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Roscoe Hollis Wright
Roscoe Hollis Wright was born July 25, 1914, on Tennessee Ridge, (where Mr. and Mrs.
Clay Taylor now live), in Casey county, Kentucky. His parents were James David Wright and
Martha Isabel (Choate) Wright. They both were born and reared in Fentress County,
Tennessee. They both died in Casey County, Kentucky. His paternal grandparents were John Taylor Wright and Elizabeth Ann (King) Wright. They both
were born and reared in Fentress County, Tennessee. They both died in Casey County,
Kentucky. His paternal great-grandparents were Mathias Austin
Wright and Elizabeth Jane (Wright) Wright. They both were born in Virginia. They both
died in Fentress County, Tennessee. His paternal great-great-grandparents were Matthew W. Wright, who was born in Maryland, and Margaret Ann
(Ritchie) Wright, who was born in Virginia. They both died in Fentress County, Tennessee. John Wright, a brother to Matthew W. Wright, and Elizabeth
(Lindley) Wright were also his paternal great-great- grandparents. They were born in
Maryland or Virginia. They both died in Fentress County, Tennessee. His maternal
grandmother was Matilda Emiline (Scott) Whited, who was born and reared in Fentress
County, Tennessee, and died in Casey County, Kentucky. And his maternal great-grandfather
was James Tunis Scott, who was born in North Carolina, and died in Fentress County,
Tennessee. James Tunis Scott was a Union soldier during the Civil War. John Wright was a
soldier during the War of 1812. And one of Roscoe's paternal
great-great-great-grandfathers, Andrew Beaty, Sr., was a
soldier during the Revolutionary War,
Roscoe was his mother's 12th child of 14. He was his father's 12th child of 16. During the
following years, he attended grade school at the following places: In 1922, Griffith
School, Casey County, Ky. In 1923, at Riffe Creek School, Casey County, Ky. In 1924, at
Floyd Knobs School, Floyd County, Ind. In 1925, at Ridge School, Casey County, Ky. and at
Greenville School, Floyd County, Ind. In 1926, at Riffe Creek School, Casey County, Ky. In
1927, at Ridge School, Casey County, Ky. In 1928, 1929 and 1930, at Atwood School, Casey
County, Ky. Some of his teachers, in this order, were: Johnnie Murphy, primer; Ernest
Workham, 1st grade; Geraldine Shirley, 2nd grade; Ernest Workman, 4th grade; Ernest
Workman, 5th grade; Bernice Perkins, 7th grade; and Bernice Perkins, Morris Montgomery,
and Edward Grubbs, 8th grade. In 1927, while Roscoe was in the 5th grade, his teacher
(Ernest Workman) told Roscoe's father that he, Roscoe, was the best student in his school.
He learned easily in school, while some of his relatives were slow to learn. He wanted to
attend high school, but his folks were unable, financially, to send him. Among the persons
that he has always admired the most, are: King Alfred, Robert Bruce, William Tell, Francis
Marion, Daniel Boone, Abraham Lincoln, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf
Whittler, Stephen Foster and Gene Autry.
Roscoe was in the Army Air Force for 3 years and 9 months -- April 1, 1942 to December 31,
1945 -- during World War 2. He was sworn in at Louisville, Ky., processed at Fort Benjamin
Harrison, Ind., and took his basic training at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Mo. He was
in the headquarters Squadron of the Technical Training Command, and in the 834th Guard
Squadron, at Knollwood Field, Southern Pines, N.C., from May 20, 1942, till Aug. 17, 1943.
He was in the 3rd Air Force, at Morris Field, Charlotte, N.C., from August 1943 till May
1944. He took his overseas training at Greensboro, N.C., and embarked for oversees (on a
ship) July 10, 1944, at Newport News, Va. He landed July 21, 1944, at Naples, Italy. He
served in the A.T.C. (Air Transport Command) while overseas. He was stationed at Bahrein
Island, Arabia, from Aug. 1944 til Jan. 1945; at Cairo, Egypt, Jan. to June, 1945; at
Dakar, West Africa, June to Aug. 1945; and at Kunming, China, Sept. to Nov. 1945. He spent
8 days in Palestine; and was in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Iran and India. He spent
about 2 weeks crossing India, west to east. He stopped near Karachi for about a week, and
in east India a week or two, and visited Calcutta. After spending about 2 months in China,
he embarked (on a ship) at Calcutta, Nov. 27, 1945, and landed in New York City, Dec. 26,
1945. It was sunny and nice on the Indian Ocean; but it was stormy on the Mediterranean
Sea and on the Atlantic Ocean, as he came back. From New York City, he went to Camp
Kilmer, N.J., then on to Camp Atterbury, Ind., where he was honorably discharged, Dec. 31,
1945. While at Knollwood Field, he passed an I.Q. test by 2 or 3 points extra; while his
two college roommates, one from Detroit, and the other from Toledo, failed the test by
about that amount. And, in a game of medicine ball, he outlasted every man in the guard
squadron; including the air base's two physical fitness Sergeants, who were big husky men,
about 6 feet, 2 inches tall, and weighing about 190 pounds. Then, at lunch, an
Italian-American from Brooklyn, who had been in the game, patted him on the shoulder and
said, "What a man!"
Some of the other places that he visited during his military service were: Augusts, Ga.,
Columbia, S.C., Richmond, Va., Washington, D.C., New York City, Waterbury, Conn., Boston,
Mass., Portsmouth, N.H., York Harber, Me., Fitchburg, Mass., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada;
Detroit, Mich., Chicago, Ill., and Indianapolis, Ind. He has been in all the states east
of the Mississippi River, except Wisconsin and Mississippi He worked as a general
carpenter, 050, during the war. The highest rank he held was Corporal. Medals that he
received include the American theater ribbon, Europe-Africa Middle East theater ribbon,
Asiatic-Pacific theater ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon, Carbine Marksman Medal and Victory
Medal.
After the war, he attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music 2 years and 9 months,
including Summer School. He studied Theory, Harmony, Sight Reading, Dictation, Voice,
Piano and Guitar. He has written about 160 poems, putting tunes to some of them. He took a
5-year Correspondence High School Course with the American School in Chicago; but did not
complete it. He worked about 2 years at Guidara's Italian-American Restaurant in
Cincinnati. Then he lived in Lexington, Ky. eleven and two-third years 1952-1964 -- doing
carpenter work. He has been back in Casey County, Ky. since December 1963. He has never
married. He doesn't drink, smoke or mess with drugs.
Among his favorite interests and pastimes, are reading, writing poetry, playing music and
listening to music, playing card games, going on picnics and sight-seeing trips,
photography, baseball, basketball, geography, history, genealogy, carpentry, and visiting
friends. Among his most exciting experiences, probably were spending 8 days in Palestine,
viewing the historical sites mentioned in the Bible; visiting the sphinx and pyramids in
Egypt; sailing on the ocean; entering the harbor at Naples, Italy; taking his first
airplane ride, from Algeria to the Persian Gulf; visiting Washington, D.C., walking around
the Capital Building, and visiting the Washington Monument; and visiting New York City,
walking among the tall buildings, and visiting the Statue of Liberty!
by Roscoe Hollis Wright
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