Clarence Crawford Newsom

Colonel (Ret) Clarence C Newsom, 93, beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away Saturday, July 20, 2013 in Arlington Memorial Hospital in Arlington, Texas. Colonel Newsom was a long time resident of Enterprise before moving to Texas. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Friday, July 26, 2013 at Searcy Funeral Home and Crematory Chapel with Rev. Perry Vickers officiating. Burial will follow in Meadow Lawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 1:00 P.M. until service time on Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: Building Fund of Hillcrest Baptist Church, 500 Alberta Street, Enterprise, AL 36331. Colonel Newsom was born in Coffee Springs, May 23, 1920. After High School he joined the Army. He commanded a Battery of the 155th Field Arty Bn in combat in the ETO during World War II., 36th Infantry Division after graduation from officer Candidate School. The Division under went beach assault training until April 1943 and landed in North Africa later that month. They then participated in the assault on the beaches of Salerno Bay, Italy and the defense of Anzio and breakout of Rome, as well as service in France, Germany and Austria before the end of World War II. During the war he served with the division as a Battalion Motor Officer, Communications Officer, Arial Observer, Commander of two different artillery batteries and Liaison Officer to a Mountain Field Artillery Battery of the 82nd Airborne Division. After the war he returned to the Alabama National Guard where he commanded a firing battery and served as Battalion Assistant S-3. In 1951 the Division was called to active duty for two years, moved to Camp Atterbury, Ind. and designated a training division. Upon return to state status, Col. Newsom served as Battalion S-3, Battalion Commander. He later served as DivArty Commander, G-2 Alabama State Military Department and culminated his career as commander of the 226th Field Depot, Mobile. He was an instructor at the Instructor Training course and the Education Advisor to the Army Aviation School at Fort Rucker. Col. Newsom is a graduate of Troy University and held a master's Degree from Auburn University. Col. Newsom was recently inducted into the 2012 Field Artillery Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with V Device, American Defense Service Medal with 6 Bronze Stars, Distinguished Unit Badge and the Air Medal. He was recalled to active duty with the 31st Division in 1951 to 1953. Colonel Newsom is preceded in death by his wife, Agnes Wilson Newsom, parents, Wallace Albert and Essie Mae Newsom, and brothers, Marcus and Albert Newsom. Survivors include daughter, Judy Chaplin, husband Bob; grandchildren, Michelle Dickinson and husband Bryant; Paul Chaplin and wife Kerry; great granddaughters, Lauren Thomason and Kylie Chaplin; sisters, Frances Rulli, Winter Haven, FL; Virginia Farkas, Coffee Springs, AL; Laura Lolley, Enterprise, AL; Arlene Jones (Julius), Coffee Springs, AL; sisters- in-law Lynell Harrison (Charles) Alabasta, AL;Wanza Peacock (Gerald) New Brockton, AL; and many nieces and nephews.