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Blue Jay, West Virginia facts for kids

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Blue Jay, West Virginia
Blue Jay, West Virginia is located in West Virginia
Blue Jay, West Virginia
Blue Jay, West Virginia
Location in West Virginia
Blue Jay, West Virginia is located in the United States
Blue Jay, West Virginia
Blue Jay, West Virginia
Location in the United States
Country United States
State West Virginia
County Raleigh
Elevation
2,303 ft (702 m)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
25816
Area codes 304 & 681
GNIS feature ID 1553930

Blue Jay is a small place in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. It is known as an unincorporated community. This means it's a settled area that doesn't have its own local government like a city or town does.

Where is Blue Jay?

Blue Jay is located in the southeastern part of West Virginia. It is southeast of a larger city called Beckley. The area is part of the Appalachian Mountains, which are famous for their natural beauty and history.

Blue Jay's Coal Mining History

For many years, Blue Jay was an important place for coal mining. Coal is a type of rock that can be burned for energy. Mines in Blue Jay produced a lot of coal, totaling over 1.5 million tons. This industry was a big part of the community's life and economy.

Famous People from Blue Jay

Basil L. Plumley

One notable person from Blue Jay was Basil L. Plumley (1920–2012). He was a brave soldier in the United States Army. Plumley was famous for his service in several wars, including World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

He was especially known for his role in the Battle of Ia Drang during the Vietnam War. This battle was later shown in the movie We Were Soldiers. In the film, a famous actor named Sam Elliott played the part of Basil L. Plumley.

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