Braxton Cleveland Wallace, Jr
Lawndale – Mr. Braxton Cleveland Wallace, Jr., 90, of
Shelby Road died Saturday, August 26, 2006 at Century Care in Shelby.
Born December 13, 1915 in Cleveland County to the late Braxton C.
Wallace, Sr. and Nettie Lee Southards Wallace, Mr. Wallace was a retired
Sergeant First Class with the US Army with over 20 years of active
service which included service during World War II and the Korean
Conflict. He was a lifetime member of the VFW Post 2442 in Eldon,
Missouri.
After attending school in Cleveland County, Mr. Wallace entered the Army
receiving his military training at Fort Bragg. He began his military
service at Fort Davis, in the Panama Canal Zone. Sgt. Wallace was given
the privilege of serving as honor guard for the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and at Fort Meade, Maryland, Sgt
Wallace was with the 12th Infantry Division and later saw service at
Fort Eustis, Virginia with the Field Artillery. Before departure for
overseas duty in 1944, he was with the famed Rainbow Division. His
military career ended with four years of active service in the Republic
of West Germany.
During World War II, he saw duty in New Guinea, Bougainville, and Luzon.
In the Lingayon Gulf landing on January 1, 1945, he was on the beach at
D-Day, H-Hour plus one.
During his Army service, Sgt. Wallace won fifteen decorations, including
the Bronze Star, the Asiatic Pacific campaign ribbon with three Bronze
Battle Stars, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one Bronze Battle
Star, a bronze arrowhead for the Lingayon Gulf Beach Head operation, and
the Victory Ribbon. Sgt. Wallace also received a letter of accommodation
from President Harry Truman.
Before entering the Army, Mr. Wallace was active in boxing. He is well
known in Cleveland County for boxing in the Golden Gloves tournament of
1933 and 1934.
He continued the fistic art in the Army. While at Fort Bragg, he won the
middleweight championship of the post. During his stay in the Canal
Zone, he boxed welterweight for the 14th Infantry Regimental team that
won the Atlantic-Sector championship for 1937.
After his boxing days, he continued to take a strong interest in Army
sports. When assigned to the 61st Signal Battalion, he aided in the
organization, training and coaching of the Camp Polk boxing team.
Mr. Wallace is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Mary Mildred
Tannehill Wallace; brother, Van Wallace; sister, Janice Elmore and
half-sister, Agnes Garver.
He is survived by brother, Vernon Wallace of Charlotte; two sisters,
Catherine W. Denton of Shelby and Dorothy W. LaPorte of Salisbury and
numerous nieces and nephews.
His funeral will be Tuesday, August 29 at 2:30 pm at Stamey Funeral Home
Chapel in Fallston with Rev. James Kilby and an Army Chaplain
officiating.
Burial will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Park with full military honors
provided by the US Army.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the
funeral home.
Memorials may be sent to Hospice of Cleveland County, 951 Wendover
Heights Drive, Shelby, NC 28090.
