R. B. Lewellen, 89, of Mount Pleasant died Monday, June 1, 2009, in  Mount Pleasant.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 10 at Bates-Cooper-Sloan Chapel with Dr. Clint Davis officiating. Interment 
will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction  of Bates-Cooper-Sloan Funeral Home. Pallbearers will be Mike Flowers, Dwight Lebsack, Claude Boyd, Johnny Neugent, Wesley Lewellen, Phillip  McKinney, Coby McKinney and Vic Lebsack.

Mr. Lewellen was born on Aug. 18, 1919, in Mount Pleasant, the son of  Walter Lewellen and Mae (Roach) Lewellen. He was a real estate agent  and member of First Baptist Church. He was a veteran of the United  States Army serving in World War II; recipient of the Purple Heart;  member of the D.A.V. Bun Lilly Chapter 16; and a member of the  optimist Club.

He is survived by his two sons and daughters-in-law, Randy and Linda Lewellen of White Oak, and Jerry and Sally Lewellen of Bellevue, Neb.;  two daughters and a son-in-law, Kari Logan of Mount Pleasant and Kasi (Logan) and Ryan Dalby of Dallas; grandchildren, Wesley Lewellen and  Sharla McKinney; five great-grandchildren; a brother, Billy Rex  Neugent of Carrollton; and a sister, Mable Lawrence of Sherman.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean Lewellen; a daughter,  Brenda (Lewellen) Logan; and his parents.

The family will receive friends from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Mount Pleasant [TX] Daily Tribune, Saturday, June 06, 2009 

 During the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, this banner bearing the likeness of R. B. Llewellyn was hung in Gourbesville.

Although the specific location is not known, the wall of the building in the photo strongly resembles that of the aid station where R.B. was treated after suffering the wound which cost him his right hand.

(courtesy of Randy Lewellen)

   Grave marker for R. B. Lewellen in the Forest Lawn Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant (Titus), Texas.
   R.B. Lewellen (who was christened with only the initials of "R.B.") enlisted in the Army on March 8, 1942 in enlisted at Camp Wolters, TX.
   After completion of basic training, R.B. volunteered for parachutist duty and was transferred to Company "I" of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
   R.B. jumped into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He landed in the middle of a pasture near a large tree on the outskirts of the village of Gourbesville. His presence was immediately known by the Germans and two of them approached where he was taking cover behind the tree. They fired at him and he returned the fire hitting one of the enemy. But, he too was hit as a bullet ran down the outside of his weapon and struck his hand.
   An English-speaking German doctor at the Gourbesville aid station explained that he was forced to amputate the hand as it was so badly mangled. He proudly stated that he had left a good stump for a future prosthetic device.
   R.B. sat out the rest of the war as a POW and was liberated from Stalag 13D Nuremburg (Oflag 73) Bavaria 49-11 in January 1945.
   His military decorations include the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge. Jump Wings with one Combat Star, Prisoner of War Medal and various other awards.