by Rajanae Hopkins
John Washington King was born on 15th December 1899 in Carrsville, Virginia. His mother’s name as Matila Herron, and his father’ name was George King. His parents who were both born in Carrsville, Virginia. He was a Baptist of African American origin. He did not attain any University or College degrees.
By the time he registered for the draft in 1917, he and his widowed mother had moved to Norfolk and he worked for the Old Bay Line. He worked for City Gas Co. before joining the military and after joining he worked at Baltimore Steam Pack Co. He was enlisted in the Army on 5th July 1918 at Armory Hall as a Private-1st Class e where he received his first assignment in Company 144. He didn’t go abroad. He was discharged on 26th Dec 1918 at Camp Alexander, Virginia while he was still serving in the Private rank.
King returned home to his wife Jennie Gates. He worked for the Baltimore Steam Packet Company and appears on the census report of the Freight Boat Quantico in 1920 as a messmate. The couple had one daughter, Rosa Lee, born in 1930. King worked as a longshoreman after his daughter was born.
King died October 31, 1949 of a cerebral hemorrhage. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery.