Joseph Willie Duncan was born on November 20, 1948 in Reddies River, North Carolina and was the son of Georgia Woodie (Combs), North Wilkesboro NC and Joseph Woodie, Greensboro. He was raised by his grandmother, Lora Jane Duncan and took her name. He attended West Wilkes High School and was employed by Carolina Poultry Company prior to entering the Army. The photo below was taken at the US Army Reception Station, Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he entered the service. SP4 Duncan entered the service on 6 February 1969 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Training Brigade, Fort Bragg on 17 February 1969. He graduated from Infantry Basic Training on 14 April 1969 with his next training at Advanced Individual Training with Company D, 3rd Battalion, 1st AIT Brigade, Fort Dix, New Jersey where he graduated on 14 June 1969 with the Military Occupational Specialty of 11H - Heavy Anti-Armor Weapons Infantryman. Photo below taken some time after graduation from AIT. It is also the photo on his cemetery marker in the family plot. Upon graduation from AIT, he was placed on orders to Vietnam and took leave starting 14 June 1969 while en route to the Pacific theatre of operations. Upon arrival (21 July 1969), he was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavarly Division as an infantryman (11B). Records show on 14 and 15 February 1970, thirteen US soldiers died in an engagement in the vicinity of 4 kilometers Northwest of Bau Tam Ung (13 Km North-Northwest of Nui Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh Province. They were: C Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry (14 February 1970) SP4 Wayne Dabney Mc Ray, Charlottesville, VA M Company, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry (14 February 1970) SP5 Samuel Joseph Jorgensen (Bronze Star (Heroism)), Pukwana, South Dakota SFC Clarence C. Young, Columbia, South Carolina B Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry (15 February 1970) SP4 Mark Roland Horner, Watertown, South Dakota PVT Charles Earl Melton, Clarksdale, Mississippi C Co, 2nd Bn, 8th Cavalry (14 February 1970 - All of the men below were awarded a Silver Star for their actions) SGT William Louis Cline, Decatur, Georgia CPL Jerrold Bernell Day, Salt Lake City, Utah SP4 Joseph Willie Duncan, Millers Creek, North Carolina SGT Harold Philip Fesperman, Albemarle, North Carolina 1LT Gregory Carlylle Schoper, Greenwood, South Carolina PFC Ferdinand J. Sochurek, Baltimore, Maryland CPL Earl Carl E. Tidwell, Arlington, Texas CPL James Hardy Wilbanks, Grand Saline, Texas Read about the St. Valentine Day's Massacre - So named by C Company, 2nd Battalion of the 8th Cavalry Regiment Surviving were his 'mother', Lora Jane Duncan of Route 1, Millers Creek; two sisters, Mrs Thomas Crainor of Wilkesboro and Mrs Rudd Dancy of Route 1, Millers Creek; and three brothers, J.N.Woodie of Greensboro, Earl J. and James Duncan of Millers Creek. Sp4 Duncan was engaged to be married to Miss Mary Elizabeth Minton of North Wilkesboro with the wedding date set for July 20th, 1970 when he was due to return home from Vietnam. SP4 Duncan is buried in the Bullis Baptist Church Cemetery, Millers Creek, North Carolina. -- The Virtual Wall

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