Column Lawrence Dalton Grantham, Private, U.S. Army, Korean War Killed in Action

It’s a tragedy when a soldier is killed in the midst of war. In the case of Dalton Grantham in Korea in 1953 was especially tragic. He was married to Shirley Walton on August 2 1952 and was sent to Korea just a few days later. Dalton Grantham would never return to his home after his death until the time that his remains were returned back following Korea during the Korean War for burial in August 1953.

Lawrence Dalton Grantham was born in Andalusia, Alabama, on the 27th of June 1932. Parents included Olar Coleman as well as Joel Benjamin Grantham. Dalton has three younger siblings that were born from his father’s marriage to Mattie Strickland. Mattie passed away in 1921, and Joel was married to Olar Coleman in 1925. Dalton was considered to be the most senior of the children from Joel as well as Olar Grantham. The Granthams had 3 daughters shortly after Dalton’s birth.

The family records of Dalton reveal that his grandfather was an Cherokee Indian who had settled in Montgomery County, Alabama, during the “March of Tears.”At the date of Dalton’s birth his father was 51 and his mother was 34 years old. The 1940 census records Dalton staying with family members in River Falls, Alabama.

The family relocated to Andalusia due to the fact that Dalton was named on the honor list for East Three Notch Elementary School numerous times. He may have been living with his older sister because a nephew told him that she was the one who raised the boy from a young age. It’s unclear the date Dalton completed his high school prior to going to work in the Shipyard located at Mobile, Alabama. He was employed by the shipyard when called up to the draft in the month of May 1951.

Dalton Grantham met Shirley Walton from Mobile, Alabama, while working in the shipyard. They got married on August 2nd, 1952 at Andalusia, Alabama. The couple had been married a week before the time he was sent to Afghanistan.

Dalton was deployed to Korea. Dalton was assigned to Korea He was assigned to the Company F 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. The month of June, 1953 was the time that the Company F was engaged in what would later be known as”the” Battle of Boomerang. In the battle, United Nations forces occupied a hill region known as Boomerang facing hills just hundreds of yards away and were occupied by China’s Chinese Communist army.

The Boomerang was part of the Kumhwa Vally, located just south of the 38th Parallel, that would be the demilitarized zone once the signing of the armistice on the 27th of July. The Chinese army attempted to gain the maximum amount of ground prior to the armistice.

The Chinese led a massive attack on Boomerang between June 14 and 15. The veterans who participated during the battle remembered mortar fire and artillery ” falling like rain.”The Chinese attacked at night using flashlights that were affixed onto their weapons. One veteran claimed that “it seemed similar to Christmas in all its lights.”During the intense combat, the 2nd Platoon from Company F suffered 52 casualties in the 56-man unit. Company F was removed from battle lines following the battle. One of the dead included the PVT Dalton Grantham, killed on the day that ended the battle on June 15.

PVT Dalton Grantham was posthumously awarded The Purple Heart. He was also presented with his Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation as well as the Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.

An uncle, Joel L. Grantham stated that he visited Fox Company the day that Dalton passed away. He said, “I was a member of the 5th Regimental Combat Team and was at Dalton’s company CP command post and trying to gain a transfer to his unit when Dalton was killed in action…His Company Commander was able to talk about it…I came back to my team, and was the last person from the entire family learn about Dalton’s passing. My father had to write me and inform me.

“However I did receive personal letters I wrote to him and returned by me…Dalton and I were raised together. He was 2 and a half years older…Growing with each other, we were one in a million – when you could see one, you also saw the other…I was a huge fan of the man like I did my brother, and have been missing him for the many years after his passing.”

Dalton Grantham wrote a letter to his family, dated 11 June 1953 exactly four days before his demise. He wrote to his sister “Willie Mae you mentioned within your letters that you were feeling that I felt your prayers. I’m sure I feel the same way. I feel that God is there with me, so continue to pray for me and ask God to help my salvation. I pray every day. I’ve been saying every day since I was just 16 years old. God has answered lots of my prayers too.”

The funeral of PVT Lawrence Dalton Grantham took place at Prichard, Alabama, on August 28th in 1953. He was laid to rest with full military honors at Whistler Cemetery, Therrell Annex in Prichard. His half-sisters survived Willie Mae Grantham Roper, Rosa Lee Grantham Terry; half-brother Harvey Grantham; sisters, Dorothy Grantham Henderson, Josephine Grantham as well as Evelyn Grantham Crosby. The obituary stated the fact that Josephine Grantham, Evelyn Crosby and Mrs. Harvey Grantham were employed by the company Alatex company in Andalusia.

John Vick

This writer would like to acknowledge the Mrs. Terry Owens, great niece of Dalton Grantham, for her assistance with writing about the PVT Dalton Grantham.

[Sources: Tribute to Lawrence Dalton Grantham by Joel L. Grantham, nephew of Dalton; The Journal News of Hamilton, Ohio, article, “Korean vets hold reunion,” August 2001; The Andalusia Star-News article dated June 25, 1953; The Opp News article dated October 8, 1952; letters of PVT Dalton Grantham courtesy of Terry Owens; “The Battle of Boomerang, June 14-15, 1953,” johnsmilitaryhistory.com]

The article The article COLUMN Lawrence Dalton Grantham, Private, U.S. Army, Korean War Killed in Action was published by The Andalusia Star-News.