Pvt James Touchstone

Our Hometown Heroes

James Touchstone

Many Griffin Connections

The Touchstones have been leaders in the Griffin-Spalding County Community for years. It started when James Touchstone joined the U.S. Army to fight for his country. Touchstone was born on July 27, 1895. He was a farm laborer in Pomona when he joined the military at age 23. He would head to Ft. Wheeler, Georgia for training.

Touchstone would serve in the U.S Army only three months before pneumonia claimedhisyoung life on October 26, 1918. James’ mother, Mrs. J. Touchstone, who lived with the family in Pomona, would be notified of his death. Touchstone, whose name was left off the World War 1, monument in Memorial Park is part of a group of a dozen black soldiers who were forgotten, until now.

This changed during the Memorial Day weekend, May 29-30, 2016 as Touchstone and other, “Lost and Forgotten,” World War I soldiers were honored with individual plaques and their names on the Veterans Memorial Park “Doughboy” statue. Thanks to efforts of Griffin Archivist Cynthia Barton, the Veterans Military Affairs and Honor our KIA committees, Touchstone is now remembered as one of Griffin-Spalding’s Hometown Heroes.

An individual plaque honoring James Touchstone will be installed in Griffin’s Historic District sponsored by Jimmy Fortune and the attorneys at the Beck, Owen and Murray law firm in Griffin.