David A. Butler.. A Farmer At Heart....

David & Martha1946, David,Mac,Ed,John Mike,Todd,Melanie,Steve,Lydia,Tim,Susan,Jeff

David Augustus Butler was born December 7, 1925. He was the youngest child of Tom & Lydia Butler. They lived on the farm on Brushy Fork Road(now Old Loganville Road) that Lydia had received from her uncle, Taylor Braswell. David attended and graduated from Grayson High School in Grayson Georgia. He stayed two years in the senior class so he could play basketball an extra year. Enlisting in the Army when he was 18, he was afraid the war was going to be over before he was old enough to go. He was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division and trained in Chemical Warfare. While stationed at Camp Sibert Alabama he attended glider and paratrooper school. The 11th Airborne was sent to the Phillipines waiting for the invasion of Japan. In the Phillipines he contracted malaria. His outfit was on the ocean 30 days on the way to the Phillipines. They had to stop for periods of time in order not to be detected by the Japanese Navy. On the way the ship ran out of food and drinking water. They saved the peelings from oranges and ate them when they got hungry. Some of the guys had hoarded a few cokes and were selling them for a $1.00. When the ship stopped, it rolled so bad everyone got sick and the latrines were several inches deep with vomit. Guys were on deck sitting just throwing up in their helmets. When they finally reached the Phillipines, Japanese snipers were still a problem. The dead were stacked like cord wood everywhere. Tanks had run over people and they were mashed flat in the streets. While waiting for the invasion, President Harry Truman ordered the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrendered and David along with others were flown in to Sendai Japan to prepare barracks for the occupation. The Japanese people were starving. Not a cat or dog was to be found because they were all eaten. Little children followed the troops around and waited for left overs that would be given to them. David along with others who were over six feet tall were picked to go to police stations in the area and take up all weapons turned in by the population. The Japanese brought in antique swords and muskets along with modern arms. As troops passed in the streets the people bowed to them backwards as they did to the Emperor Hirohito.
While David was in Japan Mama Butler wrote that his brother Ed had the same APO number so David got a 3 day pass to go and find him. He borrowed a jeep and on the last day of his pass he located Ed who was a Captain and in charge of an all black battalion. As David entered Ed's tent, Ed looked up and without hesitation jumped over his desk to reach David. He was in Japan from early 1945 to Mother's Day,1946.
David married Martha Alice Garner on May 30,1947. They moved to Athens , Ga in January,1948 where David enrolled in The University of Georgia on the GI Bill. He graduated with a degree in Agriculture in August, 1950. They lived on the farm in Loganville until the twins were born in 1953. Then they moved to Columbia S.C. and later Atlanta, Ga. They purchased the family farm from David's parents and moved there in 1960, until they sold it in 1973. They had the following children:

Lydia Lucille m8/14/71 Allan Darrel Anderson c Jennifer Ann , m Robert Blade Cody 12/06/08, Jonathan Allan m 9/21/01 Amanda Buckhault c Evan & Ava , daughter- Jessica Sue
Stephen David m Connie Carter c Stephen Carter
Michael Thomas
Timothy Richard m Marsha c Ben m Heather c , Heathe, MarthaWhitley,William,Caroline
Jeffery Garner m 4/4/81 Candee Elrod c David Garner , Joseph Patrick , Mary Candee m/d Dusty Bramlett c Sarah Grace
Martha Susan m Charles Samuel Eavenson(of Elbert Co Ga.) c Samuel Clayton(Clay) m 10/16/99 Elizabeth Paige McQueen(Paige)( of Tampa Fla) c Brandon Cade , Elizabeth Claire , Stephanie Leigh m 10/2/01 Dudley Jackson HigginsIII c Anya Grace(Adopted from Russia) Faith Abigail , Caleb Jackson Daughter Corrie Elizabeth(Beth)
Melanie Gay m/d Charles Bulmer, c Ansley, m/d Michael Rebstock, c Sydney, Ethan, Trevor m Becky c Charlie Elixabeth10/09,Laurie, Melanie m Randy Cooper 07
Jonathan Todd