Newspaper Page Text
August 17, 2022
Page 7C
Reporter
Meet Sam Studstill of Smarr,
one of county’s last WW2 vets
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
One of Monroe County’s
last remaining World War II
veterans, Sam Studstill, re
flected on nearly 10 decades
of life as he celebrated his
97th birthday last month.
Studstill, who lives in
Smarr, is thought to be one
of just seven World War II
veterans living in Monroe
County The others are
William H. Chambless, Billy
Harris, John Hurst, Henry
Self, Marvin Yeoman and
Johnny Wilkes.
Studstill was born in July
1925 and grew up on his
family’s small farm in Telfair
County, which didn’t have
electricity. He had two older
sisters and was the baby of
the family.
“I was spoiled rotten,”
laughs Studstill. “I realize it
now’’
His family had been
Scottish Highlanders before
moving to America, and
had played a proud role
in the Revolutionary War.
One ancestor guarded the
Boston Harbor, and another
was elected to the Conti
nental Congress. He notes
that his Highlander ances
tors are thought to be the
only people on earth never
to have been conquered.
After the Studstills got
to South Georgia near
Jacksonville, Ga. in Tel
fair County, his ancestors
wound up owning some
slaves. After the Civil War,
some of the slaves went with
General Sherman to free
dom. Others stayed nearby.
In fact Studstill grew up
next door to a black family
of Studstills, whose ances
tors had been owned by
his own ancestors. Studstill
recalls that his grandfather
left 200 acres in his will to
his freed slaves, which their
descendants still occupy
today.
Studstill turned 18 in 1943
as World War 2 raged. He
considered going to work
for an uncle who had a large
farm in Telfair County to
avoid military service. But
his brother in law went to
work for the uncle, and
advised Studstill against it.
“He wasn’t a good one to
work for,” laughed Studstill.
So instead he was drafted
into one of only two all-
drafted units in the Army,
the 88th.
Studstill was deployed
to Italy where he helped
push Hitler and the other
members of the Axis out
of the country. In 2009, for
the first time in 65 years,
he returned to Italy and
the place where he and his
division, the 88th Infantry,
fought its toughest battle
during WWII. The locals
held a memorial service on
Monte Battaglia, the site
of the battle. Ironically, the
name translates in English
as “battle mountain”. “Never
in my lifetime, including
returning from the war in
1945, have I seen such ap
preciation for service to our
country” said Studstill of his
visit to Italy.
The Army offered to make
Studstill an officer if he
would stay after the war. But
Studstill declined and began
his civilian career in Macon.
He got married and has a
son and daughter.
The son, David Studstill,
went to New York City
where he founded Art
System, a very successful
company that provides
computer services to art
studios. His daughter Susan
lives in Smarr. Studstills
wife passed away about nine
years ago.
Studstill had a thriving
electrical business until the
late 1970s when President
Carter was elected. “Brother
Jimmy ruined the electrical
business,” noted Studstill, as
inflation and high interest
rates killed construction.
He lived at Lake Wildwood
in Macon at the time and
said they had no nearby
store. So he began building
a convenience store a friend
was going to rim. But then
the friend died and Studstill
decided just to close his
electrical business entirely
and rim the convenience
store.
Today you might still
catch Studstill having lunch
at The Pickled Okra for
visiting his “female friend”
at Circle of Care. If you do,
buy him lunch and thank
him for serving our country
75 years ago.
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or e-mail her at ads@mymcr.net.
porter
Sam Studstill of Smarr
served in WW2 and marked
his 97th birthday last
month.
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NOTICE
Pursuant to the requirements of Sections
303.7 and 303.44 of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation Regulations, notice
is hereby given that Bank of Dudley,
headquartered at 1448 2nd Street,
Dudley, Laurens County, Georgia 31022
has filed an application for approval to
establish a branch office. The proposed
branch office will operate at 48 North
Jackson Street, Forsyth, Monroe County,
Georgia 31029.
Any person wishing to comment on this
application may file his or her comments
in writing with the Regional Director of the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation at
its regional office located at 10 Tenth
Street, NE, Suite 800, Atlanta, Georgia
30309-3906, not later than 15 days after
the date of this publication. The nonconfi-
dential portions of the application are on
file in the regional office and are available
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