In commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the end of World War Two, VIP Alexandria Magazine is proud to bring you a brief history of The City of Alexandria's service to our nation and a reminder of the sacrifices made by so many. You will never be forgotten.
Story by Warren P. Gunderman
THE PAYNE BROTHERS May 8, 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe and Aug 15, 2020 will mark the end of the war in the Pacific. The nation came together in defense of freedom and the town and residents of Alexandria did their part. Following are just three of the many stories of Alexandria’s contributions to the war effort. During the war, all of America knew the story of the Sullivan brothers – five brothers who served together in the Navy and died together when their ship, the light cruiser USS Juneau was sunk on November 13, 1942. Alexandria also sent five brothers to war. Unlike the Sullivans, all five of the Payne brothers survived the war. The oldest, Ralph, initially trained at Camp Wheeler in Georgia as part of the 4th Platoon, C Company, 8th Battalion, but by 1941 he was in the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA. In 1942, he completed Parachute School, and was commissioned as a First Lieutenant and in the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. In June, 1944, Ralph parachuted into Normandy. Fighting through the hedgerow country of northern France, he carried out a number of dangerous reconnaissance missions for which he received the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. Ralph Payne died in 2008, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Francis joined the U.S. Navy shortly after Christmas. He was an Electrician’s Mate on the USS Randolph, an Essex-class aircraft carrier. In March, 1945, while the ship was anchored at Ulithi in the western Pacific, a Japanese kamikaze crashed into the stern of the ship, killing twenty-seven. Francis spent a total of forty-two months in a combat zone, even manning an anti-aircraft gun at one point for an injured shipmate.
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Francis Payne died in 1993, and is buried in Quantico National Cemetery, Prince William County, Virginia. Harold enlisted in the Navy in 1942. He hoped to be either a pilot or to serve in the submarine service, but due to the needs of the Navy, he became an Aviation Electrician’s Mate. He eventually became Chief Petty Officer in charge of the electrical shop for VR-6, a transport squadron based at Dinner Key Naval Air Station near Miami, FL. Near the end of 1945, he had enough points to be discharged from the service and returned to Alexandria. Harold Payne died in 2005. Grover Cleveland Payne, Jr. got the nickname “Jack” as a baby, and it stuck. Jack initially tried to join the Marines and then the Navy, but was rejected from both due to an eye condition. He then enlisted in the Army and trained at Camp Lee, outside Petersburg, Va. Jack was deployed to Okinawa shortly before the Japanese surrender in 1945, and then to Korea as a member of the 382nd Station Hospital, 10th Army. Jack Payne died in 2014, and he and his wife are buried together at Quantico National Cemetery.
