Howard Upchurch was born in Crossville, Tennessee, the son of Charles Proctor Upchurch and Ollie Beatrice Barnwell.
Shipped aboard the freighter SS Suffolk. While in transit off the East Coast of the US, the Suffolk floundered and sank with a loss of 37 Crewman and 6 Naval Armed Guard
Crossville Chronicle, February 17, 1944:
Howard Upchurch, Merchant Marine of Cleveland, and formerly of Crossville, is reported killed in action. He was previously reported missing Dec. 11. He was the son of Mrs. Ollie Barnwell, of Crossville, formerly of Cleveland. He was in the ship yards at Baltimore before going to the Merchant Marines six months ago. He was home on a furlough last September and while in Cleveland he married Miss Sue Anderson. His mother and his younger brother, Cornell Upchurch, make their home here. He was the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. William Barnwell.
His younger brother was Cornell Proctor Upchurch and his half sister was Rheba Clayton. His father died when he was a child. His mother was from Crossville (the Barnwell family) and many ill-advised subsequent marriages took her to different areas of Tennessee, including Clevland. My father was attending high school in Crossville when the family received news of his death. My father enrolled in college, completed law school at the University of Tennessee College of Law and became a prominent lawyer in the Upper Cumberland region (practicing law for 50 years). His sister ended up in Washington DC and worked in advertising until her retirement. I was named after uncle Howard and my full name is Howard Luxon Upchurch. I was my father’s first born child.
- Rank: Able Body Seaman
- Date of birth: 3 September 1923
- Date of death: 11 December 1943
- County: Bradley
- Hometown: Cleveland
- Service Branch: Merchant Marines
- Division/Assignment: SS Suffolk
- Conflict: World War II
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VII, Top Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Howard Upchurch
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