Carl William Cloud
Private First Class Carl William Cloud, 18, of McWhorter, Laurel County, Kentucky, died on 17 July 1955 from an electrical shock when lightning struck a tree he was seeking shelter under during a storm while at Annual Training at Camp Breckinridge. Private Edwin Clyde Miles of London was killed in the same incident. Cloud was a member of Company D, 149th Infantry Regimental Combat Team of London, Kentucky. Cloud enlisted on 31 August 1953 at the age of 17 and had only recently graduated from Hazel Green High School in Laurel County. Cloud’s military documents list his date of birth as 1936 rather than 1937 and likely enlisted under age. Cloud is buried in the Pleasant Grove cemetery in Laurel County.
2 Guardsmen Killed by Bolt
The Advocate-Messenger Danville, KY 18 JUL 1955 Page 1 Monday
CAMP BRECKINRIDGE, Ky, July 18 - Two teenage Kentucky National Guardsmen were electrocuted last night when lightning struck a tree under which they had taken shelter during a thunderstorm.
They were Pvt. Edwin C. Miles, 18, son of Mrs. Daisy J. Miles, London, Ky., and Pfc. Carl William Cloud, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Evan Cloud of McWhorter, KY., near London.
Both were members of D Company, 1st Battalion, 149th Regimental Combat Team, one of the guard units undergoing two-weeks training here.
Lt. Harry Hiott, Frankfort, Ky., public information officer for the Guard units in training here, said the two enlisted men were waiting while a companion went after rain-coats.
The soldiers names were withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Hiott said the men had been assigned to a detail in their company area when caught in the sudden downpour. They failed to respond to artificial respiration and efforts to revive them at a camp hospital.
The Kentucky National Guard units from throughout the state are undergoing two-weeks of training which ends Saturday.