- Staff Sergeant William "Sonny" Ellisworth Mottern, Service Number 34921298, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Army. Taken Prisoner by the German Army 19 December 1944 in France during the Rhineland Unit Campaign, held at Stalag 13-C, Hammelburg, Germany.
The following was partially taken and edited from the Johnson City Press dated 4 October 2007.
William “Sonny” Mottern was born June 24, 1920, and married his high school sweetheart: Eulah “Sweetie” Shepherd on October 17, 1941. From December 1943 through December 1945. Sonny served on active duty with the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Army in Italy and France, where he received a battle field promotion to S/Sgt. He was captured December 19, 1944, near the Rhine River in France and was held in four German prison camps, being moved by box car and forced marches. He was liberated on April 29, 1945, by General George S. Patton.
Sonny was discharged December 7, 1945, his awards included a Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four stars, the American World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantry's Badge, Honorable Service Medal and the POW Medal. He was called again to serve his county as Chairman for the Carter County Draft Board during the Vietnam Conflict.
On Apnl 19, 1996, he was named by the Governor of Tennessee as a Colonel, Aide-De-Camp for Valor and Dedication in the Performance of his duties in service to the Ex-POWs and all Veterans of the state of Tennessee. He also served on the Military and Veterans Advisory Board for Tennessee.
Sonny was elected and installed as National Commander of the American Ex-Prisoners of War (Ex-POW) on September 21, 1996, at the 49th National Convention in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1997- 1998, he served as the National Senior Director of the Board and he was appointed President of the American Ex-POW Service Foundation and filed a 501 (C) (3) application with the Internal Revenue Service which was approved November 24, 1998, for donor's deductibility of federal income taxes to the American Ex-POW Organization.
April 19, 1997, he was appointed by the Governor of Tennessee as Tennessee’s Ambassador of Goodwill. He was a National Service Organization Representative for the Department of Veteran Affairs. He was currently serving as Treasurer of the Military Ex-POW Foundation.
Sonny's community involvement and leadership also included: Elder in the Brick Christian Church, member of the Chamber of Commerce, past Master of the Masonic Lodge, Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Purple Heart Association, the American Legion and the American Ex-POWs. He was a previous owner of the Dixie Battery Company in Elizabethton and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Watauga Volunteer Fire Department.
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1920 - 2007 (87 years)
