Grover Lee Griffin

Private First Class Grover Lee Griffin was killed in action on October 24, 1944 in the battle to liberate Leyte in the Philippines during World War II.  He was 24 years old.

Grover Lee Griffin was born on December 28, 1921 in Franklin County, North Carolina, the son of Morton Griffin and Helen Vick Griffin.  At the time of his Selective Service registration he was living in Henderson, North Carolina and was employed at the Harriett Cotton Mill.  He was married with two children.

PFC Griffin entered the U. S. Army on August 5, 1943 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, received training at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma and was deployed to the Pacific Theatre of War in April 1944 serving with the 184th Infantry Regiment.

On the morning of October 20, 1944, the 184th Regiment landed on the beaches near Dulag on the east coast of the island of Leyte. With the beachhead secured, they moved inland. The island provided the Japanese with an ideal defensive terrain, as Leyte is a large island covered with mountains, rain forests, and swamps. The Japanese were long accustomed to fighting in the jungle and had over three years of occupation to learn the terrain and plan defenses. Additionally, it was easy for the Japanese to reinforce their garrison on Leyte from Luzon in the north and Mindanao in the south. The Japanese 34th Army, consisting of four divisions, including the infamous 16th Division that was credited for the "Rape of Nanking" and the "Bataan Death March," was the primary opponent on Leyte. The 184th Infantry Regiment pushed through the Dulag Valley and experienced high casualties.  PFC Griffin was killed in action on October 24, 1944.

Private First-Class Grover L. Griffin is buried in the Wiley K. Gupton Family Cemetery in Franklin County, North Carolina.

 edited: 26 May 2026