 Benjamin H. and Anne Grant Purcell Papers
Collection DescriptionBiographical NoteBenjamin H. Purcell was born February 14, 1928, in Banks County, Georgia. He attended public schools in Habersham County and graduated from Clarkesville High School in 1945. During 1946, Purcell served ten months in the United States Navy. In 1947, Purcell returned to Georgia and enrolled in North Georgia College (now the University of North Georgia), earning a Bachelor of Science in Physics in 1950 and an Army commission through the college's ROTC program. Anne Grant Purcell was born in Habersham County, Georgia, and attended public school in Baldwin, Georgia. Mrs. Purcell entered North Georgia College in 1949 and met Ben shortly after. They were married in 1951. Together the Purcells had five children – David, Debbie, Clifford, Sherria and Joy. Col. Purcell saw active combat in Korea (1951-1952). After the war, he served at Fort Benning, Georgia, at Fort McClellan, Alabama, in Europe, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and as the Professor of Military Science at Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri. Having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he was assigned to the Republic of Vietnam in August 1967. On February 8, 1968, the helicopter on which Col. Purcell was a passenger was shot down and he was captured by the Viet Cong. He spent 62 months as a POW, most of that time in solitary confinement, escaping and being recaptured twice. When Mrs. Purcell learned that Col. Purcell was captured, she communicated frequently with the Department of the Army and joined with other families of captured soldiers, notably with the Citizens Assistance Program, to push for their release. With the founding of the National League of Families of Prisoners of War and Men Missing in Action in Southeast Asia in 1970, Mrs. Purcell served as coordinator of the organization in Columbus, Georgia. In 1971, she was selected as the Fort Benning Military Wife of the Year for her service to the cause of POWs and those missing in action. In March 1973, Col. Purcell was released from the POW camp as the senior Army officer detainee. He spoke frequently about his POW experience to a variety of audiences and was interviewed by journalists, researchers and historians, and appeared on television programs. In 1992, the Purcells published Love and Duty, which chronicles Col. Purcell's captivity and Mrs. Purcell's efforts to obtain his release. After his return to the United States, Col. Purcell remained on active duty until 1980 when he retired from his post as a military science professor in the North Georgia College Army ROTC program. For his service and dedication, Col. Purcell was awarded the Purple Heart, the Silver Star (2), the Bronze Star (2), and the Legion of Merit (2). Following Col. Purcell's retirement, the Purcells moved to Clarkesville, Georgia, where they owned and operated a Christmas tree farm. Mrs. Purcell became active in many church, civic and community projects and organizations, including Volunteers of Sharing and Caring, Habersham County Christian Learning Center, and Habit for Humanity in Habersham and White Counties. She also worked as a teacher's assistant in the Clarkesville Elementary School (1986-1990). Col. Purcell represented State District 9, which incorporated the area around Dahlonega and Dawsonville, in the Georgia House of Representatives (1993-1997). He was active in civic and religious organizations and also served on the Habersham County Democratic Committee and as the chair and member of the Georgia Veterans Service Board. Col. Purcell died on April 2, 2013, in Clarkesville. Scope and ContentThe Benjamin H. and Anne Grant Purcell Papers chiefly document Mrs. Purcell's efforts to earn the release of Col. Purcell following his capture by the Viet Cong in 1968 and his subsequent detention as a prisoner of war until 1973. The papers also document the Purcells' work to share their experiences through public appearances, the media, and their book, Love and Duty, as well as Col. Purcell's tenure as a Georgia State Representative, his involvement with the Habersham County Democratic Party, and his work on behalf of veterans of the Vietnam War. The papers include correspondence, speeches and remarks, book manuscripts and promotional material, campaign and political files, clippings, posters, and photographs. Organization and ArrangementThe papers are arranged in four series: I. POW and Veterans Work, II. Georgia House of Representatives, III. Georgia Veterans Services Board, and IV. Political and Personal. Administrative InformationConditions Governing AccessThis collection is open for research. Preferred citationBenjamin H. and Anne Grant Purcell Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641. Conditions Governing UseLibrary acts as "fair use" reproduction agent. Copyright InformationBefore material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permissions. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original. Finding Aid PublicationFinding Aid prepared by Mat Darby, 2016. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this Repository
Christopher Fleming Collection of Jon Nielsen Visual Materials Reflections on Georgia Politics Oral History Collection, ROGP 079 Max Cleland Related Collections in Other RepositoriesThe Vietnam Center and Archive, Texas Tech University | ||||||||||||||||||||||