Stone Gardens: Inclusion on tablet in Cambridge American Cemetery in England remembers Logan County soldier

PFC Harris Granville Jewell

In the historic annals of WWII, a young men like Harris Granville Jewell answered the call to defend their nation during the conflict and gave his life in service to the United States in the aftermath of the D-Day invasion.

Born around 1923 in Booneville, Jewell grew up in a time when duty and sacrifice defined a generation. He entered the U.S. Army and rose to the rank of Private First Class in the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion, a unit tasked with critical support missions that helped turn the tide of the war in Europe.

Jewell’s final mission came in mid-June 1944, just days after the historic Allied landings on Normandy’s beaches. Following the successful D-Day invasion on June 6, LST vessels such as LST-523 shuttled reinforcements, supplies, and wounded personnel between England and the French coast. On June 18, LST-523 departed Portsmouth, England, carrying approximately 195 Army personnel from the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion along with Navy medics.

The ship had already completed several successful round trips, delivering vital support to Utah Beach and the expanding Allied foothold.

Early on the morning of June 19, as LST-523 approached its destination off Utah Beach, the vessel struck a German underwater mine. The powerful explosion tore through the midsection of the ship, where most of the men were gathered, breaking the hull in two.

Within about 15 minutes, LST-523 sank in the choppy waters of the English Channel. Rough seas and strong winds hampered rescue efforts by nearby vessels, including the USS Bayfield. Of those aboard, around 94 soldiers from the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion and over 100 sailors were lost. Only a small number survived. Jewell was among those declared missing in action. His remains were never recovered.

The 300th Engineer Combat Battalion played an essential role in the Normandy campaign. These engineers cleared obstacles, built and repaired roads and bridges, and supported the rapid movement of troops and supplies inland from the beaches. Their work on follow-up missions like those aboard LST-523 helped sustain the momentum of the invasion during a critical period when German resistance and logistical challenges threatened the Allied advance.

The loss of LST-523 underscored the persistent dangers even after the initial beachhead was secured.

Jewell came from a Logan County family shaped by both hardship and rgrit. He was the son of William Cullen “Cully” Jewell and Minnie Lucille Townsend Jewell. Cully passed away in 1935 when Harris was about 12 years old. His mother later remarried in 1938 to Thomas Jefferson “Jeff” Moon, who became a supportive stepfather.

The family’s roots in Booneville and the surrounding Arkansas River Valley reflected the rural values of hard work and community that defined so many who served in the war.

Though his body was never located, Private First Class Harris Granville Jewell received proper memorialization. He is honored on the Tablets of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery in England and also commemorated through records associated with the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France.

A Find A Grave memoria (PFC Harris Granville Jewell (1923-1944) - Find a Grave Memorialf) further ensures his story endures for future generations. His service number, 38451809, and sacrifice remain part of Logan County’s proud yet somber contribution to the fight for freedom.

Eighty-two years later, stories like Jewell’s remind residents of western Arkansas of the profound cost of victory in World War II. The engineers who supported the Normandy invasion helped secure a foothold that led to the liberation of Europe, yet many, like this Booneville native, never returned home.

Their memory lives on in local histories, family remembrances, and the quiet resolve of communities that continue to honor those who gave everything on distant shores.