The following information
has been received from Jean Marie Robinette Simpson
about several of the veterans in her family.
I want to give you some additional information on my
uncle, Donald Leon "Jimmy" Mathis, who is
already on your list. He served first in the U.S. Marine
Corps and then the U.S. Coast Guard. His eldest son, R.
Keith Mathis, U.S. Army (Retired) lives with his wife
and son in our grandparents' old house on Fleming
Street/Avenue. Our grandparents were Ernest and Louise
Motts Mathis. [If memory is half-way correct, MaMa
(Louise) wanted to name her son James. However, PaPa had
a brother named James and did not want his son named
that; so, they named him Donald Leon -- I can't remember
the origin of that choice. Anyhow, since MaMa had wanted
to name him James in the first place, she started
calling him Jimmy and it stuck.] My mother was born Ila
Jean Mathis, daughter of Ernest and Louise, younger
sister to Jimmy.
My dad, Paul Nelson Robinette,
served in the U.S. Navy. Grandmother Robinette (Mary
Nancy Glass Robinette) had to sign permission for him to
enlist because he was only 17 at the time. That would
have been sometime in 1945. I know that at one time he
was stationed at Guam, but I don't know the exact years.
I may be able to find some old photos that will give me
a clue. He served one tour of duty and was honorably
discharged, then attended and graduated from Clemson
University on the GI Bill. His elder brother, Edward
B. Robinette, Gary's father, was a photographer
in the service but I can't remember which branch. Gary
can tell you.
My great-aunt, Mable Motts Osment,
married to Al Osment, was a WAC; I don't know if that
qualifies as a veteran or not. I believe she met Al in
the service, but I'm not sure. She was one of MaMa
Mathis's sisters. I also don't know if Al would be the
"James A. Osment" you have in your list or not; I don't
know his full name.
Grandmother Robinette's brother, Fred
Glass, served in the U.S. Army during World War
I. I think maybe one or two more of her brothers may
have served but I need to check on that before giving
their names.
My Aunt Bonnie Faye (nee Robinette) Keim met her
husband, Fred Keim, when he was stationed at Camp Croft. Bonnie Faye was
sister to my dad and Uncle Edward. Fred was
Pennsylvania-Dutch and he took her back to Pennsylvania
after his discharge.
John M Kitchens
with his sister, Sarah Kitchens Ellison
(This photo was made in Pacolet
Mills. Note the dam, "Point Lookout" and the Pacolet
Mills Elementary School in the distant background.)
John Martin Kitchens
(b. 12/11/1914, d. 2/20/1993)
US Army
