Benjamin Harrison Purcell, Jr.
Colonel, U.S. Army

Benjamin Harrison Purcell, Jr. was born on 28 February 1928 in Banks County, GA, the son of Benjamin Harrison and Hattie Mozelle Oliver Purcell.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1946 and served until 1948. In 1948 he enlisted in the U.S. Army ROTC program at what is now the University of North Georgia and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in the Army. He served in the Korean War and at Fort Benning, GA. In 1967, he was sent to Vietnam. While he was in Vietnam, Purcell was captured when the helicopter in which he was a passenger was shot down on 8 February 1968. He was held as a Prisoner of War until he was released on 27 March 1973.

After Colonel Purcell retired from the Army in 1980, he served in the Georgia House of Representatives as a Democrat, representing State District #9 which includes the areas around Dawsonville and Dahlonega from 1993 to 1997. Purcell and his wife, Ann, wrote a book: Love & Duty. He also owned a Christmas tree farm in Clarksville, GA.

Colonel Purcell's Statement About His POW Years

"Upon graduating from North Georgia College, Dahlonega, Georgia in 1950, I received my commission in the United States Army and was the senior ranking Army POW released from Southeast Asia. After the helicopter on which I was a passenger was shot down southeast of Quong Tri City, South Viet Nam, I was captured by the Viet Cong and taken to North Viet Nam where I was detained for more than five years; 58 months of which were spent in solitary confinement. During that period I never received a letter or package from my home, nor did my wife, who resided in Columbus, Georgia, receive any word from me."

Medals, Awards and Badges

Silver Star Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Legion of Merit with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Bronze Star Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Prisoner of War Medal
World War II Victory Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Korean Service Medal with 3 Bronze Stars
Vietnam Service Medal with 4 Bronze Stars
United Nations Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Army Meritorious Unit Commendation
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Combat Infantryman Badge
Parachutist Badge

Death and Burial

Colonel Benjamin Harrison Purcell, Jr. died on 2 April 2013 in Clarksville, GA. He is buried at Level Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Cornelia, Habersham County, GA.