United States of America: An interesting circa Second World War era Bronze Star Medal, reverse bearing official machine engraved naming, as awarded to William O. Ledbetter, a veteran of the Second World War and the Korean War. After a first period of enlistment, he is known to have re-enlisted for a second time and seen service as a Corporal in the Quartermasters Corps from November 1945 before ended up with a Heavy Tank Armoured Battalion during the Korean War, when he was lightly wounded in action by shrapnel from a shell in September 1950. A farmer from Bamford and later Maylene in Shelby County, Alabama, he grew up in the Great Depression and was imprisoned in Shelby County Gaol in November 1937 for distilling alcohol at the time that it was illegal owing to the prohibition on alcohol.
United States of America: Bronze Star Medal, reverse bearing official machine engraved naming: ‘WILLIAM O. LEDBETTER’, the surname B and E overlapped in error to read as one ‘Ledbtter’. With original ribbon and slot brooch pin.
Condition: slight error in engraving to cause an overlap with two letters of surname, otherwise Good Very Fine.
William Oliver Ledbetter was born on 12 August 1917 in Bamford, Shelby County, Alabama, the son of William Alexander and Caddie Ledbetter, and was educated at the local grammar school. He later lived in Maylene in Shelby County and worked as a farmer. This was a time of the Great Depression and also the prohibition on alcohol, and Ledbetter got caught in distilling illegal booze, that then led to his arrest. He paid a fine, known as a Distilling Fee, on 12 August 1937, this being for 50$, but was subsequently incarcerated in Shelby County Gaol with a minimum sentence of 1 year and 1 day, and a maximum sentence of 1 year and 188 days. He began serving his sentence on 18 November 1937, with a minimum time of release being 19 November 1938, and a maximum time being 25 May 1939. His Convict Number was 38290. He was however released on parole on 18 May 1938, after only serving some six months of his sentence, and was then discharged from prison whilst still on parole on 5 July 1938.
Owing to the Second World War he registered for the Military Draft on 16 October 1940, this being prior to the entry of the United States in the war. After this he however appears to have found work in the manufacture of electrical machinery and accessories. He then enlisted into the United States Army circa 1942, but his service during his first period of enlistment is unknown. He however then re-enlisted on 2 November 1942 as a Corporal (No.34702252) into the Quartermasters Corps. By the time of the Korean War, he was serving with a Heavy Tank Armoured Battalion, and in September 1950 was admitted to hospital after being wounded by shrapnel from a shell. He was only a minor casualty and was deemed fit for duty almost immediately, and returned to his unit having not been evacuated home.
Ledbetter died on 5 November 1978, being buried in Riverview Cemetery, Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee. His headstone records that he was both a veteran of the Second World War and the Korean War. It is unclear when he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, but in all probability he would have served in combat role during his first period of enlistment during the Second World War, and probably held a Combat Infantry Badge or similar, which would have gained him automatic entitlement to the Bronze Star Medal circa 1948. He would also be entitled to the Purple Heart Medal for his Korean War wound.
