Cpl. Vernon Lee McGuire graduated from Trenton High School in 1939 and enlisted in the US Army Air Corps on Oct. 2, 1942. He was a member of the 508th Parachute Infantry, which dropped into Normandy on D-Day and was captured by the Germans on June 5, 1944. He was liberated by the Russian Army in February 1945. He returned to the US and married Geraldine Hollingsworth of Jacksonville, FL on May 3, 1945. They had two daughters and one son. He died on April 14, 1989 at the age of 68 in Jacksonville. He was a retired lieutenant colonel in the US Army. He is buried in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL.

(extract from article entitled "Grundy County WW II Prisoners of War" published in the Trenton Republican-Times)

(courtesy Connie Hollingsworth Bronson, PhD)

Vernon enlisted in he Army in San Francisco, CA on 2 October 1942, volunteered for parachutist duty and was assigned to Company C, 508th PIR which was just forming at camp Blanding, FL.

Cpl McGuire jumped into Normandy on 6 June 1944 and was captured that same day. He was ultimately released in 1945 from Stalag 3C Alt Drewitz Brandenburg, Prussia.

Remaining in the service, he earned a commission retiring with the rank of Lt. Colonel.  He wore this actual set of insignia.