Paul H. Ashley – Colonel, United States Marine Corps

From a contemporary press report:

Paul H. Ashley, 82, a retired Marine Colonel who served as an aviator and who later worked as a systems analyst for the Naval Research Laboratory, died March 26, 1999 at Mount Vernon Nursing Center, Virginia.

Colonel Ashley served 28 years in the Marines, beginning in 1936 after his graduation from King College in Bristol, Tennessee. He completed flight training at Pensacola, Florida, and was commissioned a second lieutenant.

During World War II, he participated in campaigns in Guadalcanal and Solomon Islands, and he received a Bronze Star for his service in the South Pacific.

Shortly after his military retirement in 1964, he joined the Naval Research Laboratory and worked there until the late 1980s.

Colonel Ashley, an Alexandria resident since 1966, was a native of Wallace, Virginia.

Survivors include his wife, Shirley Wansley Ashley of Alexandria; two children, Stephen Ashely of Chattanooga, and Tina Launders of Phoenix; two sisters; three brothers; and four grandchildren.

ASHLEY, PAUL H. (Age 82)

On Friday, March 26, 1999, at the Mount Vernon Nursing Center in Alexandria, VA. Survived by his beloved wife, Shirley Ashley; children, Stephen Ashley of Chattanooga, TN and Tina Launders of Phoenix, AZ.Also survived by four grandchildren, two sisters and three brothers.  raveside service and interment at Arlington National Cemetery, Monday, April 5 at 1 p.m.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard