Ezra W. Simmons
NAME: Ezra 'Jodi' William Simmons
ASN: 34230126
PLACE OF BIRTH: Washington Parish, LA
DATE OF BIRTH: 1913
DATES OF SERVICE: 27 Jan 1942 - 11 Aug 1945
UNIT ASSIGNED:
288th Ordnance Company
509th PIB
CAMPAIGNS: Tunisia, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno
AWARDS: Parachutist Badge, Purple Heart Medal, EAME Campaign Medal with arrowhead and two campaign stars, WWII Victory Medal, POW Medal, Distinguished (Presidential) Unit Citation
SUMMARY OF SERVICE:
27 Jan 1942 - Enlisted at Fort Lauderdale, FL - NARA Enlistment Record
| ARMY SERIAL NUMBER | 34230126 | 34230126 |
| NAME | SIMMONS#EZRA#W########## | SIMMONS#EZRA#W########## |
| RESIDENCE: STATE | 44 | Undefined Code |
| RESIDENCE: COUNTY | 117 | Undefined Code |
| PLACE OF ENLISTMENT | 4420 | FT LAUDERDALE FLORIDA |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY | 27 | 27 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH | 01 | 01 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR | 42 | 42 |
| GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION | P0T# | Undefined Code |
| GRADE: CODE | 8 | Private |
| BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION | BI# | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| BRANCH: CODE | 00 | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| FIELD USE AS DESIRED | # | # |
| TERM OF ENLISTMENT | 5 | Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law |
| LONGEVITY | ### | ### |
| SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL | 0 | Civil Life |
| NATIVITY | 44 | Undefined Code |
| YEAR OF BIRTH | 13 | 13 |
| RACE AND CITIZENSHIP | 1 | White, citizen |
| EDUCATION | 0 | Grammar school |
| CIVILIAN OCCUPATION | 649 | Semiskilled occupations in printing and publishing, n.e.c. |
| MARITAL STATUS | 2 | Married |
| COMPONENT OF THE ARMY | 7 | Selectees (Enlisted Men) |
| CARD NUMBER | # | # |
| BOX NUMBER | 0770 | 0770 |
| FILM REEL NUMBER | 1.287 | 1.287 |
14 Sep 1943 - Pfc. Ezra W. Simmons, 34230126, 2nd Bn, 509th PIR, Rear Det in Sicily
22 Jan 1944 - Pfc. Ezra W. Simmons, 34230126, 2nd Bn, 509th PIR, Participated in Operation SHINGLE the amphibious invasion of Anzio, Italy
29 Feb 1944 - Pfc. Ezra W. Simmons, 34230126, 2nd Bn, 509th PIR, captured vicinity Anzio, Italy. Sent to Stalag 2B Hammerstein (99 work camps in vicinity of Koslin and Stolp) West Prussia 53-17
| SERIAL NUMBER | 34230126 | 34230126 |
| NAME | SIMMONS EZRA W | SIMMONS EZRA W |
| GRADE, ALPHA | PFC | Private First Class |
| GRADE CODE | 7 | Second Lieutenant or Nurse or Dietitian or Physical therapy aide or Private First Class or Ensign or Second Class, Seaman |
| SERVICE CODE | 1 | ARMY |
| ARM OR SERVICE | INF | Infantry |
| ARM OR SERVICE CODE | 10 | INF: INFANTRY |
| DATE REPORT: DAY (DD) | 29 | 29 |
| DATE REPORT: MONTH (MM) | 02 | 02 |
| DATE REPORT: YEAR (Y) | 4 | 1944 |
| RACIAL GROUP CODE | 1 | WHITE |
| STATE OF RESIDENCE | 44 | Undefined Code |
| TYPE OF ORGANIZATION | 160 | Parachute Infantry |
| PARENT UNIT NUMBER | 0509 | 0509 |
| PARENT UNIT TYPE | 07 | Battalion/Training Battalion Combat/Special Troops |
| AREA | 98 | North African Theatre: Italy |
| LATEST REPORT DATE: DAY (DD) | 11 | 11 |
| LATEST REPORT DATE: MONTH (MM) | 07 | 07 |
| LATEST REPORT DATE: YEAR (Y) | 5 | 1945 |
| SOURCE OF REPORT | 1 | Individual has been reported through sources considered official. |
| STATUS | 8 | Returned to Military Control, Liberated or Repatriated |
| DETAINING POWER | 1 | GERMANY |
| CAMP | 003 | Stalag 2B Hammerstein (99 work camps in vicinity of Koslin and Stolp) West Prussia 53-17 |
| REP | ||
| POW TRANSPORT SHIPS |
31 Mar 1944 - the “Bogalusa Enterprise and American” ran the following: Ezra W. Simmons is Reported as Missing in Action
“Ezra. Wi. Simmons, 31 years of age, private first class in the United States Army, on Monday was reported as missing in action in Italy as of February 29. Simmons, who has been overseas for the past 18 months, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. L. T. Simmons who reside on Highway 35 at Sheridan. Prior to entering the service, the young man was employed for a time by the Container Division of the Gaylord Container Corporation. The family has high hopes that he is a prisoner of war.
“A sister of the missing man, Miss Fannie Lee Simmons, is a popular employee in the local office of the Washington parish department of public welfare, and a brother, Jim Simmons, is employed by the Gaylord Concern. Another brother, Corporal Lloyd Simmons is in the army stationed at Fort Benning, Ga., while another brother is employed in Washington, D.C., after having received a medical discharge from the army. Another sister of the missing man is Mrs. E. E. Hennesy who resides at Mobile, Ala.”
20 Jul 1944 - Bogalusa’s “Daily News” published the news Ezra was a POW: PFC Ez. Simmons Prisoner of War
“PFC Ezra W. Simmons, 29, a paratrooper with the United States Army who was reported missing in action earlier this year, is now known to be a prisoner of war of the Germans.
“PFC Simmons, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lucius T. Simmons of near Sheridan, and brother of Miss Fannie Simmons, department of public welfare worker here, has been overseas for two years. He was reported as missing on February 29.
“A letter written by him from the German prison camp took three months to get here. It was the first word the family had received since he was listed as missing in action. In the letter, PFC Simmons said he was well and added, ‘If it is possible, please send me a cigarette parcel and a food parcel. You can find out the particulars through the local Red Cross.’
“His letter, written April 16, was received here July 16.”
03 Mar 1945 - Bogalusa’s “Daily News” ran a story on the twenty-six men from the parish who were or had been POWs. 17 had been held by the Japanese and 9 by the Germans. At the time of writing, 10 were held by the Japanese, 4 had been liberated, 3 were dead, and 9 were in Germany.
The Japanese prisoners were SSgt. Hugh Cutrer, S1C George Fournet, PFC Walter Hathorne, Sgt. Sill Herring, Ensign Bernice Hart, Cpl. Robert May, Sgt. Thomas D. Rayburn, PFC Malcolm Wascom, Cpl. Gibb Penton and Perlie Monroe. Those liberated were Lieut. Claude Daniel, CMM Cooper Pittman, Pvt. James C. Turner, and Ancel A. Crenshaw (civilian internee). Those who had died in prison were Pvt. James Murphy, Sgt. Oliver Hartford and Pvt. W. J. Batton.
The German Prisoners were Pvt. Howard I. Byrd, SSgt. Ralph L. Gatzman, SSgt. Richard J. Jenkins, SSgt. Purnia Martin, PFC Ezra Simmons, PFC Vernon Thomas, Lt. Richard C. Weintritt, TSgt. Henry Rucker and Lieut. Ward Randolph.
Ten of the men were pictured, including Ezra Simmons, who was noted as being a prisoner in Stalag No. 2-B. “A card from him was received recently by the parents stating he is well and is receiving packages and mail. Cigarettes sent him by the family were first he had gotten in weeks and he said they were really swell.”
17 May 1945 - Bogalusa’s “Daily News” ran the following: A Free Man
“PFC. Ezra W. Simmons, son of Mr. and Mrs. Route w, Franklinton, who was taken prisoner by the Germans in February, 1944, has been officially reported liberated by American forces entering Germany.
“PFC Simmons served in a paratroop outfit and was based in Italy when captured. Only a few letters were received by his family after his capture and his fate was undetermined until the federal government’s telegram was received Friday announcing he had been returned to military control…”
18 May 1945 - the “Bogalusa Enterprise and American” ran the following story: Liberated Soldier is Back in the States
“PFC Ezra Simmons, a prisoner of the Germans for 15 months, notified relatives this week that he has arrived back in the States and he is expected here in the next few days.” Biographical information followed which was as given in earlier reports.
21 May 1945 - Bogalusa’s “Daily News” reported he was home on leave.
11 Aug 1945 - Pfc. Ezra W. Simmons, 34230126, 2nd Bn, 509th PIR, Honorably discharged at Separation Center, Camp Shelby, Miss
13 Sep 1945 - Bogalusa’s “The Era Leader” published a list of several men who had been recently discharged, including Ezra. “Ezra W. Simmons, son of L. T. and Annie Simmons, Franklinton; honorably discharged August 11, 1945, at Separation Center, Camp Shelby, Miss.; battles and campaigns –Tunisia, Naples Foggio, Rome Arno; decorations and citations – Purple Heart, Unit Citation and European African Middle-Eastern Theater of Operations Medal.”
21 Dec 1945 - Ezra and Juanita Crain were married. She had served three years in the United States Nurses’ Corps, 22 months of which were in the South Pacific, and was one of the first American nurses to reach Manila. After the war she worked for the hospital from which she was graduated as a nurse.
Ezra was hospitalized several times after his return and suffered from PTSD. I’m told he didn’t talk about his experiences. He made his living as a fisherman and alligator hunter in the bayou. As an illustration of how he lived, my spouse, a grand-nephew, says that when they visited they were taken to his home by boat–he wonders if there was likely a route by car but boat was the easiest access. While he was only acquainted with Ezra when he was young, he remembers Ezra as a favored uncle and wonderful to be around, an individual who made people feel good, and the funniest person he's ever known.
Ezra and Juanita had one child, Charles William Simmons, who they had tragically lost in 1965, when he was only 18, to what the paper described as a work-place “construction accident”.
20 Aug 1977 - Juanita passed before Ezra at the age of 56.
Ezra was found deceased, at his home in Slidell, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, by his youngest brother, James, on 3 January 1979. It was determined he had died 30 December 1978. He was buried in the family cemetery, with his wife and son, 4 January 1979.
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