Medical District in Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Nathan Bedford Forrest III, Airman
Photographed by Ken Smith, February 3, 2009
1. Nathan Bedford Forrest III, Airman Marker
Brigadier General N.B. Forrest, III, U.S. Army Air Force, was born in Memphis on April 7, 1905 and was the first American General Officer killed in combat against the nazis during World War II. He died while participating in a B-17 bomber raid on Kiel, Germany, June 13, 1943.
A 1928 graduate of West Point, he served as Second Air Force Chief of Staff prior to transfer to the U.S. Eighth Air Force in England. He was the son of Memphians Nathan Bedford Forrest, II and Mattie Patton Forrest, and great-grandson of Confederate Lt. General Nathan Bedford Forrest. In 1949 his body was returned from Germany and reburied in Arlington National Cemetery.
Erected by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 4E 117.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Historical Commission series list. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1885.
Location. 35° 8.329′ N, 90° 2.082′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in the Medical District. It is on Union Avenue (U.S. 79) west of South Dunlap Street, on the right when traveling west. The marker is located in Health Sciences Park. Union Avenue and U.S. Highways 51, 64, 70 & 79
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in West Tennessee. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in the Upper South, in the Mississippi Delta, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: N. B. Forrest Camp 215 Sons of Confederate Veterans (within shouting distance of this marker); Memphis City Hospital (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Campbell Clinic (approx. 0.2 miles away); Elvis Presley and Sun Records / Sun Records (approx. 0.2 miles away); Russwood Park (approx. Ό mile away); Lowenstein Mansion (approx. 0.3 miles away); The First Railroad in West Tennessee (approx. 0.3 miles away); Luke Edward Wright (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Nathan Bedford Forrest (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Photographed by Ken Smith, February 3, 2009
2. Nathan Bedford Forrest III, Airman Marker reverse
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 25, 2020
3. Nathan Bedford Forrest III, Airman Marker
Photographed by Ken Smith, February 3, 2009
4. In Memory of Nathan Bedford Forrest III
BG US Army Air Corps World War II - Apr 5 1905 - Jun 13 1943
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 12, 2012, by Ken Smith of Milan, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 2,011 times since then and 56 times this year. Last updated on May 3, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 12, 2012, by Ken Smith of Milan, Tennessee. 3. submitted on April 27, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on January 12, 2012, by Ken Smith of Milan, Tennessee. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
