Captain John Henry Light – World War I
Captain John Henry Light was born in Floyd County, Virginia, on December 18, 1883. A few years later, he was living in Forest Hill, West Virginia. He joined the U.S. Army on August 23, 1906. He served with General John “Black Jack” Pershing on the Mexican border against Pancho Villa. He continued to re-enlist with the military up to, and including, World War I. Before the war, John had attained the rank of captain. He shipped out to Europe on October 17, 1917. Captain Light commanded the Army Bakery Companies of the 4th Corps in Germany. He returned home in August of 1919. On June 15, 1921, John married Emma Hutchison. They made a home in Forest Hill, rearing a son and daughter there. At the age of 59, John’s life was cut short on October 5, 1943, due to a tragic train accident on the C&O Railroad where he had been employed for 20 years.
James Maxwell Light – World War II
James M. Light was born in Forest Hill, West Virginia on December 12, 1923. His parents were Emma and John Henry Light. He was 19 years old when he was drafted into the U.S. Army due to World War II. Jim, as most people knew him, enlisted on March 30, 1943. He shipped out to Europe in early 1944. He was in the Battle of the Bulge and participated in three campaigns, the Ardennes, Rhineland and Eastern Europe. In March 1946, with the end of World War II, Jim returned home to Talcott, West Virginia and his new wife, Helen Mann. They reared one daughter, Shirley. Jim passed away of multiple myeloma on November 10, 2002.
Submitted by: Shirley Ann Light Wright October 12, 2020
