REMEMBERING
ISRAEL ED SELPH

By Joe C. Fling

In the six months after the death of Maurice Parker in February, 1943 no one from southern Colorado County was lost in World War II. Beginning with the death of Johnnie D. Hutchins on September 4, eight men would die over the next six months including the fall and winter 1943-44.

Israel Ed Selph was born on May 6, 1909 at Sublime in Lavaca County, the son of Madison and Laura Cole Selph. Selph grew up in Sheridan. After school, Ed had joined the New Deal program the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and gone to California to work. Later he was working in Nevada when he entered the service of his country. Selph volunteered and was inducted into the service on February 28, 1941 at the age of 31. He trained and served in the Quartermaster corps until October, 1941 when he was discharged from active duty. Reports were that at the time there was a 28 year old age limit for keeping young men in the service.

Pearl Harbor, of course, changed all of that, as a massive American military build-up began, which in a period of about two years increased the number of American military personnel from only a couple of hundred thousand to 16 million. Selph and many others were recalled to active duty, going back on active duty June 29, 1942. Ed found himself placed in an engineering unit.

Through September, 1943 some sixteen Colorado County men had died, all but one of them in stateside accidents, near home, or in training or in combat in the Pacific and Asiatic theatres of operations. The beginning of U.S. military offensives in North Africa, Sicily and Italy would greatly increase the chances of servicemen dying in infantry combat in the fall of 1943. Ed Selph would prove to be Colorado County's first battle death in battle against the German army.

In November of 1942 the U.S. invaded occupied Algeria and Morocco and advanced through Tunisia, invading Sicily in July, 1943It was reported that Selph had shipped overseas in October, 1942, which would have made him a part of the first units into North Africa. He took part in all of the major campaigns in North Africa, Sicily and Italy in 1942-43. The last letters that he sent home indicated that he was in Sicily. According to Selph's nephew Dean Varley, Ed's landing craft was sunk when they were going ashore in Sicily and Ed and his fellow soldiers had to swim to the beaches.

It was for his heroics in the fighting on Sicily that Selph was awarded the Silver Star, the third highest award given during World War II. His citation for valor stated that Selph ignored a machine gun some 300 yards away and continued to remove mines, for which he was awarded the silver star.

With Sicily secured, General Mark Clark's U.S. 5th Army went ashore at Salerno, Italy on September 9, 1943. Selph had attained the rank of Sergeant and was killed during the first month of fighting in Italy. Serving in the 10th Engineering Combat Battalion of the U.S. Army's famed 3rd Infantry Division, he was involved in clearing land mines from a vital supply route at the time of his death. This was in fighting after the Salerno landings and before the Germans were driven from Naples, retreating behind the Volturno River. In the process of such duties a mine blew off both of his legs, and he died of his grievous wounds soon thereafter. According to his nephew, Selph had finished a removal job and picked up a stick to throw it off of the road. This causal act had detonated the mine, and took Selph's life.

The Silver Star decoration was awarded seventeen days, later. Selph is buried in Italy, in the Sicily-Rome American cemetery at Nettuno, Italy.

When he died, October 1, 1943, Selph was one of the 'old men' to die in the war, being 34 years old. He was among the half-dozen oldest from Colorado County to die in the War.

Selph was survived by six sisters, Opal Varley, of Sheridan; Elige Briscoe, of Rock Island; Ann (Mrs. Johnny) Miller; Mrs. I.E. Wiley; Mrs. Thurman Humbird, and Mrs. G.T. (Sadie) Eaton, all of California; as well as two brothers M.E. Selph of Chesterville and Sgt. Henry Selph, who was then serving somewhere in the same North Africa-Sicily-Italy Theatres of Operations as Ed.

Awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart (America's oldest military decoration, given to all those wounded or killed in action). The Silver Star was the third highest award that could be given in the U.S. Army during World War II and only two of Colorado County's World War II dead received any higher awards (Johnnie Hutchins' Medal of Honor and Clarence Michulka's Distinguished Service Cross). When Selph's mother and sister brought the awards by the Headlight office, the editor remarked in print, "The decorations are of a beautiful design and are a mute symbol of a noble son's valor in defense of his country."