world war two veteran – Tuscarawas County Stories

A Fatal Eviction: The 1954 Murder of Harvey Johnson

Newspaper photograph of Stewart Merryman in custody after the murder of Harvey Johnson, November 1954. (Source: newspapers.com)

Kicked out of his apartment, a Dennison man took his rage out on the World War Two veteran who evicted him. Content warning: This post contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Click hereContinue reading “A Fatal Eviction: The 1954 Murder of Harvey Johnson”

A Veteran’s Final Battle: The Murder of George LeMasters

The Milner Hotel on Cherry Avenue SE in Canton, Ohio depicted on the 1950 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. (Source: loc.gov)

New Philadelphia WWII veteran George Jasper LeMasters was tragically murdered during a robbery at a Canton hotel. George Jasper LeMasters (1906–1950), known to many as “Jap,” was born in Union Township, Tuscarawas County. His early life was marked by tragedy when his father, Ernest LeMasters (1877–1918), was killed in a mine accident when George wasContinue reading “A Veteran’s Final Battle: The Murder of George LeMasters”

“Unsolved”: The 1946 Killing of Woodrow Coker

Postcard of Newcomerstown, Ohio c. 1930. (Source: ebay.com)

A star athlete and World War Two soldier survived the battlefields of the Pacific only to meet a tragic fate in the comfort of his hometown. On the night of March 20, 1946, Woodrow “Buster” Coker (1918–1946), a decorated World War II veteran and celebrated former Newcomerstown high school athlete, walked home from his shiftContinue reading ““Unsolved”: The 1946 Killing of Woodrow Coker”