John Lyle McCartney was born March 18, 1925 in Washburn, Sebastian Co., Ar. to Bert & Minnie Seamans McCartney. November 9, 1946 John, living in Greenwood Sebastian Co., Ar. married Eva Jo Basham a resident of Mansfield Sebastian Co., Ar. The marriage was in Logan County, Arkansas. March 18, 1943 John registered for the military draft at the Court House in Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., Ar. He enlisted in the US Army June 12, 1943 and served until January 25, 1946. In 1944 in the battle of the Huntgen Forest, which was from 19 September to February 1945, It was the longest battle on German ground during World War II and is the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought. He recived a Bronze Star for carrying wounded out of harms way under heavy fire. The full story of that long battle that was called the "Forgotten Meat Grinder" can be found HERE. You can find another story on it HERE. From Becky Mack "He was hit with shrapnel and jumped into a foxhole, which just happened to contain his sargeant, who tied off his arm to keep him from bleeding out. The way they fixed his arm caused the fingers on his left hand to be drawn up. He still had the shrapnel in his knee when he was buried. I remember him having to stop on occasion to straighten out his leg because the shrapnel would cause his knee to catch. And he would let his grandkids try to straigten out his left hand even though it hurt. He didn't talk about the war often, but there are a couple stories I remember. He told me once that nobody in our family needed to drink, because he drank enough for all of us already. When they drove through France, he said the people would run up and sit buckets of wine on the back of the trucks as a "thank you" for their efforts. "I woke up with bruises on my arms from passing out between two soldiers who didn't want me sleeping on them." He also said that he was chosen to be a message runner. At some point, the track he had to go on was either into enemy territory or right along enemy lines. He had to lay down in the grass to hide as German soldiers passed by and would spray bullets across the ground." John Lyle McCartney passed away July 5, 2006 and is buried in the Washburn Cemetery, Washburn, Sebastian Co., Ar. From Find-A-Grave ~~~John L. McCartney~~~ Grew up on a farm and went off to WWII at age 17. He did an overseas tour. He ended up fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. There he was wounded in his Arm and Leg. He was shipped back home after he healed. He wasn't home too long when he met Miss Eva Basham. She was the youngest Daughter of C.B. and Addie B. Lewis Basham. They were soon Married and to them was born a son Dennis and daughter Cathy. John was loved by all I don't think he had any enemies. He was a disabled Vet from the war, and he raised cattle and cut and bailed hay to help raise his family. He and his family attended Washburn Methodist Church every Sunday. At the age of 80 he got sick and went to the hospital. His appendix had ruptured and was removed. He was doing pretty good and the pneumonia set in and was the cause of his death on the 5th of July 2006. He was laid to rest in the Washburn Cemetery across the road from his beloved Methodist Church. He will always be missed and loved.