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Roll Call Tribute

Russell Somers '58 August 7, 2017 3:42 PM updated: August 7, 2017 3:44 PM

From findagrave.com

Pvt Russell Loran Somers

Birth: Oct. 26, 1936
Texas, USA
Death: Jun. 22, 1957
Fort Sill
Comanche County
Oklahoma, USA

Rosenberg Herald, June 27, 1957:

Funeral services were held at the First Baptist Church of Rosenberg Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock for Pvt. Russell Loran Somers, 20-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Russel W. Somers of 1412 Ward Street. Pvt. Somers was one of four soldiers killed last Saturday morning at Fort Sill, Oklahoma when a high-explosive mortar shell landed in the midst of a company of ground troops during a public firing demonstration. Thirteen were injured, five seriously.

Rev. Ralph M. Smith, pastor of the church of which young Somers was a member, officiated. Interment followed in Greenlawn Memorial Park, under direction of Garmany-Janca.

A 1954 graduate of Lamar Consolidated High School, Somers attended Texas A&M College for two and one-half years before enlisting in the United States Army on January 3 of this year. A member of the cadet corps at A&M, he was majoring in engineering.

Survivors include his parents; a brother, Warren of Bryan, a graduate of A&M; a sister, Sheila, a 1957 graduate of Lamar; his grandmothers, Mrs. Leta McCollum of Bloomfield, Missouri and Mrs. J.P. Edwards of Graybridge, Missouri; his step-grandfather, J.P. Edwards of Graybridge; and other relatives.

Pallbearers were Alan Vencil, James Christ, J.O. Koehl Jr., Albert Zuckero, Burford Klahn, W.H. Guest, Graham Gassaway, and Donald Baker.

Special music at the service was by the choir, of which he was a member, and only the Sunday before he was soloist while home for the weekend.

First reports of the tragic mishap were reported almost immediately as over 300 spectators were watching the exercises. It was mid-afternoon though before the Somers family was notified. Capt. Robert E. Kren, information officer at the post, the world's largest artillery training center, said that none of the spectators were injured by the blast, which occurred about a mile from them.

An Army board immediately started an investigation of the accident to determine who, or what, was responsible. The base public information office said the 4.2-inch mortar shell was fired from Battery C of the 522nd Infantry Battalion. Kren said the mortar shell, fired from a weapon which also can be used to fire chemical shells, was believed to have been a "short round," one which falls short of its intended target. It fell among members of Company B, 522nd Infantry Battalion, as they moved towards their objective of "Adams Hill" on the East Artillery range in the Wichita Mountains.

Approximately 175 soldiers from Company B were involved in the ground part of the simulated attack on a hill position. They were supported by the 537th Field Artillery Battalion, 548th Field Artillery Battalion, Sixth Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 88th Searchlight Battery, and an Army Aviation Training Command unit.

The supporting units were laying down a barrage of shells ahead of the advancing infantry unit when the explosion occurred. Dazed survivors of the explosion were unable to be questioned but one said: "We were going up the hill and suddenly there was an explosion. I don't remember what happened then."

Helicopters taking part in the exercise rushed the dead and injured to the base hospital, landing in a parking lot in front of the hospital, which was cleared of all cars. The first helicopter arrived 25 minutes after the shell landed.

Kren said the public demonstrations are held about every three months. Usually about 200 to 300 persons attend. Saturday's was entitled "The Rifle Company in the Attack."

Four of the seriously wounded were flown to Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio.

The public had been invited to the demonstration by the army.


Family links:
Parents:
Russel W. Somers (1907 - 2003)
Olive Alvada McCollum Somers (1915 - 1987)

Inscription:
IN LOVING MEMORY

Burial:
Davis-Greenlawn Cemetery
Rosenberg
Fort Bend County
Texas, USA
Plot: Section C, L.320, Sp.1-3-5-7.

Created by: Carolyn Brinkmeyer
Record added: Jul 04, 2014


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