Jess W. O’Neil was born in Alabama, the son of Andrew Jackson O’Neil and Mary Edna Montieth.
He died in North Africa and was initially buried at Beja Cemetery in Beja, Tunisia and reburied at the North Africa American Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisa, Plot E, Row 19, Grave 15.
Jess O’Neil was my great uncle through my maternal grandfather, Jake O’Neil of Newport. I was fortunate enough to spend a summer in Tunisia in 1992, and one of the first places I visited was Uncle Jess’ grave at the Carthage American Cemetery outside of Tunis. It touched me greatly that in the almost 50 years he had been lying there in foreign soil, I was his first visitor and first family member to come see him.
–Submitted by his niece, Bronwyn Lance
- Rank: Private First Class
- Date of birth: 25 October 1915
- Date of death: 25 April 1943
- County: Cocke
- Hometown: Newport
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division
- Theater: North Africa
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: North Africa American Cemetery, Carthage, Tunisia
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VIII, Middle Panel
- Sponsored by: his niece, Bronwyn Lance
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