Remembering Them Forever (RTF)!

Military Information:

• Deceased
• WWII Veteran
• QR Code
• Multiple Family Veteran
• WWII Victory Medal
• S1 (Seaman First Class)
• US Naval Reserve Force
• 1-Alpha List
• National/American Defense Service Medal/Award
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
• Cemetery: Oakland Memorial Park, Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas

Bio:

Bernard Joe Mason, a longtime resident of north central Texas (Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, Garland, Dallas, and McKinney), passed from this life on September 11, 2013, in Corinth, Texas. Joe was born November 15, 1925, to Emma Gertrude Cherry and Charles David Mason in Lillie, Union Parish, Louisiana. He spent the first 6 years of his life in Union Parish, LA before moving to Ft. Worth, TX, where he eventually held a job with Texas Motor Coaches. After graduating from Fort Worth R. L. Paschal High School, he joined the U.S. Navy earning the rank of Seaman First Class. He served on USS LST 269 for two- and one-half years during WW II (1944-1946) with duty calls on the invasion of islands of Guam (first wave of Marines), Leyte (first wave Army), Lingayen Gulf (2nd day, Air Force support group), and Batangas (first wave paratroopers - support group to rescue POWs). Somewhere in the South Pacific his ship was torpedoed with a dud. The ship's seamen had to spend a few days hunkered down on an island while the ship was dry docked and repaired. After the repairs, the ship returned to the U.S. for updates to prepare for an invasion of Japan. The atom bomb was dropped ending WW II. At the end of WW II, he attended Texas Christian University (TCU) before joining General Motors Buick GMC. He was a member of United Auto Workers (Local 816) until his death. Joe retired from General Motors in 1975.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife of over 40 years, Mary Garland Williamson, who passed in January 2012. He is also preceded in death by his brother Jim Cherry Mason and sister-in-law Clara Sellers Mason. He is survived by his niece Diana Sue Mason of Corinth, first-cousin W. Ralph Holloway and wife Patsy of Dallas, and stepson Jeffrey Williamson and wife Carol of McKinney. Other surviving family members include grandson Eric Williamson and wife Kelly of Fort Worth, granddaughter Candace Williamson Walters and husband Danny of Allen, along with great-grandson Paxton Charles Williamson and great-granddaughters Genevieve Rose and Julia G. Walters.

In his own words:
My great grandfather, Edward Wallace, and three of his brothers served in the CSA Confederate Army at Vicksburg. Great grandfather Wallace, served in the Quartermaster Corps and was captured on the west side of the Mississippi River trying to bring supplies to Vicksburg and was released to go back to his farm in Walnut Lane, Louisiana (now Downsville). His three brothers were surrounded at Vicksburg and after the fall, returned to the farm in Louisiana.

My father C.D. Mason was in the army in World War I. He did not go to Europe.

My great, great uncle, Douglas Puckett, was a Colonel in the CSA Confederate Army. He became a Circuit Judge after the war. He is buried in Pittsburg, Texas.

My first cousin W. R. Holloway was in the Navy on a L.C.I. (Landing Craft Infantry) gunship and was wounded at Bougainville (part of the Solomon Island chain, Territory of New Guinea). He went to New Zealand to recover from his wounds. Later he returned to the ship and participated in the invasion of Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea.

His son, R. C. Holloway was in Vietnam. He served in the US Army Special Forces and was wounded when he took a mortar in his arm while propelling from a chopper during a recon mission.