

Paul Akers & Jennifer Gilliam's Website