This week, we honor a true American hero from Patrick County, Virginia—Technical Sergeant George C. Agee, Jr.—a man whose extraordinary courage and resilience in the face of grave danger define the very essence of valor. But first, we look back at the pioneer roots from which he came.
Photos courtesy of Steve Agee.
Sgt. Agee was born on May 12, 1921, to George Cleveland Agee, Sr., and Eula Gay Hylton of Stuart, Virginia. George Sr. was the son of John Tazewell Agee and Ruth Lillian Nolen, and Eula was the daughter of William James Hylton and Mary Lucinda Wood—all from the area near Smith River Church of the Brethren.
George Jr. was the oldest child, followed by a sister, Shirley May, born in 1923, and a brother, John Garland Agee, born in 1927. George Sr. supported his family by operating a dry goods store on Elamsville Road and, in October 1922, became the first postmaster of the newly established Bob White Post Office.
At just 21 years old, George Agee Jr. answered his nation’s call by enlisting in the United States Army on September 11, 1942, in Richmond, Virginia. On April 1, 1944, the Martinsville Bulletin published news that Sgt. Agee had been awarded the Air Medal for “meritorious achievement while participating in bombardment missions over enemy territory,” as announced from “somewhere in England.”
In a heartbreaking twist of fate, the very day this recognition was announced, Sgt. Agee’s B-24 Liberator bomber was shot down. Serving as the flight engineer and top turret gunner, Agee demonstrated unwavering bravery under fire. Though he and his crew usually flew on the Screamin’ Mimi, Army Air Corps records show that their aircraft that day was the Jackass Male. The crew of eleven included a photographer assigned to document key sites in France during their return from a bombing mission in Germany.
After sustaining hits from enemy fire over Germany, some crew members were forced to bail out—and tragically perished. Refusing to abandon their mission, the pilots pressed on toward their photographic objective in France. To fulfill this assignment, the plane had to descend to a lower altitude, exposing it to further enemy fire. Once again hit, the aircraft erupted in flames.
With death all around them, most of the remaining crew bailed out. Sgt. Agee’s clothes were on fire, and he had just one strap of his parachute secured when he pulled the cord. Only three men survived: Sgt. Agee, Lt. William Knowles, and Sgt. Victor Bird. Sgt. Agee and Lt. Knowles, though injured—Knowles with a serious throat wound and Agee with a badly damaged ankle—landed near one another and were quickly taken prisoner. The plane had crashed near St. Pol, France, close to Dunkirk.
In an act of sheer heroism, Agee—despite his own injuries—applied pressure to Knowles’s neck wound to save his life until help arrived. This courageous gesture speaks volumes about his character and his unwavering commitment to his fellow servicemen. Lt. Knowles, an officer, was later separated from Agee, a non-commissioned officer, and sadly died shortly after the war.
Sgt. Bird evaded capture and eventually made it back to England, but only after British troops liberated the Siracourt area in the fall of 1944. Prior to that, he was hidden by local residents for about six months.
The plane’s co-pilot, Lt. Randolph Peale of Salem, Virginia, was killed during the mission and laid to rest in Sherwood Memorial Park. Peale and Agee were the only Virginians aboard that tragic flight.
On April 15, 1944, the Danville Bee reported that Sgt. Agee was missing in action in Italy. This was factually incorrect—Sgt. Agee was never in Italy or anywhere near it.
By May 10, 1944, the War Department officially confirmed Sgt. Agee as missing in action, causing deep distress among his family and the broader community. Eventually, it was confirmed that he had been captured and was being held as a prisoner of war at the notorious Stalag XVII-B.
The extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and strength of Technical Sergeant George C. Agee, Jr. endure as a powerful testament to the valor of American soldiers during World War II. His story is one of unwavering bravery in the face of impossible odds—a legacy of honor that continues to inspire.
Next week, we will explore Sgt. Agee’s time in the German prison camp. I am deeply grateful for the contributions of Agee’s son, G. Steven Agee, in bringing this remarkable story to light.
For questions, comments, or story ideas, Beverly Woody may be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or 276-692-9626.
