WW2 Fallen - Harold Willman

With more than 400,000 casualties in World War 2, most days it is easy to find at least one person born 100 years ago on that day who died during the war. The challenge is usually who to highlight and who to leave out.

However, for January 15, the only fallen serviceman I found was Harold L. Willman, but there was not a lot of information on him. We know he was an army private who died on November 4, 1944, but I couldn't find out what unit he was with.

Thank you Harold for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Harold.

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WW2 Fallen - Alaska airman Frank Cranston

A P38 in Alaska, like the ones in Sgt Cranston's squadron
http://historylink101.com/ww2_color/WorldWarIIPlaneMaintenance/IMG_2356.html

Frank H. Cranston could have been 100 years old today. 

He was born on January 14, 1917 in North Dakota. His mother was from South Dakota and his father was from Canada. According to census records he had a younger brother and younger sister. Frank's father was a farm laborer in 1920. By 1930 he farmed his own land. Frank had moved out before the 1940's census.

Frank had a high school education. Before joining the army air corp he worked as a salesperson.

Frank enlisted in the army air corp on March 14, 1941. He became a sergeant in the 18th Army Air Force Fighter Squadron which flew P-38s.

That unit was assigned to Alaska and participated in the Aleutian Islands Campaign to dislodge Japanese who captured some of the islands in June 1942.

Sgt Cranston died on March 13, 1943. As an enlisted man, he would not be flying P-38s. I was unable to find out if his death was due to an accident or illness.

A far better known enlisted man who also served in Alaska during the war was Charlton Heston who went on to become one of the best known actors in movies. Heston was a sergeant in the 77th Bomb Squadron.

Charlton Heston during WW2
http://www.agamemnon.com/page/about/charlton/charlton.html

His remains were returned to be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. 

Thank you Frank for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Frank.

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WW2 Fallen - Gerard Infanger, 503rd Parachute Regiment

Paratroopers who served with Sergeant Infanger in 503rd Parachute Regiment
http://corregidor.org/heritage_battalion/cordero/david_cordero.html

Gerard J. Infanger could have been 100 years old today. 

He was born on January 13, 1917 in Queens, New York to parents who were also from New York. According to census records he had one older brother. Gerard's father was a barkeeper in 1920. By 1930 he was a bank teller.

Gerard had a high school education. Before joining the army he worked as a brick and stone mason.

Gerard enlisted in the army on March 12, 1941. He became a sergeant in the 503rd Parachute Regiment.

The 101st Airborne and 82nd Airborne were not the only units airdropping in the summer of 1944. In preparation of retaking the Philippines the Americans needed to take the island of Noemfoor off the coast of Dutch New Guinea to use for an airfield. Sergeant Infanger parachuted in with B Company on July 3. As elsewhere, the Japanese fought until wiped out.  Sergeant Infanger was killed on July 16 while his unit was engaged in eliminated the Japanese garrison from the island.

503rd Parachute Regiment airdrops onto Noemfoor Island
https://www.pinterest.com/iamthefinkster/wwii/

http://corregidor.org/BEA503/Calendar/Week_at_a_Glance/4407w1.html

His remains were returned to be buried at Long Island National Cemetery. 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=41207145

Thank you Gerard for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Gerard.

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WW2 Fallen - Henry Bobek, Army Muleskinner

Sgt Bobek served in a unit that handled transportation mules like these.
http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/army-mules-the-beast-of-burden-in-war/

Henry P. Bobek could have been 100 years old today. 

He was born on January 12, 1917 in Massachusetts to parents who were from Galicia which is now western Ukraine. Evidence suggests they moved to America around 1905. According to census records it looks like his father died by the time Henry was 2. He had six older brothers and one younger sister.

Henry had a grammar school education. 

Henry enlisted in the Army on May 14, 1941. He was listed at 5' 6" feet tall, weighing 163.  He was assigned to serve in Hawaii where he ended up with the rank of a Sergeant. Sgt. Bobek died on July 2, 1944. The unit he was serving with was the 4339 Quartermaster Pack Co. So Sgt. Bobek was a muleskinner? Hmm, not a branch of the army most people are aware of. My research shows that this unit, which provided mule transportation, was in Hawaii in July 1944. Did Sgt Bobek die of some accident or illness while in Hawaii? Or was he serving near the front lines somewhere while providing support with his mules? I was unable to find out which.

His remains were returned to be buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=3769885&ref=acom

Thank you Henry for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Henry.

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WW2 Fallen - Omer LeMay, 6th Marine Division

Private Omer Jospeh LeMay
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7377762

Omer Joseph LeMay. could have been 100 years old today. 

He was born on January 11, 1917 in Albany, New York to French speaking parents of Canadian birth. He was the fourteenth of nineteen children. His father occupation was spinning at a cotton mill. The family rented their home.

Omer joined the army in 1938 with an 8th grade education and became a corporal.  He was honorably discharged on July 22, 1941 and then joined the Marines on October 7, 1941 where he had the rank of a private.

Private LeMay's unit was A Company, 29th Marines Regiment, 6th Marine Division.

It is most probably that Private LeMay lost his life as part of the Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill. As the Marines advance to take the southern part of Okinawa, the 6th Marine Division was given the task of taking a 50 foot high mound called Sugar Loaf Hill. During 12 days of May the Marines suffered more than 1,600 dead and more than 7,400 wounded. In many companies, losses were 70% or more. Private LeMay died on June 21, 1945 when the fighting had for the most part ended. Most likely he was too badly injured and died from his wounds while in hospital.

Sugar Loaf Hill, where Private LeMay was likely mortally wounded.
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/npswapa/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003135-00/sec5a.htm

His remains were returned to be buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.  Tragically, his youngest brother Ernest died five years later during the Korean War after becoming a prisoner of war. They are now buried side by side.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=7345812&PIpi=88588772

Thank you Omer (and Ernest) for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Omer.


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WW2 Nisei Fallen - Richard Fujii, 100th Infantry Battalion

100th Infantry Battalion comrades of Pvt. Fujii
http://www.100thbattalion.org/history/battalion-history/

Richard Fujii could have been 100 years old today. 

He was born on January 10, 1917, most likely in Hawaii, but perhaps somewhere in Japan. Like many fellow Japanese Americans, he had a closer affinity to America than his ancestral Japan. By 1941 he was 24 years old, single, a farm hand with 2 years of high school.

He enlisted in the Army on June 27, 1941, nearly six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was 5' 6" and weighed 128 pounds.

Soldiers of Japanese decent from Hawaii were grouped together. Most served in the 100th Battalion, 34th Division, the most decorated battalion of the war. I read an excellent book on this unit back in the 1990's named Go for Broke: A Pictorial History of the Japanese-American 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442d Regimental Combat Team by Chester Tanaka. It is out of print, so unless you can find it at a library, you may need to find another history of this storied unit. Also check out the 100th Battalion website. It's a good thing the Japanese fighting against us in the Pacific were not like the quality of the 100th Battalion or the war would have been much tougher to win.

Richard Fujii was a private in the 100th Infantry Battalion. He died during the Naples Foggia Campaign in Italy on November 30, 1943 along with another 141 KIA/MIA in this time frame. On that date the 100th IB was fighting the Germans near Cerasuolo.

http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/winterline/winter-I-right.htm

His remains were returned to be buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=3775225

Thank you Richard for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Richard.

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WW2 Fallen - Williford D. Bland, Jr., 6th Armored Division

Captain Bland, second from left.
http://6th-armored-division-honor-roll.webnode.nl/raymond-r-polk/

Williford D. Bland, Jr. could have been 100 years old today. 

He was born on January 9, 1917 in Tennessee to parents who were also Tennessee born. According to census records he was the oldest child of three. He had one younger brother. His father was a dry goods clerk who owned his home in Millington. By 1930 Bland, Sr. was working as a salesman. Ten years after that the census showed him as a clerk again.

By 1940 Bland, Jr. was a college graduate with training to be a civil engineer. He was still living with his parents in Tennessee.

He married Charlotte, Elizabeth Anderson on January 1, 1941. Six  days later he enrolled in the Army. He was listed at 6 feet tall, weighing 147.  At some point he must have been identified as officer material because Bland was a Captain at the time of his death.

Captain Bland is on the left of the man circled in this picture.
http://6th-armored-division-honor-roll.webnode.nl/raymond-r-polk/

Captain Bland served in the 68th Tank Battalion, 6th Armored Division. He was the commanding officer of Baker Company. The 6th AD arrived in Normandy on July 19, 1944 and went into action later that month. He died October 1, 1944 outside of Nancy where his unit was working on secure a stronger position to launch later attacks. The unit came under heavy artillery fire and a number of it's tanks were destroyed. During the war 833 6th AD soldiers were killed and another 88 were missing in action.

http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/6tharmored/

His remains were returned to be buried at Memphis National Cemetery. It appears that his wife remarried 9 years after his death and lived to the late 1990's.

Thank you Williford for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Williford.

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