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During World
War II, some Fauquier County families sent as many as four, five or
even six of their sons off to fight.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Lee of Midland were the parents of 10 children
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seven sons and three daughters - and five of their sons served in World
War II.
These young men served in three branches of the U.S. Armed Forces
assigned to stateside units or in the heat of the action in both the
Pacific and European Theaters.
Sadly, all five were on active duty far from home when their mother,
Harriet Smoot Lee, died in June 1945.
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Robert W. Lee, the oldest son, enlisted in the Army in 1942. He
completed Basic Training at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, where he was serving
at the end of the war. Later, he moved to Maryland, where he died in
1988.
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Charles D. Lee entered the U. S. Army in 1942 and immediately after
completing Basic Training at Camp Lee, Va., he was sent to fight in
Europe. Charles was assigned to an artillery unit in Italy. He was
wounded and spent time recovering in a hospital on Sicily.
At the end of the war, he was stationed in France. A resident of
Falmouth, he died in a truck accident in
1957.
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Lewis Fitzhugh Lee enlisted in the Navy in 1943. He completed Basic
Training at Bainbridge, Md., and was assigned as a Gunner's Mate 3rd
Class on LCIG 580, a large landing craft. During his tour of duty, Fitzhugh Lee was involved in four major and
two minor battles in the Pacific, including Leyte Gulf, Linguyan Gulf
and Okinawa. He currently lives in Bristersburg.
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Edwin Lee enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1941, and completed Basic
Training at Ft. Lee, Va. He was a Staff Sergeant assigned to Benjamin
Airfield, Fla. at the end of the war. He returned to
Fauquier, where he commenced a distinguished career in public
education. He lives in Warrenton.
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Gordon Briscoe Lee entered the Army in 1943, and completed Basic
Training at Ft. Ord, Calif. A Technical Sergeant, he was assigned to
an amphibious unit in the Philippines. He resides in
Front Royal.
Briscoe and Fitzhugh Lee both served in the Philippines at about the
same time, but missed seeing each other by just a matter of days.
©Times Community Newspapers 2003
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