J.W. Fleming

J.W. was born on August 2, 1924 in Valliant, OK to William and Daisy Dean Fleming, the eighth of nine children. He grew up on the family farm north of Valliant that is now part of the Pine Creek Lake.

He was inducted into the U.S. Army in September 1943, and upon completion of his stateside training, traveled via a British troop transport ship from San Francisco across the South Pacific to New Guinea to await assignment to a unit. Private Fleming was transported via airplane to New Britain, Bismarck Archipelago and reported for duty with the 160th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division on June 6, 1944. He was promoted to Private First Class on November 23, 1944. The 40th Infantry Division departed December 9th 1944 bound for Lae, New Guinea to conduct more amphibious assault training for the coming invasion of Luzon. On December 31, 1944 the 40th Infantry Division was underway to Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands (P.I.) with the largest amphibious force to be assembled in the Pacific Theater of War up to that time.

Private First Class Fleming landed January 9, 1945 in the first landing craft from the 40th Infantry Division to hit the beach in Lingayen Gulf. He participated in 53 days of continuous combat at such places as Lingayen, Santa Ignacia, Tarlac, Bamban, and Storm King Mountain. He was promoted to Sergeant on March 5, 1945 and departed Luzon on March 24, 1945 bound for the island of Los Negros in the southern P.I.

Sergeant Fleming landed on Los Negros Island on March 31, 1945 and was engaged in combat on April 3, 1945. He participated in 72 days of continuous combat, with the fiercest occurring on Hill 3155 (Dolan Hill). He was promoted to Staff Sergeant on May 2, 1945 and received a much-coveted Combat Appointment (a.k.a. Battlefield Commission) to Second Lieutenant on May 27, 1945 for “demonstrated fitness in actual combat.” Of the nearly 9 million enlisted men who served in the US Army during WWII, only about 25,500 men were awarded Combat Appointments in all theaters of war. He departed Negros on June 16, 1945 bound for the island of Panay to participate in amphibious assault training for the invasion of the home islands of Japan. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, with the formal surrender ceremony held September 2, 1945. At war’s end, the 40th Infantry Division was ordered to Korea to oversee the transfer of power from the Japanese to the Korean people.

Second Lieutenant Fleming and the 40th Infantry Division arrived at Inchon Harbor, Korea and participated in an amphibious landing on September 22, 1945. He moved with his unit via train to the city of Pusan for occupation duty. He departed Pusan on January 6, 1946 aboard the USS Marine Falcon and arrived in Seattle, Washington on January 21, 1946. He was on terminal leave January 30 to February 20, 1946 and released from active duty on February 21, 1946.

His awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal (Four Bronze Service Stars) and Arrowhead Device for participation in the amphibious assault in Lingayen Gulf, Philippine Liberation Medal (Two Bronze Service Stars), WWII Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal (Korea), and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

After J.W. returned from WWII he married his childhood sweetheart, Helen Taylor, on February 16th, 1946. They had three children; Charles, Linda, and Barbara. The family moved from Oklahoma in the 1950’s, but returned in the early 1960s to take care of his mother and father who were injured in a car accident. The family moved back to Arizona in the mid-1960s for good. J.W. worked in a number of occupations including lumberjack, roofer, miner, insurance salesman, silversmith, and business owner. After leaving Oklahoma, he lived in a number of locations in Arizona, to include Morenci, Flagstaff, Pima, and Tucson. He finally retired just seven years ago.

He is survived by his older brother Finis Fleming of Tucson, AZ and his three children: Charles Fleming (Sheilah) of Paulden, AZ; Linda Pennington (Jack) of Vail, AZ; and Barbara Austen of Tucson, AZ. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-granddaughters.

J.W is preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Helen, who passed away on January 5th, 2014.

All Services are at East Lawn Palms Mortuary, 5801 E. Grant Road in Tucson. A Viewing will be held on Friday, April 17, 2015 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., another Viewing will be held on Saturday, April 18, from 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Funeral Services will follow at 12:30 and he will be laid to rest with military honors at 1:30 p.m.