The Sad Story of Evelyn Crutchfield

 

           Evelyn was from Allentown and was the youngest child, and only daughter of Augustus, and Eula Crutchfield. In 1942 when she was 20 years old, World War II was raging and with her desire to help her country she became the first in Santa Rosa County to enlist as a Navy WAVE. (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.)

            She completed her primary testing and examinations in Birmingham in October 1942, then went to the University of Indiana in Bloomington for four months of training before assigned to duty as a Storekeeper at NAS Millington, located just northeast of Memphis, Tenn.

            Around 12:30 pm on July 13, 1943 Evelyn was standing near the door of the armory at the Naval Air Tech Training Center, when she was accidently shot by Pfc. Frank L. Richmond. Some newspaper articles I found and her death certificate state it was a machine gun. She received an abdomen wound that severed her spine. She lived long enough to make it to the base hospital, but died soon after.

            I can only imagine the effect her death had on her family. Her body was shipped back home and she was buried on July 16, 1943 at the Calvary Baptist Church Cemetery in Allentown. Two Reverend’s officiated her service, Rev. E.R. Vincent, and Rev. R.G. Key. Her pallbearers were, Jim Leonard, Mac Mclaughlin, Jean Wilson, J.T. Wiggins, Thomas Allen, and Earl Wolfe. Her honorary pallbearers were, Dr. Rufus Thames, Earl Lewis, D.P. McLaughlin, Joe Wilson, Raymond Dozier, L.H. Dondall, E.H. Lundy, Louis Manning, Charles Morris, Cary Phillips, Roy Oglesby, and Joe T. Allen.

            You can tell how well someone is thought of in a community by seeing who was honored by attending them at their funeral. These names are like a “Who’s Who” from the surrounding area.

            I don’t know if Pfc. Richmond was held accountable. I cannot find out if there was any punishment. I also don’t really know what occurred that caused him to discharge a loaded weapon in an unsafe environment.

            In February of 1963 Frank Richmond was working for the Pure Oil Company. He was in Madison, Tennessee scouting locations for future service stations. He was riding in a car with Leon Beard, a real estate salesman, when Beard swerved to avoid hitting a dog. The car crashed into one driven by Mrs. Lola Davenport, 59 who was a secretary for the Guaranty Realty Company. Beard and Davenport survived the crash, but Richmond was dead on arrival. The county Medical Examiner said Richmond died from a broken neck, and fractured skull. At the time of his death his residence was Center Point, Alabama, but he grew up in Memphis.

Evelyn Crutchfield