George Wayne Persinger was born at Watauga, Tennessee, the son of George William Persinger and Mary Nelle Rumbley
He is memorialized at the East Coast Memorial, New York, NY
George Persinger was a member of VP-74 Squadron. He was killed 4 July 1943 off the coast of Brazil while on antisubmarine patrol.
His remains were never recovered. A bridge spanning the Watauga River at the Carter County-Washington County line is named in his honor.
“George was a cousin to my father and was slightly older. He was an aviation enthusiast and so was my father. My father looked up to him and admired him greatly. His loss at sea affected the family and my father tremendously and in honor of George (better known as Wayne) when his first born came along, he named me after Wayne. Wayne is memorialized on a monument in New York City, with the Wayne Persinger bridge over the Watauga River at Watauga and with myself.”
–Submitted by Thomas Wayne Smalling
- Rank: Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class
- Date of birth: 16 February 1917
- Date of death: 4 July 1943
- County: Carter
- Hometown: Watauga
- Service Branch: Navy
- Division/Assignment: VP-74 Squadron
- Conflict: World War II
- Burial/Memorial Location: East Coast Memorial, New York, New York
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VII, Bottom Panel
- Contact us to sponsor George W. Persinger
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