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Master Sergeant John Terrell Kesler

A young man in a Marine Corps uniform.
  • Unit: Mortar Company, Fourth Marines, Third Marine Division
  • Date of Birth: November 25, 1920
  • Entered the Military: December 2, 1938
  • Date of Death: April 18, 1988
  • Hometown: Toccoa, Georgia
  • Place of Death: Lithia Springs, Georgia
  • Award(s): National Defense Medal, American Defense Medal, Korean Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, UN Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal
  • Cemetery: Section S, site 33-A, . Marietta National Cemetery, Marietta, Georgia.
Contributed by Jack Ellner, Mason Gregory, David Halsey, Dominic Hantula, Rory Lee
Mentored by Mrs. Mindy Lawrence
Pace Academy
2025/2026

Early Life

John Terrell Kesler was born on November 25, 1920, to John Conrad Kesler and Sallie Pruitt Kesler. He grew up on his family’s farm in Toccoa, a town in rural north Georgia. 

Agriculture and Social Life in Toccoa

Toccoa was a very quiet, closed-night, and hardworking city. Families in Toccoa lived rather modestly in small houses, without air conditioning or household appliances such as laundry machines. For a farmhand, labor started at sunrise and did not end until sunset. 

Crop cycles were the main determinant of how long and what type of work the farmhands would do. However, farming was not the primary job in the town. The town was known for its textile mills. Work at the textile mills was long and low-paying, but unlike farmers, the pay was stable. 

Education and Enlistment

In Toccoa, schools were segregated under Jim Crow, and many teens left school early to go to work. Fishing and baseball were central parts of free time, and religion was also very important for social life. Toccoa had a strong Christian community anchored by the Toccoa Falls Bible Institute, a seminary. 

Kesler attended public school until freshman year of high school, then began working full-time at his family’s farm. However, his path suddenly changed after his eighteenth birthday, when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in Macon, Georgia, on December 2, 1938.

Homefront

Toccoa’s Industrial Contribution
Toccoa, a quiet North Georgia town during World War II, contributed to the war effort in several significant ways. The LeTourneau factory converted to producing wartime machinery, such as vehicles and construction equipment.

Before World War II, the factory produced earth-moving equipment, including bulldozers and excavators. The factory shifted from making farm equipment to producing bulldozers capable of clearing land for airstrips and roads. The factory provided 2,000 jobs for Georgians, including many for women.

Training the Paratroopers

The military constructed Camp Toccoa to train the paratroopers. Since recruiters traveled from across the country to learn paratrooping before deployment, the town’s population shifted.

Local residents in Toccoa supported the war effort by working in the LeTourneau factory, producing various dirt-moving machines, used in wartime construction and fortifications, 1943. Wolf Creek Paper Antiques.
During World War II, the U.S. military constructed Camp Toccoa to be a training ground for paratroopers. Recruits from across the country traveled there to learn parachuting before deployment, September 1942. Wikimedia Commons.

Military Experience

World War II Service

Kesler completed basic training in Dumfries, Virginia, in 1938, then transferred to Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. In January 1940, while serving with the 5th Marines, 1st Battalion, Company C, he participated in exercises in Puerto Rico. 

During World War II, Kesler’s service was mainly focused on defense and logistics. Though he stayed in the U.S. at the start of World War II, he served in Panama near the end of the war, protecting ships crossing through the Panama Canal. 

In January 1949, he sailed to Hawaii and then on to Guam, participating in airlift exercises over San Nicholas Island in October.

Korean War Combat

A few months later, on July 14, 1950, Kesler boarded the USS Henrico and sailed to Pusan, Korea, landing on August 2, 1950. His unit was deployed to defend the city of Busan in Korea, where he served as a squad leader. On August 18, 1950, near the Naktong River, he received a shrapnel wound to his right shoulder, which ended his deployment early; however, it did not end his military career.

Technical Ability, Conduct, and Leadership

Mr. Kesler performed many different jobs within the Marines. He was an engineer, firefighter, military policeman, and artillery coordinator. He served as a Shore Fire Control Party Chief, directing naval gunfire support for ground units. 

His excellent conduct scores earned him several promotions, culminating in his advancement to master sergeant. The rank is the highest rank a non-commissioned officer can attain in the Marines. He requested a deactivation to reserve status in 1958, ending a remarkable 20 years of active service.

The main gate at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, c. 1950s. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
The enlisted men’s barracks at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, c. 1940-1960. East Carolina Manuscript Collection (0318-s6-b2-fa-i82).
Record details Kesler’s participation in exercises in Puerto Rico in January 1940. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.
This photograph of Kesler was taken on January 3, 1956, at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. He was 36 at the time, and had served 18 years—exactly half his life. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.
Record of Kesler’s participation in training exercises in the Mariana Islands in 1949. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Veteran Experience

Becoming a Surveyor

After Kesler’s 20-year military service, he spent the rest of his professional career as a surveyor of land. He moved back to Georgia, residing in Lithia Springs for the rest of his life. Surveyors make precise measurements to determine property boundaries and ensure infrastructure is safe. 

Family Life and Retirement

Kesler was married twice, first to Lillian Kesler, whom he later divorced. In 1950 they are living at Camp Pendleton with a 14-year-old child, Edward. John eventually remarried to Lois Kinnemer, and they had two children together, Terry and Richard Warren.

His life was quiet after he retired from the Marine Corps. He enjoyed baseball, fished, and hunted during the time he had when he was not taking care of his family or working as a surveyor.

Kesler’s final DD-214 form, detailing his last enlistment in the Marine Corps, October 22, 1957. 
participation in training exercises in the Mariana Islands in 1949. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration.

Commemoration

John Kesler died on April 18, 1988, and was buried in Marietta National Cemetery in Marietta, Georgia. His grave is located in section S, site 33-A. While he did not have any memorials, he left a quieter legacy on his community. His wife, Lois Inez Kennemer Kesler, died in 1996 and is buried with him.

While Mr. Kesler served our country abroad in Panama, Korea, and the Mariana Islands, he also served his community at home through his work and family. His contributions locally, nationally, and globally will not be forgotten.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

California. San Diego. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

“Departs to join husband in Toccoa, Georgia.” The Wilmington Daily Press Journal [Wilmington, CA], October 16, 1942. Newspapers.com (358980103).

Georgia. Chattooga County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com.

Georgia. Franklin County. 1930 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com.

Georgia. Hart County. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com.

Georgia. Stephens County. 1920 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com.

Georgia. Walker County. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com.

Georgia. Washington Banks County. 1900 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com.

“Georgian, Once Havre Resident, Visits City.” Havre Daily News [Havre, MT], June 17, 1948. Newspapers.com (957874307).

John H. Kesler. Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

John H. Kesler. Report of Separation, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

“LeTourneau Sales For ’44 Hit Record, But Earnings Fall.” The Jackson Herald [Jefferson, GA], April 5, 1945. https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn89053140/1945-04-05/ed-1/seq-2/.

“Miss Jackson to Wed.” The Perry County Times [New Bloomfield, PA], June 4, 1959. Newspapers.com (97061635).

“On the Home Front.” Santa Rosa Republican [Santa Rosa, CA], February 12, 1943. Newspapers.com (609442924).

“Orlando Loftsgard With Paratroopers.” Postville Herald [Postville, IA], December 9, 1942. Newspapers.com (2291871).

“Robert G. LeTourneau, Businessman Evangelist, Will Deliver Four Talks Here March 22-23.” Leader-Telegram [Eau-Claire WI], March 9, 1941. Newspapers.com (268744127).

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Virginia. Franklin County. 1900 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com.

Virginia. Prince Williams County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital Images. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com.

Secondary Sources

“About Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.” U.S. Marine Corps. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.pendleton.marines.mil/About/#tab/history.

“About Toccoa.” The Chamber: Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce. Last modified 2019. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://www.toccoagachamber.com/about-toccoa.

Gordon, Burton. “Panama – World War II and Mid-Century Intrigues.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified January 6, 2026. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/place/Panama/World-War-II-and-mid-century-intrigues.

Hatfield, Edward A. “World War II in Georgia.” New Georgia Encyclopedia. Last modified July 15, 2020. Accessed March 18, 2026. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/world-war-ii-in-georgia/.

“History.” 4th Marine Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.3rdmardiv.marines.mil/Units/4th-Marine-Regiment/History/.

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“The History of Lithia Springs.” All-In Tree Service & Pros. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://allintreeservicesandpro.com/the-history-of-lithia-springs-ga/.

“John T. Kesler.” Find a Grave. Updated February 25, 2000. Accessed March 18, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/872084/john-t-kesler.

“John T. Kesler.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed March 18, 2026. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/JOHNTKESLER/CD0700E. 

Lindler, Loren. “The art of canning: A rural Georgia staple.” Georgia’s Rural Center: A Branch of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Updated January 11, 2021. Accessed November 12. https://www.ruralga.org/post/the-art-of-canning-a-rural-georgia-staple.

“Lois Inez Kennemer Kesler.” Find a Grave. Updated February 25, 2000. Accessed March 18, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/872089/lois_inez-kesler. 

“The Toccoa Falls Story.” Toccoa Falls College. Accessed November 13, 2025. https://tfc.edu/about/history/.

“Toccoa.” Explore Georgia. Accessed November 11, 2025.https://exploregeorgia.org/city/toccoa.

Zainaldin, Jamil. “Camp Toccoa and the histories that give us a sense of place.”Saporta Report [Atlanta, GA], December 4, 2017.https://saportareport.com/camp-toccoa-histories-give-us-sense-place/main-slider/nge/.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.