Joseph Daniel “J.D.” Shelton was born on 14 June 1924, the son of George Murray Shelton and Jessie Marshall.
Pvt Shelton was killed in action on 23 September 1944 at Plasmolen in Holland.
He is buried at Faubion Cemetery, Baltimore, Cocke County in Tennessee.
Following the successful jump into Holland, his platoon was assigned to the unit defending “The Hill” at Plasmolen. “The Hill” was strategically located overlooking the highway that runs from Mook to Milsbeek (now N-271) The highway follows the Maas river, making it the only tank route for the Germans to retake the bridge that the 505th had captured at Nijmegen. “The Hill” is a 300 feet high forested ridge that overlooks the highway located about 1 mile from the German border. The immediate area is a heavily forested nature preserve, limiting the German tanks to that one road. The Germans attacked the hill for days, on the 20th the Germans attacked in large numbers with tanks and supporting infantry, attempting to encircle the troops on the hill. Doyle P. Lawson, J.D. Shelton and Roger F. Coffin were ordered off the hill, down to the highway to stop the German encirclement. Lawson, Shelton, Coffin took up positions between a burned-out hotel (near the current ‘Restaurant de Plasmolen Hof’) and with a pond on their right. Shelton, Coffin took up position in a shell crater to the rear of the hotel. Lawson took up a position on ‘The Hill’ side of the highway. They fought off the attack, and after the Germans withdrew, Lawson recalls a mortar attack the likes he had never witnessed before. After the barrage ended, he crawled over the highway to Shelton and Coffin’s position, to find that they had both been killed by a direct hit from a mortar.
Plain Talk and Tribune, January 29, 1949
The family of Pvt. J.D Shelton has been notified that the remains of Pvt. J.D. Shelton will arrive Tuesday night January 25, 1949 on train No. 27 which will reach Newport at 7:21 p.m.
Pvt. J.D. Shelton entered the Armed Service October 28, 1943 and was immediately stationed at Camp wheeler, Georgia. After receiving the regular infantry basic training at this camp, het hen volunteered for the paratroopers in which he had his training at Fort Benning, Georgia. When his paratrooper training was completed in April 1944, he received his wings and boots. Pvt. Shelton was assigned to overseas duty as a paratrooper June 30, 1944 in which he served two months and twenty-two days before being killed in action.
Pvt Shelton was killed September 23, 1944 in Holland. He was a Young man of 20 at the time of his enlistment into the army before his enlistment he attended the Parrottsville High School. He was also a member of Bethel Church.
He is surved by his mother Mrs. Jessie Marshall Shelton; Newport, three brothers , Macon Shelton, Mack Shelton of Port Rt 2 and Chester Shelton of Parrottsville, three sisters, Mrs. Walter Brown of Belmont, N.C., Mrs. Rye Parks of Del Rio, and Miss Marie Shelton of Newport.
There will be a double funeral for Pvt J.D Shelton and Pvt. Charles M. Suggs. The American Legion and V.F.W. will have charge of the grave side service.
- Rank: Private
- Date of birth: 14 June 1924
- Date of death: 23 September 1944
- County: Cocke
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: C Company, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Battles: Market-Garden
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Faubion Cemetery, Baltimore, Cocke County, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VIII, Middle Panel
- Contact us to sponsor J.D. Shelton
Image Gallery
Click a thumbnail below to view at full size.
