Starting this week and running throughout November, Milford Times is celebrating Veteran’s Day by providing information on Milford’s fallen heroes – those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Names were taken from the memorial in Bicentennial Park, but we are aware there may be additional names that are not included on the stone. There are also those we were unable to find a significant amount of information about. If you have information or photos of any of those in this article, please send them via email and we will edit the story. What follows are stories about eight heroes from our town.
William H. Austin – World War II
Technical Sergeant William H. Austin was killed in action on October 15, 1945. William was with the U.S. Army Corps and lived on West Third Street in Milford. He was the son of Henry Lavinus and Helen A. Smith Austin.
William was killed in an airplane accident at Guam while serving as an aerial gunner. He served two years, three months and was decorated with the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clustrs, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon, Siler Sar, two Bronze Stars, presidential Unit Citation, American Defense Ribbon, Phillippine Liberation Ribbon, World War II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, a Medal for Pistol Marksmanship and the Purple Heart iwt one Oak Leaf Cluster.
George Conrad Beebe – World War II
George Conrad “Georgie” Beebe, a veteran of the North African and Sicilian campaigns, was serving as a Private First Class when he was killed on D-Day in Normandy. The son of James Archie and Grace Lee Young Beebe, George lived in what was then called Lincoln City. George was determined to enlist in the military and underwent an operation after he was denied enlsitemnt initially. As soon as he recovered, he enlisted in the US Army and served in the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.
One of 11 children, George’s siblings included twin brother and sister Gerald William and Geraldine “Jerri” Lee Beebe Long; Private James Lee Beebe who was serving in New Guinea when George died; Seargeant Charles Young Beebe, who was serving in Camp Haan, California; Richard “Dickie” Earl Beebe; Ethel May Beebe Wing; Pearl Margaret Beebe Spender; Grace E. Beebe Hughes; Virginia Beebe Stevens and Isabelle Beebe Holbert.
George was awarded a posthumous Purple heart and is buried in Normandy Cemetery in St. Laurent France.
Frank L. Burton – World War II
The Morning News reported on May 25, 1944 that Frank Leslie Burton had been drafted into the US Army. His draft card shows that he lived in South Milford and was 18 when he registered. He was born in Camden, New Jersey on February 23, 1926 and listed his next of kin as Mr. D.R. Currie. He was employed by Eastern Shore of Maryland which he noted was a trucking company.
Frank was the son of Leonard E. and Anna E. Buton. His father died in 1937. The only record of Frank’s death is that he died in Germany on March 25, 1945. He is buried in Baltiimore but was originally buried in Margraten-Aschen. In December, 1948, his body was removed from that grave and transferred to Baltimore.
John George Cannon Jr.
Sergeant John George Cannon Jr., the son of John George Cannon Sr. and Sarah “Sallie” Elizabeth Coleman, died June 12, 1944, near Montebourg. Newspaper accounts say that John died a hero. A shell struck close to his mortar squad, burying a member of the squad and severely shocking two others. As rocket shells fell around him, John grabbed a shovel and began removing dirt from his buried comrade, trying to save him before he suffocated.
Once the soldier was free, John administered first aid to the soldier until he was revived. According to the report, John then faced a confused squad that was “shell-shocked.” He reassured his men and directed them in what proved to be safe measures against enemy attack.
John had been stationed at Fort Dix for some time and later transferred to southern Army camps. He was a graduate of Milford High School and attended the H. Fletcher Brown Vocational High School.
When he died, John had a wife, Margaret Paquette, and seven-month-old son. He was one of four children including brothers Charles and Wilson Cannon along with a sister, Elizabeth Cannon Mothoson.
Paris T. Carlisle – World War I
Paris T. Carlisle died October 6, 1918, while serving as a Lieutenant in France. He was the son of Dr. and Mrs. Paris T. Carlisle, brother of Elizabeth Carlisle and nephew of Dr. G. Layton Grier. Born in Frederica, Paris attended local public schools, graduating in 1914 with honors. He entered college without examination, attending the University of Pennsylvania and was one of five honor men of his class upon graduation.
Paris returned to Milford and associated himself with the physical and chemical department at L.D. Caulk Company Laboratories. When World War I was declared, Paris felt it was his duty to serve and enlisted in June 1917. His intelligence sent him immediately to officer training in Fort Meyer, Virginia, where he won a commission as a First Lieutenant. In November, he was assigned to Company I, 319th Infantry.
At Camp Lee, Paris was made battalion adjutant on December 15 and set sail for France on May 14, 1918. His regiment was sent into action almost immediately. After news of his death arrived in Milford, the fire company was renamed in his honor to the Carlisle Fire Company.
James C. Clendaniel – World War II
James Causey Clendaniel died in Paris on February 16, 1946. A newspaper account in the Morning News reported that “Private James C. Clendaniel Jr., 30, of Route 1, Lincoln, father of three small children, was shot to death near Paris on Feb. 16 by two U.S. soldiers whose names have not been revealed by the War Department.”
Before entering the service, James had been employed by the State Highway Department. The news reported he was acting as a courier at the time of his murder. Two soldiers were arrested in the shooting. One of the soldiers, Private Edgar Jordan of Chicago, was killed April 13 in an attempt to escape following his arrest. The other, Eddy Jones, Jr. of Cleveland, stood trial for Clendaniel’s murder.
Reports indicate that Barker and Jones attempted to hold up the mail Jeep in which
Private Lee R. Barker and Clendaniel were riding. The men forced them to drive beyond the Paris city limits and, when the Jeep slowed at one point, James and Barker “put up a fight.” Jones fired two shots, wounding Clendaniel fatally.
Jones was sentenced to life in prison for the murder. James was married to Roberta Clendaniel. After the death of her husband, she moved in with his father James C. Clendaniel Sr. near Milford. James had a sister, Theresa Clenandiel Jones, as well. He was well known in the Milford-Milton-Lincoln area having lived his entire life there.
Richard “Chad” Clifton – Operation Iraqi Freedom
Lance Corporal Richard “Chad” Clifton was killed by hostile action in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province while serving with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton, California On February 3, 20025. He was 19.
Chad was the son of Richard C. and Terri Clifton of Prime Hook. He had one brother, Ryan. His mother had spoken to Chad just a few days before his death.
“I got an email from him and he called home,” his mother said. “He was very tired. He had only had about three hours of sleep in three days.”
His parents say that Chad was scheduled to return home from Iraq in March. He trained as a radio operator and volunteered to take over the communications duties for a weapons company in November after three members of their unit were killed.
“Chad had the opportunity to attend the Naval Academy after graduation but decided that if he were considering making the Marine Corps a career, he should experience it from the ground up,” Terri Clifton said. “He could argue politics, theology, whatever you threw at him. He was gifted in a lot of ways. He had an incredible sense of humor. We hurt for our loss, but we hurt just as much because the world has no idea what it lost.”
Chad played lacrosse in high school, enjoyed playing paintball and listening to music.
“Anything except opera,” his mother said. “He did condescend to buy me an Andrea Bocelli for my birthday.”
Chad lived in Prime Hook and graduated from Cape Henlopen High School in 2003. His family says that Chad wanted to join the military from a young age. He was a member of the National Youth Leadership forum on Defense and Diplomacy.
He is buried in Arlington Cemetery. The Chad Clifton Memorial fund was set up in his name after his death. When news of his death was made public, flags were flown at half-staff at Cape Henlopen High School.
Albert W. Denney – World War II
Alfred Wilson Denney, Jr., the son of Albert Wilson Denney, Sr. and Nellie E. Hugg Denney, was killed in action on January 1, 1945, while serving in Belgium. A paratrooper and member of Delaware’s 198th Coast Artillery, he saw service in the Pacific with his regiment and volunteered as a paratrooper after he returned to this country.
He was a graduate of Milford schools and had two sisters, Ruth Ann and Janet Lee Denney.
In 1943, a newspaper account stated that Alfred was issued a citation for “exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services while on duty as first sergeant of his battery. In addition to his regular duties, Sergeant Denney has spent much of his spare time improving the living conditions and recreational facilities of the men in his organization. His zealous manner in approaching and solving all battery problems has been an inspiration to those whom he has served as well as those under his supervision.”
Help Us Preserve Milford’s Military History
The Milford Times is committed to honoring and preserving the stories of the men and women from our community who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. We recognize that historical records are not always complete and that some names or important details may have been overlooked. If you have photographs, letters, newspaper clippings, personal stories, or additional information about any of the individuals featured in this series, we encourage you to share them with us. We also welcome information about Milford service members who died in the line of duty but may not be included in our records. Our goal is to ensure that every sacrifice is remembered and every story is told. Please email your information to editor@milford-times.com.
