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767. Pensacola's July Loss 1-21-1945 WWII

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Updated: Feb 27, 2022

US Army PFC Ollie Binion Jackson was born in Flomaton, Escambia County, Alabama on August 17, 1921, the son of Ernest Herbert Jackson (1885-1929) and Jessie L. White (1894-1967). His father was born in Repton, Alabama, and would marry Jessie in 1912 in Flomaton. His mother was a native of Flomaton but spent the last sixteen years of her life in Pensacola. His parents were married on December 25, 1912, in Flomaton while Ernest worked as a farmer to support his family. Ernest would pass away prematurely in December 1929 from a lingering illness in the Century, Florida infirmary. Jessie was now left a widow with four children to feed at ages from 9-15. To make ends meet, she ran a grocery in Flomaton until she remarried in 1936 to William "Will" McDowell Jackson (1885-) in Santa Rosa County. By 1940, William had moved them to Escambia County, Florida, and was working as a "sawfiler" for $2,283 per year and paying $9.00 per month rent.


Binion had three older siblings of Jesse Ernest (1914-2003), William Harold (1916-1974), and Vivian Adell (1918-2003). J. Ernest became an Alabama State Senator for Escambia & Baldwin Co. as well as the Mayor of Flomaton. William Harold would serve in the US Army in WWII from 1941-1945. Vivian Adell would marry Homer Sandlin (1903-1970) who served as a Navy Chief during WWII and Korea.


By 1940, Binion was working as a farm laborer while he attended Flomaton High School in the 8th grade. So for whatever reason, he decided to catch a ride to Ft. Barrancas and enlist in the US Army Coastal Artillery Regiment on July 9, 1940. After three years with his artillery regiment, Binion transferred to the infantry and was assigned to Company "F" of the 2nd Infantry Regiment with the 5th Infantry Division. In July 1944, he and his new regiment landed in Normandy, France, and was assigned to General George Patton's 3rd Army. There, they participated in the breakout from the beaches of Normandy in Operation Cobra. Along the way, they captured Rheims and then seized Metz after a major battle.


As the famous Battle of the Bulge evolved Binion's regiment was moved to Nideranven, Luxembourg to stem the flow of the German juggernaut. On January 19, 1945, Binion was severely wounded during an attack on the town of Diekirch and perished from his wounds two days later on January 21. His remains were buried in the military cemetery at Hamm, Luxembourg. Per the request of his family, he was brought home in August 1948 and buried in the Flomaton Cemetery.







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