Leesburg in Lake County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Medal of Honor Recipients
— Leesburg Veterans Memorial Park —
Photographed By Brandon D Cross
1. Medal of Honor Recipients Marker
Inscription.
Medal of Honor Recipients. .
Captain Albert D. Wright Eustis. Captain Wright entered the Union Army on August 15, 1862, where he was mustered in as a sergeant in Company A, 149th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. On April 20, 1864 he was transferred to the 43rd United States Colored Troops and commissioned a captain. He received his Medal of Honor for gallantry in what has become known as “The Battle of the Crater” in Petersburg, Virginia on July 30, 1864., In June of 1864, the Union and Confederate armies were in a stalemate and aligned in a series of trenches 20 miles in length. Lt. Col. Henry Pleasants, a mining engineer proposed digging a shaft 511 feet long, 3 feet wide and 4.5 feet high under the Confederate lines. At the end of tunnel they would go 75 feet at right angles to the main shaft. The tunnel and the “T” tunnels were packed with 320 kegs of gun powder, totaling 8,000 pounds. Captain Wright and his company stood ready at 4:40 AM on July 30th, the earth erupted and created a hole 170 feet long 80 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. 250-350 Confederate soldiers were killed instantly. Captain Wright led his black troops around the crater and “advanced beyond the enemy’s line capturing a stand of colors and its color guard; and was severely wounded “. During this battle there were 865 killed and a total of 5,289 casualties. The Confederate army counter attacked and the stalemate continued for another 8 months. The crater still exists and can be seen at the Petersburg National Battlefield. The total killed in action in the Civil War was 562,130 and the total casualties were in excess of 980,000., Captain Wright was active in the citrus industry until he died February 15, 1926 at the age of 83. He was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Eustis.,
Private Robert M. McTureous, Jr. Altoona. “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company H, Third Battalion, Twenty-Ninth Marines, Sixth Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa in the Ryukyu chain, 7 June 1945. Alert and ready for any hostile counter action following his company’s seizure of an important hill-objective, Private McTureous was quick to observe the plight of company stretcher bearers who were suddenly assailed by slashing machine-gun fire as they attempted to evacuate wounded at the rear of the newly won position. Determined to prevent further casualties, he quickly filled his shirt with hand grenades and charged the enemy-occupied caves from which the concentrated barrage was emanating, coolly disregarding all personal danger as he waged his furious one-man assault, he smashed grenades into the cave entrances, thereby diverting the heaviest fire from the stretcher bearers to his own person and resolutely returning to his own lines under a blanketing hail of rifle and machine-gun fire to replenish his supply of grenades, dauntlessly continued his reduction of Japanese strength until he himself sustained serious wounds after silencing a large number of guns. Aware of his critical condition and unwilling to further endanger his comrades, he stoically crawled a distance of two hundred yards to a sheltered position within friendly lines before calling for aid. By his fearless initiative and bold tactics, Private McTureous had succeeded in neutralizing the enemy fire, killing six of the Japanese and effectively disorganizing the remainder of the savagely defending garrison. His outstanding valor and heroic spirit of self sacrifice during a critical stage of operations reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval service. He gallantly gave his life for his Country”. In this 82 day battle over 13,000 were killed and 36,000 wounded., Pvt. McTureous died on June 11, 1945 and is buried at the Glendale Cemetery in Umatilla.,
S/Sgt. Hammett L. Bowen, Jr. Ocala. S/Sgt. Hammett L. Bowen was a member of the US Army, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Division., “S/Sgt. Bowen distinguished himself while serving as a platoon sergeant during combat operations in Binh Duong Providence, Republic of Vietnam. S/Sgt. Bowen’s platoon was advancing on a reconnaissance mission into enemy controlled terrain when it came under withering crossfire of small arms and grenades from an enemy ambush force. S/Sgt. placed heavy suppressive fire on the enemy positions and ordered his men to fall back. As the platoon was moving back, an enemy grenade was thrown amid S/Sgt. Bowen and 3 of his men. Sensing the danger to his comrades, S/Sgt. Bowen shouted a warning to his men and hurled himself on the grenade, absorbing the explosion with his body saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. S/Sgt. Bowen’s extraordinary courage and concern for his men at the cost of his life served as an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the military service and the US Army”, S/Sgt. Bowen died on June 27, 1969. He was 21 years old. He is buried in La Grange, Georgia. A Marion County grade school is named in his honor.
Captain Albert D. Wright
Eustis
Captain Wright entered the Union Army on August 15, 1862, where he was mustered in as a sergeant in Company A, 149th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. On April 20, 1864 he was transferred to the 43rd United States Colored Troops and commissioned a captain. He received his Medal of Honor for gallantry in what has become known as “The Battle of the Crater” in Petersburg, Virginia on July 30, 1864.
In June of 1864, the Union and Confederate armies were in a stalemate and aligned in a series of trenches 20 miles in length. Lt. Col. Henry Pleasants, a mining engineer proposed digging a shaft 511 feet long, 3 feet wide and 4.5 feet high under the Confederate lines. At the end of tunnel they would go 75 feet at right angles to the main shaft. The tunnel and the “T” tunnels were packed with 320 kegs of gun powder, totaling 8,000 pounds. Captain Wright and his company stood ready at 4:40 AM on July 30th, the earth erupted and created a hole 170 feet long 80 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. 250-350 Confederate soldiers were killed instantly. Captain Wright led his black troops around the crater and “advanced beyond the enemy’s line capturing a stand of colors and its color guard; and was severely wounded “. During this battle there were 865 killed and a total of 5,289 casualties.
Click or scan to see this page online
The Confederate army counter attacked and the stalemate continued for another 8 months. The crater still exists and can be seen at the Petersburg National Battlefield. The total killed in action in the Civil War was 562,130 and the total casualties were in excess of 980,000.
Captain Wright was active in the citrus industry until he died February 15, 1926 at the age of 83. He was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Eustis.
Private Robert M. McTureous, Jr.
Altoona
“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company H, Third Battalion, Twenty-Ninth Marines, Sixth Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa in the Ryukyu chain, 7 June 1945. Alert and ready for any hostile counter action following his company’s seizure of an important hill-objective, Private McTureous was quick to observe the plight of company stretcher bearers who were suddenly assailed by slashing machine-gun fire as they attempted to evacuate wounded at the rear of the newly won position. Determined to prevent further casualties, he quickly filled his shirt with hand grenades and charged the enemy-occupied caves from which the concentrated barrage was emanating, coolly disregarding all personal danger as he waged his furious one-man assault, he smashed grenades
Photographed By Brandon D Cross
2. Medal of Honor Recipients Marker
into the cave entrances, thereby diverting the heaviest fire from the stretcher bearers to his own person and resolutely returning to his own lines under a blanketing hail of rifle and machine-gun fire to replenish his supply of grenades, dauntlessly continued his reduction of Japanese strength until he himself sustained serious wounds after silencing a large number of guns. Aware of his critical condition and unwilling to further endanger his comrades, he stoically crawled a distance of two hundred yards to a sheltered position within friendly lines before calling for aid. By his fearless initiative and bold tactics, Private McTureous had succeeded in neutralizing the enemy fire, killing six of the Japanese and effectively disorganizing the remainder of the savagely defending garrison. His outstanding valor and heroic spirit of self sacrifice during a critical stage of operations reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval service. He gallantly gave his life for his Country”. In this 82 day battle over 13,000 were killed and 36,000 wounded.
Pvt. McTureous died on June 11, 1945 and is buried at the Glendale Cemetery in Umatilla.
S/Sgt. Hammett L. Bowen, Jr.
Ocala
S/Sgt. Hammett L. Bowen was a member of the US Army, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Division.
“S/Sgt. Bowen distinguished
himself while serving as a platoon sergeant during combat operations in Binh Duong Providence, Republic of Vietnam. S/Sgt. Bowen’s platoon was advancing on a reconnaissance mission into enemy controlled terrain when it came under withering crossfire of small arms and grenades from an enemy ambush force. S/Sgt. placed heavy suppressive fire on the enemy positions and ordered his men to fall back. As the platoon was moving back, an enemy grenade was thrown amid S/Sgt. Bowen and 3 of his men. Sensing the danger to his comrades, S/Sgt. Bowen shouted a warning to his men and hurled himself on the grenade, absorbing the explosion with his body saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. S/Sgt. Bowen’s extraordinary courage and concern for his men at the cost of his life served as an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the military service and the US Army”
S/Sgt. Bowen died on June 27, 1969. He was 21 years old. He is buried in La Grange, Georgia. A Marion County grade school is named in his honor.
Erected by The Gregg Strimentos Foundation and Juanita Gregg Foundation.
Location. 28° 48.841′ N, 81° 52.714′ W. Marker is in Leesburg, Florida, in Lake County. Memorial can be reached from the intersection of Orange Avenue and West Line Street, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located in Veterans Memorial Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 600 W Meadow St, Leesburg FL 34748, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 21, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 128 times since then. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 21, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
