Topics in History

World War II—Eleven Abbeville Heroes

2.  Dunice Hargrave

[No picture available.]

After the attack on Pearl Harbor that took the life of Charles Donald Frederick, the next enemy action to claim Abbeville lives was the sinking of the battleship USS Houston in the Pacific Theater.  Dunice Hargrave, a member of the US Marine Corps, was serving on board the USS Houston on March 1, 1942, when it was sunk during an enemy engagement with the Japanese off the coast of Java.

Dunice was declared missing in action.  It was not until the end of the war in 1945 that he and the others whose bodies were never found were declared killed in action on the day of the battle.

Dunice was the son of Molear Hargrave and Anna Menard Hargrave.  He was a first cousin to longtime Abbeville city councilman O'Neil "Parker" Hebert.  Dunice's brother, Dewey Hargrave, had a mattress factory on Maude Avenue for many years.  Neither Dunice nor Dewey left any descendants, although Dewey had an adopted child.  We were unable to find anyone who had a picture of Dunice.


 

Next:  Preston Harrington

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