Earl Phillips
Earl Phillips (April 15, 1918 – June 12, 1944) was a soldier from Scott County killed in France during World War II.
See Also: Scott Countians killed in war
Biography
Born April 15, 1918, Earl Phillips was the son of Marion Luther Phillips (1889-1922) and Nellie Bridges (1894-1989). His siblings included Howard Phillips (1915-2008), Ernest Eugene PHillips (1916-1998), Roby Phillips (1920-1987) and Luthena Scalf (1926-1999).
Although Earl listed his address as Elk Valley (Campbell County) when he entered the service, he was born in Scott County. The Phillips family lived at Capuchin Creek east of Winfield at the time. Earl was descended from Revolutionary War veterans Tobias Phillips and Abraham Goad, the latter of whom moved to New River in present-day Scott County after the war. His daughter, Mary Goad, married Thomas Phillips, the son of Tobias Phillips, who did not move to Scott County. Abraham Goad and Tobias Phillips were the third-great-grandfathers of Luther Phillips.
Additionally, Earl was descended from Revolutionary War veterans Joseph Hatfield and Timothy Sexton, both of whom moved to present-day Scott County after the war. Timothy Sexton’s son, Moses Sexton, married Joseph Hatfield’s daughter, Leander. Their son, James Sexton, a Union veteran of the Civil War, had a daughter, Rebecca, who married Euel Phillips (1839-1925) — Earl’s grandparents.
Earl’s father died in 1922. His mother continued to raise the family on her own at Capuchin Creek, where they still lived in 1930. In 1940, the family lived at Marcum Creek in eastern Scott County. Seven-year-old twins Lawrence and Florence were also found in the family at that point. In the 1950 census, Florence and Lawrence lived with their mother in Cincinnati, Oh., and all went by the last name Walden. The twins’ father was Benjamin Franklin Walden, who apparently married Nellie at some point.
Earl was not married. When he registered for the draft in 1940, he was employed by T.L. Brown in Knoxville, Tenn.
World War II
Pvt. Phillips enlisted in the U.S. Army on Feb. 28, 1942 at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. and was assigned to the 401st Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He was killed on June 12, 1944, during the Normandy campaign. His regiment had landed on Higgins boats behind the 41st Infantry Division at Utah Beach on June 7, 1944, the day after D-Day, then linked up with the rest of the 101st Airborne Division at St. Marie Du Mont.
Aftermath
Pvt. Phillips was initially interred at a military cemetery at Ste. Mere Englise. Later, his body was moved to the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
He received the Purple Heart award. He is listed on the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial in Knoxville, but not on either of the veterans memorials in Scott County.