The Greatest Generation (Part Four)

 (Myers - Schwein)

 For notes and background about this project, please refer to Part One of this series.

NAME: Charles Myers
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: 
DATES OF SERVICE: April 29, 1944 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Harvey Carl Neumeister 
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 5, 1924 – December 31, 1997
DATES OF SERVICE: July 1943 – at least March 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Harvey Neumeister was a student at Plainville High School when he entered the service. He trained with an anti-aircraft artillery unit at Camp Haan, California. He served with the Seventh Army and received the Combat Infantryman Badge in France.

From the 1944 Plainville High School yearbook

NAME: Joseph Nichum
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 27, 1927 – December 5, 2005
DATES OF SERVICE: June 25, 1945 – approximately September 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Louis E. Nickolin, Jr.
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 5, 1923 – August 25, 1983
DATES OF SERVICE: January 20, 1943 – May 18, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Simon Nickum
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 10, 1924 – August 8, 1987
DATES OF SERVICE: March 29, 1943 – February 22, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Simon Nickum served in the infantry in Italy and in the Rhineland Campaign. He returned to Fairfax after the war and lived here for the rest of his life.
 
NAME: Bernard Gunnar Nielsen
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 31, 1923 – May 13, 1991
DATES OF SERVICE: March 27, 1943 – February 5, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Gunnar Nielsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and came to the United States as a young child. He graduated from the Aircraft Mechanics School at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina.
 
NAME: Thomas William Nugent
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 14, 1915 – December 29, 1991
DATES OF SERVICE: March 29, 1944 – October 28, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Thomas Nugent returned to Fairfax after the war and lived here for the remainder of his life.
 
NAME: Carl William Peters 
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: July 22, 1916 – November 15, 2005
DATES OF SERVICE: October 26, 1942 – November 2, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Carl Peters’ brothers Edgar and Eugene also served in the war. He was one of the first American soldiers to enter Rome after its fall, serving as a member of a reconnaissance troop of the 85th Division. He sustained a non-battle elbow injury in August 1944.

From the Cincinnati Post, December 14, 1942

NAME: Edgar Ellis Peters 
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 30, 1917 – January 1, 1990
DATES OF SERVICE: January 23, 1942 – July 31, 1963
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Edgar Peters served in the military police. He remained in the Army following World War II and also served during the Korean War.

From the Cincinnati Post, December 14, 1942

NAME: Eugene Roy Peters 
RANK & BRANCH: Platoon Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 15, 1919 – May 28, 1994
DATES OF SERVICE: November 10, 1942 – November 8, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Eugene Peters served with the 4^th Marines and participated in the Marshall Islands campaign.

From the Cincinnati Post, December 14, 1942

NAME: Edwin Earl Pitser
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH:  February 4, 1921 - November 27, 1990
DATES OF SERVICE: March 19, 1941 – October 18, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Edwin Pitser’s brother Harold also served during the war.
 
NAME: Harold Stanley Pitser
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 19, 1918 – October 4, 1994
DATES OF SERVICE: July 1942 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Harold Pitser lived in Fairfax after the war and resided here at the time of his death.
 
NAME: Raymond Dale Platt
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Marines
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 20, 1924 – July 3, 1987
DATES OF SERVICE: February 1942 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Raymond Platt served in the South Pacific and was later stationed at Klamath Falls, Oregon. The barracks at Klamath Falls was a treatment and recuperation facility for Marines who had contracted mosquito-borne tropical illnesses. His brother Virgil also served with the Marines during World War II.
 
NAME: Virgil Holt Platt
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant, U.S. Marines
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 12, 1917 – October 9, 1982
DATES OF SERVICE: January 3, 1942 – January 10, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Virgil Platt served in the South Pacific with the First Marine Division. He participated in the Battles of Guadalcanal and Peleliu.
 
NAME: James Joseph Ramsey 
RANK & BRANCH: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 7, 1913 – May 2, 1992
DATES OF SERVICE: May 10, 1943 – December 23, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Joseph Ramsey served with an engineering battalion. After the war, Joseph returned to Fairfax and lived here for the remainder of his life. His brothers Robert and William also served in the Army during the war.

Used with the permission of Ancestry.com user William Ramsey

NAME: Robert Leroy Ramsey 
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH:  September 23, 1924 - November 13, 1989
DATES OF SERVICE: January 27, 1943 – March 19, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Robert Ramsey was assigned to the Medical Corps and served in Europe.

Used with the permission of Ancestry.com user William Ramsey

NAME: William Louis Ramsey, Jr. 
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 8, 1922 – March 10, 1985
DATES OF SERVICE: January 20, 1943 – September 28, 1943
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: William Ramsey served with the Military Police at Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky.

Used with the permission of Ancestry.com user William Ramsey

NAME: Clarence Edward Rea 
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 2, 1916 – June 4, 1979
DATES OF SERVICE: June 24, 1942 – December 19, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Clarence Rea trained at the Air Force Technical Center in South Dakota. His brothers Harry and Russell also served during the war.

From the Cincinnati Post, September 3, 1942

NAME: Harry Lee Rea 
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 19, 1921 – November 11, 2008
DATES OF SERVICE: August 10, 1942 – December 15, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

From the Cincinnati Post, September 3, 1942

NAME: Russell Clinton Rea
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: July 13, 1914 – November 25, 1980
DATES OF SERVICE: February 3, 1941 – October 22, 1941
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Anthony Joseph Roma 
RANK & BRANCH: Signalman First Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 17, 1924 – August 15, 2005
DATES OF SERVICE: June 29, 1943 – December 23, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Anthony Roma was assigned to the University of Illinois for special radio and signal training. He later served in the Asiatic-Pacific theater on LCI 659 from March 4, 1944 until October 18, 1945. LCI 659 participated in the Leyte and Lingayen Gulf landings and in the assault and occupation of Iwo Jima and Okinawa Gunto. His brother Bernard also served in the Navy during World War II.

From the Cincinnati Post, October 8, 1943

NAME: Bernard John Roma
RANK & BRANCH: Signalman Third Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: November 4, 1926 – June 13, 2012
DATES OF SERVICE: March 1945 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Bernard Roma served on PC1127 effective October 26, 1945, PC1145 effective May 1, 1946, and the USS Rochester effective July 18, 1947.
 
NAME: Norman Adson Root
RANK & BRANCH: Electrician’s Mate First Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: July 5, 1902 – May 30, 1961
DATES OF SERVICE: November 14, 1942 – September 27, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Norman Root was a 40-year-old husband and father of four children when he enlisted in the Navy Reserve. He served with the Seabees during the war and was attached to the First Marine Division. He served in Guam, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and Australia. He returned to Fairfax after the war and lived here the rest of his life. He collapsed and died after participating in a Memorial Day parade in Madisonville.
 
NAME: Carl Vernon Runyon 
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: January 20, 1919 – April 29, 2005
DATES OF SERVICE: April 1945 – May 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

NAME: Edwin Gabbard Sallee
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 11, 1919 – December 8, 1975
DATES OF SERVICE: November 29, 1943 – October 9, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: After induction, Edwin Sallee was assigned to the Tank Destroyer Replacement Training Center at North Camp Hood, Texas. He served overseas and was wounded in the line of duty. He returned to Fairfax after the war and lived here for the remainder of his life.
 
NAME: Harold Alfred Scheuer
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 4, 1925 – February 28, 2005
DATES OF SERVICE: June 29, 1943 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The son of German immigrants, Harold Scheuer served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater for 26 months. His brother Karl also served in the war.
 
NAME: Karl Heinz Scheuer
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 5, 1922 – approximately 2015
DATES OF SERVICE:  October 16, 1942 - February 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Karl Scheuer was born in Germany and he and his parents immigrated to the United States in November 1923. He was a 1941 graduate of Plainville High School.

From 1941 Plainville High School yearbook

NAME: Lawrence Matthew Schlottman, Jr.
RANK & BRANCH: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 22, 1918 – October 18, 2001
DATES OF SERVICE: January 26, 1942 – November 19, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Margaret Louise Schwein
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Women’s Army Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 6, 1924 – November 6, 1982
DATES OF SERVICE: June 16, 1944 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Margaret Schwein served with the Fourth Ferrying Group in Memphis, Tennessee. Her sister Rose also served as a WAC.
 
NAME: Rose Margaret Schwein Stanton 
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Women’s Army Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 18, 1919 – July 18, 1990
DATES OF SERVICE: February 18, 1943 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Rose Schwein was a 1937 graduate of Regina High School, a Catholic girls’ school in Norwood. After completing basic training, she was selected for special training in administration at Arkansas State Teachers College. After completing this training, she was transferred to the anti-aircraft office of the San Francisco fighter wing.

From the Cincinnati Post, September 13, 1943

The Greatest Generation (Part Three)

(Hurst - Mulvaney)

 For notes and background about this project, please refer to Part One of this series.

NAME: Woodrow Thomas Hurst
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 6, 1917 – March 10, 1988
DATES OF SERVICE: February 3, 1941 – October 16, 1944
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Woodrow Hurst was a 1936 graduate of Terrace Park High School.
 
NAME: Howard Edwin Ilhardt
RANK & BRANCH: Signalman Third Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 17, 1927 – July 9, 1997
DATES OF SERVICE: May 9, 1944 – June 12, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Howard Ilhardt served on LST-720 during the war. LST-720 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the Lingayen Gulf and Mindanao Island landings in early 1945. It later performed occupation duty in the Far East before returning to the U.S. and being decommissioned in June 1946.

From the Cincinnati Post, August 1, 1944

NAME: Philip Illie, Jr. 
RANK & BRANCH: Coxswain, U.S. Coast Guard
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 4, 1923 – June 15, 2013
DATES OF SERVICE: Approximately 1941 - 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Philip Illie was a 1941 graduate of Plainville High School, where he served as president of his junior class. In June 1945, when he was serving on a Coast Guard combat vessel in the South Pacific, Illie made a record telling about his life at sea that was played on Cincinnati radio station WCKY.

From 1941 Plainville High School yearbook

NAME: Ralph Charles Johns 
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 11, 1924 – July 5, 1995
DATES OF SERVICE: January 20, 1943 – approximately 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Ralph Johns served overseas as a motor mechanic. After his initial military service ended, Johns worked as a civilian guard at Fort Benning, Georgia. He reenlisted in June 1948 and served again until March 1950.

From the Cincinnati Post, February 7, 1944

NAME: Leland Marvin Johnson
RANK & BRANCH: First Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: November 11, 1916 – January 21, 2006
DATES OF SERVICE: March 17, 1941 – September 3, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Leland Johnson served in the infantry and was wounded in action on his 28th birthday, sustaining a fracture of the fibula after being hit by artillery shell fragments.
 
NAME: Samuel Howard Keim
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 26, 1919 – February 28, 2002
DATES OF SERVICE: August 1, 1942 – December 1, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Walter Raleigh King
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: July 1, 1923 – February 1, 1986
DATES OF SERVICE: January 27, 1943 – November 19, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Lester John Klein 
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 4, 1919 – June 8, 1986
DATES OF SERVICE: November 25, 1940 – December 31, 1966
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Lester Klein served as a military police officer and investigator and made the Army his career. 

Used with the permission of Ancestry.com user Buford78.

This photo was taken at the Klein home in Fairfax.

NAME: Leroy Louis Klettner 
RANK & BRANCH: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 9, 1918 – December 18, 2009
DATES OF SERVICE: October 29, 1941 – at least July 1944
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Leroy Klettner was a 1936 graduate of Terrace Park High School. He had attended college and was working in advertising at Procter & Gamble at the time he was drafted. He served in Africa and Europe and received the Legion of Merit from General Mark Clark (see photo).

From the Cincinnati Enquirer, July 11, 1944.

(Note: Available documentation indicates that Klettner lived in Fairfax when he entered the service. 

His mother lived in Terrace Park at the time he was decorated.)

NAME: Aaron Henry Knabe 
RANK & BRANCH: Seaman Third Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 9, 1922 – December 21, 1981
DATES OF SERVICE: April 23, 1945 – April 30, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Aaron “Hank” Knabe’s brother Earl also served.

From the Cincinnati Post, September 6, 1945

NAME: Earl Terry Knabe, Jr.
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: January 30, 1919 – September 26, 1991
DATES OF SERVICE: June 25, 1945 – December 15, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME:  James Martin Kruse 
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: January 29, 1921 – January 23, 1982
DATES OF SERVICE: October 7, 1942 – December 29, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: James Kruse was wounded in action on July 21, 1944 at the Battle of Guam. He sent his younger brother Harold a Japanese rifle, bayonet, and battle flag from the invasion of Guam when he sent his Purple Heart home.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer, February 15, 1945

NAME: John Adam Kuebler
RANK & BRANCH: Aviation Machinist’s Mate Third Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 2, 1924 – June 4, 2010
DATES OF SERVICE: March 1943 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: John Kuebler attended the school for aviation groundmen at the Navy Technical Training Center in Chicago. John’s brother Robert also served in the Navy.
 
NAME: Robert Stanley Kuebler
RANK & BRANCH: Boatswain’s Mate Third Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 16, 1925 – February 21, 2014
DATES OF SERVICE: October 4, 1945 – at least October 1947
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Vern Richard Latham
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 1, 1922 - unknown
DATES OF SERVICE: January 20, 1943 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Jesse Glenn Lockhart
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 25, 1924 - July 28, 1995
DATES OF SERVICE: November 27, 1941 – 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Jesse Lockhart served in a machine gun company in the Pacific Theater. On August 7, 1942, he landed with the First Marines Division on Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. He was wounded in action the following day. He received the Purple Heart and a President’s citation. He was discharged due to his injuries.

 

From the Cincinnati Times Star, November 1, 1942

NAME: Arthur Wellington Lovins II
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 11, 1924 – January 24, 1985
DATES OF SERVICE: January 27, 1943 – December 24, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Harry Earl Malady
RANK & BRANCH: Seaman Second Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 23, 1906 – January 4, 1969
DATES OF SERVICE: March 28, 1944 – February 3, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Harry Earl Malady was stationed at the Naval Air Technical Training Center at Norman, Oklahoma.
 
NAME: Sidney Martin Malone
RANK & BRANCH: Torpedoman’s Mate Second Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: January 10, 1925 – November 21, 2001
DATES OF SERVICE: January 21, 1942 – January 13, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Sidney Malone served on the destroyer USS Watts from May 13, 1944 until he was discharged.
 
NAME: Elmer Deforest Martin
RANK & BRANCH: Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 17, 1909 – April 1, 1982
DATES OF SERVICE: September 1, 1943 – October 24, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: After his wartime service was complete, Elmer Martin continued to serve in the Navy Reserve for at least 24 years.
 
NAME: Leslie William McDine
RANK & BRANCH: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 19, 1924 – September 30, 2016
DATES OF SERVICE: October 24, 1942 – June 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Leslie McDine served in the Army Air Forces Ground Crew at Seymour Johnson Field in North Carolina, then trained as an aerial gunner at the Flexible Gunnery School in Panama City, Florida. He later served as a B-26 engineer and gunner in the European theater, participating in over 60 combat missions. He was awarded the Air Medal and three Oak Leaf Clusters.
 
NAME: Oather Gene Meese
RANK & BRANCH: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH:  May 21, 1923 - December 24, 2017
DATES OF SERVICE: January 20, 1943 - 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Gene Meese was born and raised in Plainville and graduated from Plainville High School in 1941. After his mother died, his father remarried and the family lived in Fairfax. He served as a tail gunner on a B-17 and was shot down and taken prisoner by the Germans on April 9, 1944. He was held prisoner for 13 months. Gene was interviewed by the Cincinnati Public Library for the Veterans History Project: https://digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/digital/collection/p16998coll27/id/1717/. (Note that Gene did not state that he lived in Fairfax in his interview, but at the time of his June 1942 draft registration he listed his address on Watterson.)
 
NAME: Charles Joseph Metz
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 27, 1927 – November 16, 1980
DATES OF SERVICE: August 27, 1945 – December 25, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

NAME: Edwin Frank Meyer, Jr. 
RANK & BRANCH: Private, Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 7, 1927 – November 1, 2005
DATES OF SERVICE: June 25, 1945 – August 5, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Edwin Meyer was a 1945 graduate of Plainville High School, where he was a class officer and captain of the football team. Edwin’s brother Norbert also served during the war.

From the 1945 Plainville High School yearbook

NAME: Norbert Edwin Meyer
RANK & BRANCH: Radioman First Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: January 3, 1924 – March 4, 2009
DATES OF SERVICE: December 14, 1942 – November 28, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Norbert Meyer served on the USS Holder (DE-401) from the time it was commissioned in January 1944 until it was towed to New York less than a year later, after it came under attack by the Germans off the coast of Algeria. In August 1944 he transferred to USS Lee Fox and served there until he was discharged. Norbert was interviewed by the Cincinnati Public Library for the Veterans History Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIjxqBcxLTg
 
NAME: John Wendell Mikel 
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: January 26, 1925 – November 12, 1993
DATES OF SERVICE: March 27, 1943 – November 17, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: John Mikel was reported as missing in action on January 30, 1944 while serving as an Army Ranger in the Battle of Cisterna in Italy. In May 1944, John’s mother received a card from him and learned he was a prisoner of the Germans. He was liberated on April 13, 1945.

From the Cincinnati Post, April 3, 1944

NAME: Clyde Garr Mineer
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 14, 1918 - January 15, 1999
DATES OF SERVICE: April 29, 1944 – November 25, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Arthur Martin Molitor
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 6, 1911 – June 25, 1982
DATES OF SERVICE: November 9, 1942 – August 31, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Steve Momich
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 6, 1912 – September 22, 1976
DATES OF SERVICE: December 30, 1942 – May 27, 1943
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Edward Harry Mulvaney
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 9, 1918 – April 25, 1979
DATES OF SERVICE: November 19, 1941 – September 25, 1944
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Edward Mulvaney’s sister Lorraine and brothers Franklin and Harry also served during the war. Edward was a gunner in the Tank Corps in North Africa and then served in Italy, where he was sustained a hand injury in action in April 1944. He was the namesake of his uncle Edward Harry Mulvaney who was killed in World War I on July 22, 1918, less than two months before his birth.

Used with permission of Ancestry.com user pfm0322.

 
NAME: Franklin George Mulvaney, Jr.
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 4, 1923 – February 16, 1994
DATES OF SERVICE: January 27, 1943 – January 26, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Used with permission of Ancestry.com user pfm0322.

 

NAME: Harry Westley Mulvaney
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 27, 1926 – October 5, 2015
DATES OF SERVICE: August 1944 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Harry “Mickey” Mulvaney served on the USS Shangri-La.
 
NAME: James Thomas Mulvaney
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: July 1, 1926 – December 8, 1990
DATES OF SERVICE: September 29, 1944 – November 24, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Lorraine E. Mulvaney Vogelsang 
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant, U.S. Women’s Army Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 29, 1921 - February 8, 2022
DATES OF SERVICE: February 23, 1943 – August 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Lorraine Mulvaney was stationed at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and the Army Air Field in Lubbock, Texas, serving as a clerk and a company baker. She celebrated her 100^th birthday in 2021. 

From https://www.wpafb.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2743213/womens-army-corps-veteran-celebrates-her-100th-birthday/

The Greatest Generation (Part Two)

 (Dollenmayer - Hunt)

For notes and background about this project, please refer to Part One of this series.

NAME: Joseph Wallace Dollenmayer 
RANK & BRANCH: Seaman Second Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 23, 1926 - December 11, 2020
DATES OF SERVICE: July 1944 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

From the Cincinnati Post, December 21, 1944

NAME: Roy Frederick Donaldson 

RANK & BRANCH: Fireman Second Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 8, 1928 – May 9, 1978
DATES OF SERVICE: April 8, 1945 – February 19, 1947
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Roy Donaldson served on the USS Furse and the USS Charles P. Cecil. While aboard the Furse, he participated in the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. His older brothers Clarence and Edward served in the U.S. Army.

From the Cincinnati Times Star, August 29, 1946

NAME: Lawrence Simon Dorschug 
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 11, 1921 – October 18, 1962
DATES OF SERVICE: September 30, 1942 – August 29, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Lawrence Dorschug served in the 345^th Ordnance Depot Company.

Photo used with permission of findagrave.com user Alan

NAME: Carmen Dunigan ⭐
RANK & BRANCH: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 5, 1918 – October 1, 1943
DATES OF SERVICE: June 23, 1942 – October 1, 1943
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A native of Lee County, Kentucky, Carmen Dunigan was living in Fairfax with his sister Daisy Gilliam and her family when he joined the Army. His brother, Pryse, also served in the Army. Carmen worked as a steeplejack prior to the war. He served in Company A, 491^st Port Battalion and trained at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. Members of port battalions typically worked as stevedores, loading and unloading ships. SSgt Dunigan was serving in New Guinea when, according to his Hospital Admission Card File record, he died from a ruptured liver following a fall from a height. 

From the Cincinnati Enquirer, October 8, 1943

NAME: Pryse Dunigan 
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 18, 1920 – November 11, 2009
DATES OF SERVICE: August 10, 1942 – February 11, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Pryse Dunigan was stationed in Texas at the time of his brother Carmen’s death. He then served in the infantry in North Africa. He was wounded in action in Italy on May 12, 1944 when he was shot in the arm and thoracic wall. Corporal Dunigan received the Purple Heart, American Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal.

From the Cincinnati Post, January 21, 1944

NAME: Earl Anthony Easter
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 5, 1921 – January 12, 1996
DATES OF SERVICE: Approximately 1942 - 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Earl Easter served in the South Pacific. His brothers Paul and William also served during World War II.
 
NAME: Paul August Easter
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 15, 1923 – March 7, 2007
DATES OF SERVICE: January 20, 1943 – approximately 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Paul Easter served in Europe during the war.
 
NAME: William Joseph Easter
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 13, 1915 – June 26, 1979
DATES OF SERVICE: October 15, 1940 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: William Easter was one of the first draftees. He served in the infantry.
 
NAME: Daniel Bernardo Fieno 
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 1, 1926 – June 23, 2020
DATES OF SERVICE: August 26, 1944 – approximately 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The son of Italian immigrants, Daniel Fieno was a 1944 graduate of Plainville High School. After the war, he continued his education and later worked as a scientist for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and NASA.

From 1944 Plainville High School yearbook

NAME: Walter Franklin Fite
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 9, 1923 – September 29, 2005
DATES OF SERVICE: January 27, 1943 – February 25, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Walter Fite’s brother William and his brother-in-law David Sparks also served during the war. In 1944, Walter was serving in France.
 
NAME: William Howard Fite
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 3, 1920 – February 7, 1994
DATES OF SERVICE: July 27, 1942 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: William Fite was a graduate of Terrace Park High School. In 1944, he was stationed at Camp Haan, California.
 
NAME: Walter Negley Flammer
RANK & BRANCH:  Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 17, 1926 – December 4, 2000
DATES OF SERVICE: October 31, 1945 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Raymond Lee Frazier
RANK & BRANCH: Seaman, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 20, 1927 – January 9, 2015
DATES OF SERVICE: Approximately 1944 – Approximately 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Raymond “Fuzz” Frazier served as a signalman on the USS Scribner, a high-speed transport, in the Pacific Theater.
 
NAME: Edward Harold Fuhrman
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 16, 1924 – November 25, 2009
DATES OF SERVICE: March 27, 1943 – January 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: After being drafted, Edward Fuhrman was assigned to Fort Eustis, Virginia for anti-aircraft training. His brother William also served during the war.
 
NAME: William Henry Fuhrman
RANK & BRANCH: Technician Fifth Grade, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 16, 1920 – July 13, 1984
DATES OF SERVICE: January 26, 1942 – October 26, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Virgil Gabbard
RANK & BRANCH: Technician Fifth Grade, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 7, 1916 – December 25, 1976
DATES OF SERVICE: February 19, 1944 – May 4, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Clifford Horace Gerlaugh
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 28, 1916 – December 15, 1984
DATES OF SERVICE: March 28, 1945 – April 2, 1949
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Clifford Gerlaugh was a married father of two when he was drafted. He also served during the Korean War from September 12, 1950 to January 17, 1951.
 
NAME: William Edward Gillespie
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 22, 1923 – January 29, 1998
DATES OF SERVICE: January 20, 1943 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: William Bernard Goddard ⭐
RANK & BRANCH: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 12, 1918 – May 15, 1943
DATES OF SERVICE: February 23, 1942 – May 15, 1943
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: William Goddard was a 1936 graduate of Terrace Park High School. He was one of 18 men killed when the Army transport plane he was on became lost in fog and crashed into Gingercake Mountain, North Carolina. At the time of his death, he was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia after having previously served in Victorville, California.
 
NAME: Robert Lee Gordon
RANK & BRANCH: Technician Fifth Grade, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 17, 1909 – April 18, 1981
DATES OF SERVICE: September 16, 1943 – November 14, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Robert Gordon returned to live in Fairfax after the war.
 
NAME: Glenn Sterling Green
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 3, 1925 – March 28, 2008
DATES OF SERVICE: March 27, 1943 – October 10, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Glenn Green served in the Third Infantry Division and fought in the European theater. He was taken prisoner by the Germans and when he was released in April 1945 he was treated for malnutrition.
 
NAME: Charles Herman Grosch
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 8, 1912 - August 6, 1979
DATES OF SERVICE: July 3, 1943 – January 9, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: George Emerson Halfhill
RANK & BRANCH: Coxswain, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: November 6, 1921 – February 13, 2016
DATES OF SERVICE: July 1942 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: George Halfhill served as an armed guard on merchant ships in the Atlantic during the war.
 
NAME: Alfred Earl Harmon 
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: July 21, 1918 – December 13, 2013
DATES OF SERVICE: December 19, 1941 – at least April 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Alfred Harmon was a 1936 graduate of Terrace Park High School. He served alongside his twin brother Roger in an Air Force bombardment unit. He received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Bronze Star, American Theater Ribbon, and Good Conduct Medal. His brother Irvin also served.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer, July 12, 1944

NAME: Fred B. Harmon, Jr. 
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 16, 1926 – November 18, 2000
DATES OF SERVICE: January 25, 1944 – November 23, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Fred Harmon enlisted in the Army Air Forces Enlisted Reserve while a senior at Plainville High School. He graduated from Plainville and briefly attended The Ohio State University before joining active duty.

From 1944 Plainville High School yearbook

NAME: Irvin Frank Harmon
RANK & BRANCH: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 13, 1916 – November 10, 1999
DATES OF SERVICE: January 29, 1942 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Irvin Harmon was a 1936 graduate of Terrace Park High School. While serving, he graduated from Officers Candidate School in Miami, Florida. He served overseas during the war.

From the Cincinnati Times Star, April 5, 1944

 
NAME: Roger Clark Harmon
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: July 21, 1918 – April 18, 1998
DATES OF SERVICE: November 29, 1941 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Roger Harmon was a 1936 graduate of Terrace Park High School.

NAME: Erwin James Hazenfield, Jr. ⭐
RANK & BRANCH: Technician Fourth Grade, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 20, 1922 – February 7, 1945
DATES OF SERVICE:  October 29, 1942 - February 7, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Erwin Hazenfield was a graduate of Plainville High School. His sister Everne also served during the war. He served in 359^th Infantry Regiment, 90^th Infantry Division. He was killed in action in either Luxembourg or Germany and is buried at Luxembourg American Cemetery.

NAME: Everne G. Hazenfield Hooper
RANK & BRANCH: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Women’s Army Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: August 28, 1920 – June 24, 1983
DATES OF SERVICE: September 1, 1943 – August 15, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Everne Hazenfield was stationed at Grenier Field, New Hampshire.
 
NAME: Thomas Earl Hogue
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 27, 1917 – July 19, 2000
DATES OF SERVICE: March 20, 1943- September 24, 1943
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Edward Holtcamp, Jr.
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: January 15, 1924 – May 2, 2012
DATES OF SERVICE: January 20, 1943 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: After being drafted, Edward was assigned to the 387^th Coast Artillery Battalion at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts.
 
NAME: Elmer Vernon Horne, Jr.
RANK & BRANCH: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 29, 1923 – June 15, 2012
DATES OF SERVICE: January 20, 1943 – April 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: After being drafted, Elmer Horne was assigned to the 510^th Coast Artillery Regiment in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Although it isn’t clear where he served overseas, he returned to New York around March 30, 1946 on the USS General Squire, which was transporting troops from Europe and the Far East at that time.
 
NAME: George Edgar Huggins
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 22, 1913 – August 26, 1987
DATES OF SERVICE: February 3, 1941 – June 25, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: George Huggins served in the South Pacific.
 
NAME: Frank Hurst Hunt
RANK & BRANCH: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: April 11, 1919 – May 21, 1989
DATES OF SERVICE: February 3, 1941 – December 13, 1944
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In May 1944, Frank Hunt was wounded in action while serving with the infantry in Burma. He was shot in the low back and hip areas and also contracted malaria.

The Greatest Generation (Part One)

 (Abner - Doll)

    Over the next few weeks, in this Memorial Day month, I will be publishing information about the Fairfax residents who served in World War II. Look for posts each Sunday until the end of month.

    When I started this project in Fall 2021 to identify and honor Fairfax’s World War II veterans, I expected to find maybe 30 to 40 men who served. Instead, I identified over 150 men and women. Some Fairfax parents had two or more children who served. Several of our residents who served were immigrants or the children of immigrants, including Germans. Several married right before or during the war and divorced shortly after the war ended. Some were able to use skills from their pre-war occupations in their wartime assignments, while others received training that led them to post-war careers. As of the time I am writing this, to the best of my knowledge only one of our World War II veterans is still living. 

    A few words about how I came up with this list. My criteria for including veterans were that they resided in what is now the Village of Fairfax at the time they enlisted and that they served between September 1, 1940 and July 31, 1947. This means that people who were born and grew up in Fairfax, but moved away prior to the war aren’t included. The list also doesn’t include those who served and later moved to Fairfax, sometimes living here for decades and raising their families here. I used records like draft registration cards, census records, newspaper articles, and city directories to determine Fairfax residency, but it is still entirely possible that I have inadvertently included or omitted someone.

    I have tried to include each veteran’s full name, rank and military branch, dates of birth and death, dates of service, and a little additional information. Admittedly, this information is not complete and, especially with regard to final military rank, may not be correct. To gather this information, I used publicly available information and paid databases to which I subscribe. I found a lot of information on some veterans and very little on others. If you are interested in information about obtaining World War II veterans’ service records, please visit https://www.archives.gov/veterans.

    I included pictures of the veterans when they were available. Some were from digitized newspaper articles and are of very poor quality. I would like to thank the generous people who granted me permission to publish their photos of their military family members. 

    I consider this a work in progress and hope to update it as additional information becomes available. If you have documentation that could help me correct or supplement this information, please email it to FairfaxOhioHistory@gmail.com.

NAME: Orville Abner ⭐

RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 26, 1920 - April 1, 1943
DATES OF SERVICE: October 28, 1941 – April 1, 1943
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Orville Abner went through basic training at Camp Wheeler, Georgia. By August 1942, he was stationed in Northern Ireland. He was serving in Tunisia with the 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division when he was killed in action on April 1, 1943. He is buried at the North Africa American Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia.

From the Cincinnati Post, August 24, 1942

NAME: Stephen Burgess Anglin
RANK & BRANCH: Platoon Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 11, 1917 – March 1, 1997
DATES OF SERVICE: Approximately 1939 - 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Stephen Anglin was a 1936 graduate of Terrace Park High School and attended Wilmington College until he enlisted in the Marine Corps. In 1939, he served at the Naval Ammunition Depot at Iona Island, New York. By 1942, he was serving in the Pacific Theater. He participated in the Battle of Midway and other major engagements.

From the Cincinnati Post, March 10, 1944

NAME: Clarence Balash
RANK & BRANCH: Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1^st Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: May 15, 1911 – May 25, 2002
DATES OF SERVICE: March 9, 1942 – September 4, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Born in Hungary, Clarence Balash became a naturalized American citizen on November 25, 1935. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve in March 1942, trained at Great Lakes, Illinois, and served on the USS Monterey from July 1943 until August 1944.

NAME: Charles David Beckler
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 23, 1922 – December 22, 1985
DATES OF SERVICE: January 20, 1943 – October 4, 1943
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Stanley Joseph Blanck
RANK & BRANCH: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 24, 1924 – March 13, 1982
DATES OF SERVICE: February 24, 1943 – July 22, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Stanley Blanck served at a Ninth Air Force Marauder station in England.
 
NAME: Anna Marie Blankemeyer Hoffman
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Women’s Army Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 1, 1920 – May 7, 2016
DATES OF SERVICE: December 12, 1942 – October 12, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Anna Blankemeyer, her brothers Anthony and Bernard, and sister Margaret all served during World War II. She served stateside during the war as a cook and baker. After her service, she volunteered in a number of veterans’ organizations, including 29 years with the Veterans’ Administration. In 2002, Anna was interviewed for an oral history about her service which can be found at https://njmilitiamuseum.org/anna-hoffman.
 
NAME: Anthony Arthur Blankemeyer 
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 3, 1918 – March 12, 2001
DATES OF SERVICE: September 7, 1942 – February 21, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Anthony Blankemeyer was a 1936 graduate of Purcell High School. He served stateside during the war, including in Missouri and Clovis, New Mexico.

NAME: Bernard Joseph Blankemeyer
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: July 13, 1925 – March 14, 1995
DATES OF SERVICE: August 1943 – approximately 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Bernard Blankemeyer was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California where he served as a truck driver and welder.
 
NAME: Margaret Rose Blankemeyer Gwynn
RANK & BRANCH: Sergeant, Women’s Army Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 16, 1921 – October 19, 2004
DATES OF SERVICE:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Margaret Blankemeyer served at the Port of Embarkation in Seattle, Washington.
 
NAME: Karl William Brennecke
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 20, 1921 – March 18, 1976
DATES OF SERVICE: September 7, 1942 – November 8, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Karl William Brennecke was a 1939 graduate of Terrace Park High School.

 
NAME: Donald Edward Bronson
RANK & BRANCH: Motor Machinist’s Mate Third Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 3, 1914 – December 18, 1978
DATES OF SERVICE: Approximately January 1944 – November 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

From the Cincinnati Post, July 4, 1944

NAME: Walter David Clark
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: July 21, 1924 – May 14, 2017
DATES OF SERVICE: 1943 - 1969
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A 1942 graduate of Plainville High School, Walter Clark was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war, Clark transferred to the Air Force and served in Japan, Korea, and around the United States. In 1963, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology from Texas A & M University. He and his family moved to Massachusetts in 1965, where he monitored solar activity for the Apollo space program. After his retirement from the Air Force, he was a teacher for 23 years and volunteered with veterans.
 
NAME: Edward James Collins, Jr.
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: June 14, 1925 – July 5, 1989
DATES OF SERVICE: June 19, 1942 – December 3, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Edward James Collins served in an armored division in Europe and was wounded in action in France on July 27, 1944.
 
NAME: Howard Henshaw Collins
RANK & BRANCH: Technician Fifth Grade, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: November 17, 1910 – January 30, 1995
DATES OF SERVICE: March 3, 1942 – December 24, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Prior to the war, Howard Collins was a singer, specifically a baritone, who worked with the WPA (Works Progress Administration) Choral Unit. He won an amateur contest at WLW Radio in 1935 and performed on the radio. He sang solos, duets, and in the choir at Fairfax Presbyterian Church, even on occasion during the war. He served at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
 
NAME: Benjamin Franklin Cook, Jr.
RANK & BRANCH: Private First Class, U.S. Army Air Forces
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 11, 1924 – April 14, 1993
DATES OF SERVICE: December 23, 1942 – January 19, 1947
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Benjamin Cook served at Ferndale, California. His father was wounded in action in World War I. 

From the Cincinnati Times Star, September 27, 1943

 
NAME: Joseph Michael Cordesman
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 19, 1913 – December 11, 1985
DATES OF SERVICE: June 27, 1941 – September 29, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: As of April 1942, Joseph Cordesman was serving with the 80^th Armored Regiment, 8^th Armored Division at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
 
NAME: Gordon Stanley Cowdrey 
RANK & BRANCH: Corporal, U.S. Army Air Forces and U.S. Air Force
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 24, 1919 – March 2, 1991
DATES OF SERVICE: April 22, 1942 -
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: As of December 1942, Gordon Cowdrey was stationed at Ellington Field, Texas. He served in both World War II and the Korean War.

From the Cincinnati Post, December 14, 1942

NAME: James Daniel Croswait
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 19, 1925 – January 23, 2004
DATES OF SERVICE: March 27, 1943 – November 4, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Calvin Curnayn
RANK & BRANCH: Seaman First Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: February 23, 1911 – December 17, 1981
DATES OF SERVICE: September 1, 1943 – November 3, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Fred A. Czinege
RANK & BRANCH: U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: March 26, 1919 – November 16, 1994
DATES OF SERVICE: January 7, 1943 – January 19, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Fred Czinege’s brother Harry served in the U.S. Navy during the war. Prior to enlisting in the Marine Corps, Fred served as a corporal in the Ohio State Guard. This photo from the July 29, 1942 Cincinnati Enquirer shows Fred and his comrades enjoying some downtime during maneuvers at Camp Zaleski:

NAME: Harry John Czinege
RANK & BRANCH: Shipfitter Second Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 5, 1921 – October 31, 1969
DATES OF SERVICE: August 11, 1942 – August 1, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Raymond William Daniels
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Army
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: December 29, 1918 – January 20, 1998
DATES OF SERVICE: December 26, 1944 – January 23, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
NAME: Harold Frederick Doerr
RANK & BRANCH: Private, U.S. Marine Corps
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: September 11, 1914 – October 10, 2002
DATES OF SERVICE: April 27, 1944 – June 29, 1946
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Harold Doerr was a graduate of Cincinnati’s Automotive Trades School. While serving, he graduated from the Marine Aviation Clerical School in San Diego, California.                                                                                         
 
NAME: Leo Francois Doll, Jr.
RANK & BRANCH: Ship’s Serviceman (Laundry Man) Second Class, U.S. Navy
DATES OF BIRTH & DEATH: October 11, 1908 – October 28, 1981
DATES OF SERVICE: February 5, 1944 – December 11, 1945
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Prior to being drafted, Leo Doll was a foreman for Model Laundry. During the war, he served as a laundry worker on the USS Consolation, a hospital ship in the Pacific Fleet.