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461. Pensacola's February Loss 2-26-1945 WWII

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Updated: Mar 21, 2022

US Army PFC Benjamin Haskew Oliver was born in Conecuh, Alabama on April 23, 1916, the son of Benjamin Franklin Oliver (1876-1956) and Allie Corneila Howington (1884-1960). His grandfather was s Confederate veteran by the name of John Wesley Oliver (1936-1907) who fought with Company "C" of the 15th Confederate Cavalry. In turn, Haskew's father was a farmer all of his life mainly in Castleberry, Conecuh County, Alabama until they moved in 1941 to Myrtle Grove in Pensacola.


Haskew would marry a Conecuh County girl by the name of Miss Rena Posey (1913-1994) sometime before 1940. He was working for Lewis Albert Waltman at the time as a teamster in Semmes, Mobile County, Alabama. During this time, he and Rena were living in Whistler, Alabama, a small community in Semmes. After WWII began, the fierce fighting required more and more soldiers abroad, therefore Haskew enlisted in the Army at Ft. McClellan, Alabama on January 6, 1943. After his initial training was complete, he was assigned to the 37th Tank Battalion attached to the 4th Armored Division of Patton's 3rd Army.


He and his battalion arrived in England on January 8, 1944 before being shipped to Utah Beach in France on July 11th. His battalion was part of the breakout force from Normandy that fought their way through the Battle of the Bulge in December. On February 25, 1945, Company "C" of the 37th along with another battalion took the high ground around Rittersdorf in order to establish a defensive line. In the meantime, Haskew and Company "A" attacked the town of Rittersdorf, Germany and the bridgehead over the Nims River. It was during this fighting that Haskew was killed in action on February 26, 1944. Rena was sent a telegram advising her of what happened, while his battalion moved on to the next battle. Haskew was quickly buried in a military cemetery where he rested until after the war. Finally, his body was disinterred and brought home to his roots in Conecuh County, Alabama. There, he was buried in the London Cemetery on 8-21-1948. In the meantime, Rena apparently never remarried, and moved to Pensacola before joining him in death in 1960.










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