J. C. 'Mac' McCrory

Funeral service for J C. 'Mac' McCrory, Sr. will be held 2 PM Monday, July 23, 2007 in Blanchard St. Denis Chapel with Rev. Bill Kincaid and Rev. Ron Thompson officiating. Burial will be in Memory Lawn Cemetery at Natchitoches, La. Visitaton will be Sunday, July 22, 2007 from 5 PM until 9 PM and on Monday, July 23, 2007 from 8 AM until service time in the funeral home. Mr. McCrory, 85, of Natchitoches, La., died Friday, July 20, 2007, at Natchitoches Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Natchitoches, La. He was a native of Natchitoches Parish, La. He was retired from South Central Bell Telephone Company with thirty-nine years of service. He was a member of College Avenue United Methodist Church. He was a fifty year member of Phoenix Masonic Lodge #38 F&AM, and Telephone Pioneers of America. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the U. S. Army. He enlisted in the US Army on August 28, 1942 at Camp Beauregard, La. His training was at Camp Crowder, Mo. and Ft. Sam Houston, Tx. He departed San Franciso for Sydney, Australia on Sept. 25, 1943 aboard the SS America (later renamed the USS West Point). He arrived in Sydney, Australia on Oct. 10, 1943, Goodenough Island on Feb. 10, 1944, Cape Cretin, New Guinea on March 4, 1944, Hollandia, New Guinea on June 21, 1944. From there he was air lifted to Finschhafen, New Guinea by C-47 aircraft as part of an advance party to establish forward communications following seizure of a Japanese airfield. Arrived in Leyte, Philippine Islands on Oct. 20, 1944, Luzon, Philippine Islands on Jan. 10, 1945 and departed Luzon, Philippine Islands on Sept. 13, 1945. Arrived in Japan on Sept. 25, 1945 following the surrender of Japan on Aug. 15, 1945. His unit was the first to occupy the Holy City of Kyoto. He departed Japan for Seattle, Wa. on Nov. 20, 1945 aboard the General Buckner and was discharged from the U. S. Army at Camp Fannin, Tx on Dec. 1, 1945. He provided combat support communications to Headquarters, 6th United States Army, the lst Calvary Division, the 6th Infantry Division, and the 32nd Infantry Division. He participated in the following campaigns for which he was awarded six bronze stars and one bronze arrowhead. Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Southern Philippines, Luzon. He was an avid fisherman and hunter and especially loved gardening. He was preceded in death by sisters, Mary Kojis, Vera Mitchell, and Vivian Berlin; brothers, Reginald McCrory and Ray McCrory; parents, George Hugh McCrory and Sallie Coleman McCrory. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lee Whitt McCrory of Natchitoches, La.; one daughter, Carolyn Joy and husband Davd of Knoxville, Tn.; two sons, James C. 'Jim' McCrory, Jr. and wife Joy of Natchitoches, La. and Richard McCrory of Baton Rouge, La.; grandchildren, James C. 'Jimmy' McCrory, Keith McCrory, Kevin McCrory, Colleen McCrory, and Ryan Lee McCrory; one brother, T. J. McCrory of Bossier City, La. Pallbearers will be Jimmy McCrory, Keith McCrory, Kevin McCrory, Richard Hooter, Ralph McCrory, and Dannie Collins.