Stories of the Wracken Sacker

About the Book

My interest in my grandfather's war history of the Gee-Johnson's 15th AR Infantry Regiment started with a conversation between myself and Dr. Robert Walz; a History professor at Southern Arkansas University, who had a friend, Dr. John Ferguson, an AR State Historian who found an article written by Benjamin F. Cooling, a park historian at Fort Donelson National Military Park. The only information I had of my grandfather's service was that he was in Johnson's AR 15th Company. So this began lots of studying and research. I have compiled some history for my decendants living in South Arkansas from 1861-1865, through four years of war and then the reconstruction the next twelve years. My goal is to leave my family with history of Colonel's Gee and Johnson and the 15th AR. This book contains the results of that research.

About the Author

Julious Walter Elmore was born May 7, 1925 to Wordie and Vernenia Thomas Elmore on a small cotton farm 7 miles south of Magnolia, Columbia County, AR. The first eight years of schooling was in a two room rural schoolhouse in the Philadelphia community. The next four years he attended Magnolia High School. After graduation he received a "greeting card" from Uncle Sam. This card reshaped his life. Later, he spent four days at Camp Robinson, AR and moved by troop train to a signal corps camp near Sacramento, CA called Camp Kohler. He scored relatively high on the general aptitude test, then after basic training, was selected and cleared by the FBI for top secret code room work as a cryptographic technician. He served overseas in New Guinea, Biak Islands and the Philippine Islands. One of his favorite stories is to tell of a Top Secret message to come across his desk to General MacArthur. It was on August 15, 1945 at 10:00 p.m. Manila time. It was a direct order to "cease fire". The war had ended. The next three years he attended Magnolia A & M College, now Southern Arkansas University, under a GI Bill. He graduated in 1948. The next 48 years he worked as a brick mason after marrying and raising five children. He is a lifelong member of Philadelphia United Methodist Church in Magnolia, where he has served on numerous committees and is currently historian. He is a lifetime member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He is a World War II Army Veteran, and a Real Grandson. At 87 years of age, he finds time to garden,fish,spend time with grandkids and "truck patch" as hobbies.