Family Military History

Today is Veterans Day and I thought it an appropriate time (thanks to a reminder from my cousin Linda Gough Johnson, granddaughter of Julius Forest Duvall and great-granddaughter of Ellis Duvall) to review the military service records of our ancestors.  Today, we will review the records of Julius Forest Duvall and Ellis Duvall.  Over the next several days we will look at the military history of earlier Duvall ancestors.

JULIUS FOREST DUVALL
Julius Forest Duvall (known as "Forest") was born 06 May 1905 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, the son of Ellis Duvall and Vashti Willis.  He married Gladys Mae Hawkins 01 Jul 1940 in Big Reedy, Kentucky; they had 6 children.  Forest enlisted in the United States Marine Corps 18 Feb 1930 when he was 24 years old.  He served initially in Parris Island, South Carolina (Recruit Depoe) (he was there again in March, 1932). By June, 1930 he was in Quantico, Virginia (Aviation Service Company One, Aircraft Squadrons, Ecef, Mb); he was in Quantico until April, 1931.  He was then sent tothe Naval Air Station in San Diego and was part of the 2nd Brigade that in Nov 1931 sailed from San Diego, California to Managua, Nicaragua via USS Sirius (Vj Squadron 6m, A S , Second Marine Brigade, Managua, Nicaragua).  He was in Nicaragua until January 1933 when he returned to Quantico, Virgina (rank:  Private): Vj Squadron 6m, Aircraft Squadrons, Ecef, Mb, Quantico, Virginia.   Forest was discharged in January or February, 1934 and cited with "Excellent" character.

ELLIS DUVALL
Ellis Duvall was born 17 Jun 1880 in Grayson County, Kentucky, the son of  John M. Richard Duvall and Mary E. "Polly" Whobrey.  He married Vashti Willis 02 Sep 1902 and they had two children, Wilma Duvall (Whittlesey), born 02 Jun 1903, and Julius Forest Duvall, born 06 May 1905.  Ellis's military career was short, and it is unknown why it was not longer.  He enlisted in the United States Army on 07 Sep 1906 and was discharged 20 May 1907.  He enlisted in Columbus, Ohio, but listed his home as Grayson County, Kentucky; he was 26 years old at the time, and reported his occupation as "tailor".  He is described as have brown eyes, auburn hair, having a dark complexion, and being 5'7 3/4", which was about the average height of the other enlisted men.  Ellis was in the infantry.  Interestingly, unlike almost all of the other discharges, there is no information other than the date of discharge on his record; also, most who enlisted at the same time as Ellis were dischard in 1909.    Ellis did register for the World War I draft on 06 Sep1918 when he was 38 years old; there is no record of him ever having served during World War I; his draft papers show him living with his wife Vashti in Franklin, Kentucky, and working as an "operator" for Dupont Engineering Co. in Jacksonville.  Ellis died 01 Apr 1949 in Jefferson County, Kentucky.