The 35th Infantry Regiment Association salutes our fallen brother, PV2 Kelly Lonnie Stone, RA14330889, who died in the service of his country on August 31st, 1950 in South Korea. The cause of death was listed as MIA to KIA. At the time of his death Kelly was 19 years of age. He was from Mount Holly, North Carolina. Kelly's Military Occupation Specialty was 4745-Light Weapons Infantryman.
The decorations earned by PV2 Kelly Lonnie Stone include: the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Korea Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Kelly entered the service 26 March 1949.
Burial:
Pineview Cemetery
Mount Holly
Gaston County
North Carolina, USA
We Were Warriors, Chapter 8 (by Norman A Davis)
A Bad Patrol
It was a very hot August day. The patrol was looking for the enemy. They came to a village of thatch-roofed huts. The patrol leader ordered the huts to be burned. One hut had an old woman sitting in the doorway. A KATUSA soldier told her to come out, she did not move. "Shoot her Davis!" He did not fire, a patrol member shot her. After we left the village we were fired on from high ground; the fire was heavy. The leader ordered the men back to a safe area. He ask for a volunteer to go with him to help rescue the radio man who was shot in the lower leg. No one spoke, Davis said he would go. They went behind the enemy position and found Tex and Kelly Stone. Davis carried Tex on his back; Stone and the Sgt. carried the weapons. On the way back, Stone was shot and killed, the others made it back safely. The Sgt was awarded The Silver Star, Davis the Bronze Star with V. Tex received more wounds while on the back of Davis but he lived. Water was short supply, no one had any water. The Marines wore two canteens in combat, the Army only one. Davis missed his foxhole buddy.
After Kelly Stone was killed, the writer refused to believe that he was dead, He kept asking the men of Able Company where he was, they looked at me as if I had lost reality and I guess I had for a few days. I then accepted that he was gone. I missed him and still do after 58 years; he was a great guy and a good soldier. That day is in my memory like a bad movie. I see it today as if I was watching a rerun of that movie. There are some things about that day I cannot remember, such as the name of the Sergeant. I did see his name in a book of the 25th division that listed Silver Star winners many years ago. Perhaps I will get a call or email from man who was on that patrol. There are about twenty of us still around that served in Able Company. The Company Commander, Sidney B Berry Lt. General retired, is one of the twenty.
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