Camp Tyson Soldier’s Unmarked Grave To Finally Receive Marker On Anniversary Of His Death

Paris, Tenn.–On the 80^th anniversary of his death in 1943, the grave of a former Camp Tyson soldier will finally receive a marker.

The public is invited to the ceremony formally marking the grave of Pvt. Herman Hankins, set for 10 a.m. Saturday, July 29, at Maplewood Cemetery. The ceremony is hosted by the Paris/Henry County Bicentennial Committee.

On the evening of July 29, 1943, Army Private Herman Hankins was killed in a tourist camp in Routon right outside of Camp Tyson. He was 25.

According to his death certificate, the death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner and mystery has surrounded his death in the decades since. He was shot in the chest by Camp Tyson Military Police and died on arrival at the Camp Tyson Station Hospital.

Pvt. Hankins was buried in an unmarked grave in Maplewood Cemetery.

He was a member of the 320^th Barrage Balloon Battalion at Camp Tyson, which was the only all-African-American unit to storm the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He was trained in barrage balloon management at Camp Tyson with other members of the 320^th.

On the 80^th anniversary of his passing, the Paris/Henry County Bicentennial Committee will formally place a marker at his grave at the cemetery.

Hankins’ fellow soldiers were at his graveside funeral and Wilson Caldwell Monk took a photo of the flowers that had been placed at his grave and sent a copy of the photo to Shannon McFarlin of Paris, who was working on a book about Camp Tyson at the time. Hankins’ story was featured in the chapter, “Death In An Army Camp” in the book “As If They Were Ours: The Story of Camp Tyson, America’s Only Barrage Balloon Training Facility”.

The formal marking ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 29, at Maplewood Cemetery and the public is invited. Expected speakers will include County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway, Paris Mayor Kathy Ray, Former Paris City Commissioner Rev. Terry Fuller, Paris City Commissioner Sam Tharpe and Rev. John Dandridge.

Photo: Members of one of the three African American units at Camp Tyson march during a parade in Paris.