US Army Private Lawrence B. (Braskey) Wilson was born in Pike County, Alabama on October 8, 1902. Very little information is known about his parentage or his upbringing. It is believed his middle initial stood for "Braskey" due to the fact that we do have a Lawrence Braskey Wilson living at 712 No 10th Avenue with a mailing address of 721 North Hayne St., which was the home of Johnny Wilson. This particular Lawrence Wilson was working at the Pensacola Shipbuilding Company in 1940.
What we do know was that our verified Lawrence B. Wilson enlisted in the US Army on November 21, 1942, and listed his prior civilian work experience as a laborer involved in loading and unloading cargos. He was sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for processing and orientation before being transferred to a training camp. At this point, his record gets a little cloudy at best. His next verified appearance was when he reported into Mason General Hospital (Brentwood), Long Island, New York in February 1945. The specific diagnosis was withheld by NARA but generally, it was a hemorrhage of the lungs and a dilatation of the heart.
We also know that this particular hospital was used for treating psychological casualties of the battlefield as well as for other related issues. The famed Hollywood director John Huston filmed a controversial documentary film here called "Let There Be Light" concerning soldiers suffering from PTSD (called shell shock in those days) and the steps used for rehabilitation in these types of cases. However, because of its content, it was kept hidden from the public until 1981.
But regardless of the cause or the date of his death, he died in service to his country. He was discharged from Mason Hospital in May 1945 and died sometime afterward. His death was listed as "DNB or Death Non-Battle," which means any death other than that caused by the enemy. We also do not know his burial site as well.
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