Pvt James Phillips

Our Hometown Heroes

James Phillips

Within a Month Spanish Flu Claimed Another Soldier

James Phillips was born in Griffin on December 6, 1894. He and his wife, Queen, lived in Macon. You see it was closer to where Phillips would be inducted as a private in the U.S. Army. Phillips kissed his wife goodbye and reported to Camp Jackson in South Carolina. In less than a month he would be dead. The Spanish Flu plague claimed another victim on October 13, 1918.

Phillips was black and was not listed on the World War I Monument, forgotten until now.

This changed during the Memorial Day weekend, May 29-30, 2016 as Phillips 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, James Phillips is now remembered as one of Griffin-Spalding’s Hometown Heroes.

An individual plaque honoring Phillips will be installed in Griffin’s Historic District sponsored by Spalding County Commissioner Don Hawbaker and his wife Gayle.