John Thomas Osborne's Story - submitted by Denise Bowlin
John Thomas Osborne was born on May 9, 1928, to Arlie Graydon Osborne and Lillie Eulalah Eller. He had seven brothers and five sisters. Four of his brothers and his father were also in the military. John married Mattie Geneva Burcham on August 6, 1955. They had six children.
In 1943, at the age of 15, John enlisted in the Army. He served during World War II, starting as a Sergeant 1st Class and later becoming a Lieutenant.
When his brother Ed was captured in Korea during the Korean War, John re-enlisted with the mission of finding him. During the peace talks in Seoul, Korea, he volunteered for a secret mission to go to the prison camp where his brother, Ed, was being held. His mission was to liberate the American prisoners because the Army feared they were going to be executed. John was involved in a firefight during this mission and was hit and wounded by two bullets, leading to his hospitalization. After the war ended, John and his brother, Ed, flew home together on the same plane.
John returned home and outlived all twelve of his brothers and sisters. He passed away on December 23, 2020, at the age of 92 and was buried at the Osborne Family Cemetery at Union United Methodist Church in Wilkesboro, NC. He was awarded a Purple Heart along with other medals.