WW2 Fallen - Flying Tiger ace Frank Schiel and the countess who saved hundreds of airmen

Major Frank Schiel was a Flying Tigers ace before rejoining the Army Air Forces in China.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130458127
http://flyingtigersus.ning.com/photo/pilots-check-out-rudder-shot?context=user 

Frank Schiel, Jr. never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 20, 1917 in Arizona. His mother Virdie was born in Illinois and his father Frank senior was born in Missouri. His father worked as a copper miner and later as a railroad brakeman. By 1940 he was working as a conductor. Frank had two younger sisters. While still in high school, Frank organized the Prescott Junior Aeronautical Club. He turned down acceptance to West Point because it would mean giving up flying. 

By 1940 Frank had completed two years of college and was living in Montgomery, Alabama, most likely working as a flight instructor in the Army Air Corps. 

Frank resigned his commission in 1941 and boarded a ship in San Francisco to begin the long trip to China. He became the Deputy Squadron Commander of the American Volunteer Group 1st Squadron, more commonly referred to as the Flying Tigers. During his time with the Flying Tigers, Frank shot down seven Japanese planes. 

After the AVG was disbanded on July 4, 1942, Frank rejoined the Army Air Forces and was made a major in command of the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group which operated out of China. It provided air defense and pioneered fighter bombing.

Major Schiel flew over 200 missions and earned multiple medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Silver Star. He was also awarded the British Distinguished Cross.

On December 7, 1942, the one year anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Major Schiel was returning from a recon mission in bad weather and his P-43 Lancer crashed in the mountains near Kunming, China.

His grave is at Mountain View Cemetery in Prescott, Arizona.

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

Andrée de Jongh
I would like to recognize someone who was born 101 years ago today. This person was not in the military and was not even American. However, without her efforts their would have been hundreds more airmen captured or killed. Because of de Jongh, there are fewer stars on the World War 2 Memorial in Washington DC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrée_de_Jongh

Andrée de Jongh was born in Belgium while it was occupied by Germany in the First World War. She worked as a nurse when Germany once again occupied Germany in 1940. De Jongh help British soldiers left behind at Dunkirk to escape to Spain, a distance of 1,200 miles. She personally led many airmen to safety. She was captured by the Germans in January 1943 and survived the war in a concentration camp. Her father, who also helped airmen escape, was captured five months later and executed. Even after the de Jonghs were captured, the escape channel they created continued to save hundreds more airmen, including Chuck Yeager who later broke the sound barrier.

After the war she worked in leper hospitals in Africa until her health failed. She was made a countess in 1985 and died in 2007 at age 90.

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

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WW2 Fallen - B-17 flight engineer August "Gus" Riecke, Schweinfurt Mission

Sgt. Gus Riecke was the flight engineer on the B-17 Jackie Ellen.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68862249/august-riecke/photo 

August Riecke never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 29, 1917 in Blur Lake, California. He was named after his paternal grandfather. His parents Frederick and Fannie were also both born in California. His father worked as a commercial fisherman and as a carpenter. His mother died in 1920 and his father died in 1930. August had an older sister (Gertie) and brother (Leslie). He lived with his brother and sister during the 1930s in Indian boarding schools (his mother was a Yurok Indian). He attended Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon. August worked as a logger after finishing school.

He enlisted in the army on March 13, 1942. He became a tech sergeant and flight engineer in the 367th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force which was equipped with B-17 Flying Fortresses. 

Sgt. Riecke left the states in April 1943. He survived a crash landing in Iceland on April 17, 1943. 

Arriving in England, he flew his first combat mission on May 21, 1943.

On October 14, 1943, Sgt. Riecke and the rest of the crew of Jackie Ellen were part of the tragic mission of 291 planes sent to bomb the ball bearing factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. It was the second mission to Schweinfurt. The first one was on August 17, 1943 on the one year anniversary of US heavy bomber operations from England and it was the furthest penetration into Germany so far. The 8th Air Force lost an above-average 36 of 230 planes on that first mission. The second mission would be worse.

While still in route to target, Jackie Ellen's formation was attacked by enemy fighters. Jackie Ellen sustained damage to its horizontal stabilizer and exploded, splitting apart at the radio room. It went down over Belgium. One of the crew survived to become a POW. Sgt. Riecke and the other eight were all killed. A total of 60 bombers were lost on the second Schweinfurt mission.

Gus's family was notified that he was Missing In Action. On October 5, 1950, five years after the end of WWII, his dog tags and remains were found in a Belgian village cemetery. 

His grave is at Greenwood Cemetery in Arcata, California.

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

UPDATED 11/30/2017 - I circled the wrong person in the original crew photo. This has been corrected.

Thanks to everyone who has read and shared these profiles, last weekend the number of visits to this site exceeded 400,000. Visits are averaging 70,000 a month now. If you share these stories, I bet we could reach 500,000 before year end.

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 D-Day Fallen - Roland Ehlers, 1st Infantry Division and his Medal of Honor hero brother

Sgt. Roland Ehlers and his brother Walter landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day as part of the 1st Infantry Division.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54232984
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/125370706/Walter-David-Ehlers
https://padresteve.com/tag/18th-infantry-regiment/ 

Roland A. Ehlers never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 28, 1917 in Kansas. His parents John and Marie were also both born in Kansas. His father worked as a farmer. Roland had two younger brothers (who both served in WW2) and three younger sisters. By 1940 Roland had completed two years of high school. He was living at home and worked as a farmer.

He enlisted in the army with brother Walter, four years his junior, on October 3, 1940. Brother Claus joined in 1942. 

Roland became a sergeant in Company K, 3rd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. Brother Walter was in the same company. The 1st ID landed in Algeria in November 1942 and fought across North Africa to Tunisia. It next played a major role in the invasion of Sicily. Throughout both campaigns the Ehlers brothers fought side by side. At the conclusion of the Sicily Campaign the 1st ID was moved to England to prepare for a major role in the invasion of France.

Company K was assigned to land on Omaha Beach in the second D-Day wave. Perhaps to lessen the odds of two brothers being killed at the same time, Walter was transferred to Company L where he was promoted to sergeant and squad leader.

The brothers didn't see each other on D-Day. Three days later Walter, now a staff sergeant, 

repeatedly led his men against heavily defended enemy strong points exposing himself to deadly hostile fire whenever the situation required heroic and courageous leadership. Without waiting for an order, S/Sgt. Ehlers, far ahead of his men, led his squad against a strongly defended enemy strong point, personally killing 4 of an enemy patrol who attacked him en route. Then crawling forward under withering machinegun fire, he pounced upon the gun crew and put it out of action. 

Turning his attention to 2 mortars protected by the crossfire of 2 machine-guns, S/Sgt. Ehlers led his men through this hail of bullets to kill or put to flight the enemy of the mortar section, killing 3 men himself. After mopping up the mortar positions, he again advanced on a machinegun, his progress effectively covered by his squad. When he was almost on top of the gun he leaped to his feet and, although greatly outnumbered, he knocked out the position single-handed. 

The next day, having advanced deep into enemy territory, the platoon of which S/Sgt. Ehlers was a member, finding itself in an untenable position as the enemy brought increased mortar, machine-gun, and small arms fire to bear on it, was ordered to withdraw. S/Sgt. Ehlers, after his squad had covered the withdrawal of the remainder of the platoon, stood up and by continuous fire at the semicircle of enemy placements, diverted the bulk of the heavy hostile fire on himself, thus permitting the members of his own squad to withdraw. At this point, though wounded himself, he carried his wounded automatic rifleman to safety and then returned fearlessly over the shell-swept field to retrieve the automatic rifle which he was unable to carry previously. 

After having his wound treated, he refused to be evacuated, and returned to lead his squad.

For weeks Walter remained in the dark about his brother, who he had not seen since the invasion. In July he got the bad news. Roland had been killed by a mortar shell that explode on the ramp of his landing craft just as he was stepping off to come ashore in the second D-Day wave.

In December Walter Ehlers got the news that he had earned the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Normandy described above in his MOH citation. He became a second lieutenant and was also decorated with a silver star and bronze star.

Roland's grave is at Sunset Cemetery, Manhattan, Kansas. Brother Claus died in in 2013. Walter died in 2014, the last of the twelve D-Day campaign Medal of Honor recipients.

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

Thanks to everyone who has read and shared these profiles, last weekend the number of visits to this site exceeded 400,000. Visits are averaging 70,000 a month now. If you share these stories, I bet we could reach 500,000 before year end.

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Saipan Fallen - Bernard Bova, 27th Infantry Division

Sgt. Bernard Bova was killed in action the day before this photo of his Company K comrades was taken.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49050880
https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Marianas/USA-P-Marianas-9.html 

Bernard D. Bova never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 27, 1917 in New York. His parents were also both born in New York. His father worked as an oil pumper. Bernard had a younger sister and a younger brother. 

He enlisted in the army on September 22, 1941. He became a sergeant in Company K, 3rd Battalion, 106th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. The 27th ID drew its men from the New York National Guard. It was the first unit deployed from the mainland and was in Hawaii by the spring of 1942. It was involved in fighting on Makin Atoll in November 1942, Eniwetok Atoll in February 1944 and Saipan in June 1944. The 27th ID landed on Saipan on D+1, June 16, 1944. 

In the May 1997 issue of World War II Magazine, Francis A. O'Brie described what happened to Sgt Bova's regiment on the day he was killed in action:

In the meantime, on June 23, the rest of the 27th Division had attacked north through what became known as Death Valley. The nightmarish terrain between Mount Tapotchau and what American soldiers had dubbed Purple Heart Ridge featured sheer cliffs and hills. The valley itself was a plateau of open farmland about three quarters of a mile wide. The Japanese had hidden in the caves along the cliffs. Units of the 27th moving through the valley, including the 106th Infantry Regiment, which had just rejoined the division, were subject to intense enemy fire. The soldiers had to advance through wooded areas at the opening of a plateau onto a flat plain where the Japanese held the high ground on both sides.

The enemy had carefully prepared artillery, mortar and machine-gun positions on the cliffs, which controlled the entire area. One observer compared the Americans’ situation to that of the British Light Brigade, which charged the Russians at Balaclava.The 2nd and 4th Marine divisions moved up the coasts of the island with little or no opposition. The 27th Division’s progress through Death Valley was slowed by the difficult terrain as well as the Japanese opposition.

His grave is at Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Olean, New York.

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

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

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WW2 Okinawa Fallen - DSC hero David Clarkson, 7th Infantry Division

Lt. David Clarkson served with the men in this photo taken 2 days before his death. The gravestone erroneously shows 17th Infantry Division which did not exist. It should show 7th Infantry Division.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23036306
http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/would-the-u-s-survive-another-battle-of-okinawa 

David B. Clarkson never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 26, 1917 in Kansas. His mother Nora and his father David were born in Missouri. His father worked as a farmer and died in 1934. David had one younger brother and two younger sisters. By 1940 his mother had remarried to a drayer. David still lived at home and worked as a laborer. His younger brother enlisted in the army in 1940 and served until the end of the war.

David married Bobbie Ann Sims and they had one daughter (Millie).

David enlisted in the army on September 19, 1942. He became a first lieutenant in Battery A, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. The 7th Infantry Division fought the Japanese in Attu, Alaska in 1943 and Kwajalien and Eniwetok in 1944. It spent three months engaging the enemy in Leyte in 1944-45. 

I am not sure when Lt. Clarkson joined his artillery unit but he was serving when the 7th ID landed on Okinawa on day one of the battle, April 1, 1945. Three weeks later the 7th ID was still fighting, sometimes against an enemy armed with nothing more than sharpened sticks. The Japanese also had plenty of conventional firepower and attempted counter battery fire, when possible, to disable the effective American artillery. Lt. Clarkson was killed in action on April 21, 1945. On his last day of fighting against the Japanese, Lt. Clarkson earned the Distinguished Service Cross for "personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty at the cost of his life."

His grave is at Hill Crest Cemetery in Galena, Kansas. His widow remarried after his death.

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

Thanks to Karleen Estey and Monty McDaniel who found this article about Lt. Clarkson:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155159876986593&set=p.10155159876986593&type=3&theater&ifg=1

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

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Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen - B-17 pilot Harry Cook, 303rd Bomb Group

Lt. Harry Cook was a B-17 pilot in the 303rd Bombardment Group.
http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/229.pdf 

Harry Stewart Cook never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 25, 1917 in Michigan. His parents Harry and Rose were also both born in Michigan. His father worked as a bookkeeper and ticket agent for the Lake Transportation Company and later as a coal salesman. Still later he worked as a claim agent. Harry had three older brothers and an older sister. By 1940 Harry was still living at home. He had completed two years of college and on the 1940 census indicated his occupation was coat department or perhaps coal department.

He enlisted in the army on February 19, 1941. I don't know when he became part of the Army Air Forces and attended flight training school.

He was a first lieutenant and pilot in the 427th Bombardment Squadron, 303rd Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force which was equipped with B-17 Flying Fortresses. The 303rd BG was one of the first heavy bomber units put into action in Europe, arriving in November 1942. Lt. Cook was probably not part of the 303rd until much later. Like all bomber groups in 1942-1943, the loss rate in the 303rd was significant. It was in continuous need of new crews to replace the ones lost on nearly a daily basis.

On August 15, 1944 Lt. Cook was piloting the Tiny Angel. It took part in the 303rd BG's 229th mission of the war. The target was an airfield in Wiesbaden, Germany. It would prove to be the most costly 303rd BG mission since 11 planes were lost in January 1944. The 39 planes made it safely to the target and survived moderate to intense flak fire (three men were killed and 11 returned planes had flak damage). On the leg back, friendly fighters were not present and the bomber formation was attacked by up to 25 German fighters flying from out of the sun. The Germans concentrated on the bottom group of bombers and shot down 9, including Tiny Angel. Three men on Tiny Angel were killed, including Lt. Cook who remained at the controls to allow the others to jump out. The others became prisoners of war.

His grave is at Mona View Cemetery in Muskegon Heights, Michigan.

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

UPDATE: After this profile was written, I was provided a copy of a detailed article about another airman on this plane, Joseph M. Slight, by the article's author, Dave Bernard. For a pdf copy of this excellent article, email ww2fallen100@gmail.com.

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

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Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Normandy Fallen - Harold Jared, 1st Infantry Division

Pvt. Jared landed with the 1st Infantry Division on D-Day and was killed one week later.
slider-normandy--980x401.jpg
The D-Day Atlas, pg 109 

Harold M. Jared never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 24, 1917 in Illinois. His father James was also born in Illinois while his mother Eva was born in Indiana. His father worked as a farm laborer and later as a farm manager. James Jared died in 1935. Harold had two older brothers, two older sisters, a twin sister, and a younger brother. He married Mildred Cork on May 31, 1941.

He enlisted in the army on September 1, 1943.

He was a private in Company A, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. Pvt. Jared was not with the 1st ID when it first engaged the enemy in North Africa and Sicily. He was almost certainly with his unit when it landed on Omaha Beach near the end of the day on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Over the next week, the 1st ID advanced 23 miles to Caumont. Pvt. Jared was killed on June 13 while fighting in the Normandy hedgerows.

His grave is at Marshall Cemetery in Illinois. I don't know what happened to his widow.

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

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

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WW2 Fallen - B-29 pilot Wilson Currier

Captain Wilson Currier was a B-29 pilot operating out of Saipan in the 873rd Bomb Squadron.
He flew Joltin' Josie on his final mission.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56128094
http://www.flyingtigerantiques.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=fta&Product_Code=afsq20873bs2&Category_Code=03afsq
https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/b-29/boeing-b-29-bomber-joltin-josie-the-pacific-pioneer-nose-art/ 

Wilson Callerman Currier, Jr. never had a chance to reach 100 years old today (his mom lived to be 97). Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 23, 1917 in Missouri. His mother Pearl was born in Illinois and his father Wilson was born in Kansas. His father worked as an oil lands speculator and later as an oil well driller. Wilson had one older sister and two younger sisters. He spent his teenage years in New Mexico and completed two years of college at University of New Mexico.

He enlisted in the Army Air Forces on March 17, 1941. After earning his wings he was a stateside instructor pilot and flying school supervisor. He married Oneata Young on October 20, 1942.

He became a captain and pilot in the 873rd Bombardment Squadron, 498th Bombardment Group, 20th Air Force which was equipped with B-29 Superfortresses.

The 498th Bombardment Group was created in November 1943 and was the second unit equipped with B-29s. It began operating out of Saipan in September 1944. Captain Currier arrived in October. By November the 498th BG began regular bomb missions to Japan.

On April 1, 1945 Captain Currier was the pilot of Joltin' Josie. The target that day was the Nakajima aircraft plant in Tokyo. Joltin' Josie was one of 114 B-29s assigned to this mission. Six planes were lost, including Captain Currier's plane. Shortly after takeoff there were fumes reported in the cockpit. It exploded and crashed into the sea. None of the eleven men on board were found.

Captain Currier is remembered at the Honolulu Memorial. He has a cenotaph grave at Santa Fe National Cemetery in New Mexico. If it is the same Oneata Young, she remarried after Wilson's death and died in 1973.

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

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

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Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen - AAF Cadet Corps airman Billy George

Pfc. Billy George in a photo with his mother, died when his AT-7 Navigator crashed in Texas.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37318663
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Model_18

Eldred Branaman "Billy" George never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 22, 1917 in Kansas. His parents Waller and Laura were also both born in Kansas. His father worked as an assistant quartermaster clerk and later as a soldiers house bookkeeper. Waller George died in 1936. Billy had one older sister. By 1940 Billy was living with his mother, having completed four years of high school and was working as a manager.

He enlisted in the Army Air Forces on February 2, 1943. He served as a private first class in the 846th Navigation Training Squadron. 

Pfc. George died on March 21, 1944 when the AT-7 Navigator he was flying in crashed near Hondo, Texas. Four other men died with him. Military plane crashes in the United States were a regular occurrence during World War 2. On the same day there were 81 other crashes in the continental United States.

His grave is at Memorial Park Cemetery in Hutchinson, Kansas.

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

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen - William Jacobs, Philippine Scouts

Lt. William Jacobs was an instructor in the 57th Infantry Regiment and died in a Japanese prison camp.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70498121
http://www.oocities.org/afpmuseum/ww2/ww2page.html 

William E. Jacobs never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 21, 1917 in Nebraska. His father was also born in Nebraska and his mother was born in Kansas. All four of his grandparents were born in Germany. His father worked as a produce dealer and later as a fruit peddler. William had two younger sisters. By 1940 William had graduated from the University of Nebraska and was enrolled in law school.

He probably became an officer through ROTC. In April 1940 the army sent him to the Philippines. He became a first lieutenant in Company B, 1st Battalion, 57th Infantry Regiment also known as the Philippine Scouts. The 57th IR was engaged in fighting the enemy from the beginning of WW2 until the American forces in Bataan surrendered on May 10, 1942. They had to fight a better supplied enemy with obsolete weapons, limited ammunition, and inadequate stores of food and medicine.

Lt. Jacobs survived the Bataan Death March, but we was unable to survive the harsh prisoner of war conditions. He died on December 6, 1942.

His grave is at Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Guadalcanal Fallen - John Nevins, 1st Marine Division

Captain John Nevins was killed during a Japanese bombing of Henderson Field and was first buried in the 1st Marine Division cemetery on Guadalcanal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_Field_(Guadalcanal)
https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/pacific/guadalcanal/guadalcanal-japanese-bomb-airplane-hanger-1942/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/498140408770335670/?lp=true 

John P. Nevins never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 20, 1917 in New York. His parents John and Mary were also both born in New York. His father worked as a trade association secretary. John was an only child. By 1940 census records show he had completed four years of college and was the assistant athletic director at a private school and was living with his father. Other records show he enlisted in the Marines in 1938. 

He advanced to the rank of Captain in the HQ/Service Battery, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. The 11th Marine Regiment was an artillery unit that provided important support for the leathernecks defending the perimeter protecting the crucial airfields on Guadalcanal.

Captain Nevins was killed on September 11, 1942, probably as a result of Japanese bombers and fighters attacking Henderson Field that day. 

His grave is at Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum in Hartsdale, New York.

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

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen - B-24 gunner Stanley Sabastenski

Sgt. Stanley Sabastenski was the top turret gunner in the B-24 Jack Pot 

that operated out of New Guinea.

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=140882996&ref=acom

https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/42-40280.html

Stanley Peter Sabastenski never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on November 19, 1917 in Maine. His parents Anthony and Josephine were both born in Poland. His father worked as a wholesale grocery shipper and later a construction laborer. Stanley had one older sister, seven younger brothers, and a younger sister. By 1940 Stanley had completed four years of high school and worked as a laborer while living with his family.

He enlisted in the Army Air Forces on September 27, 1940 with orders to go to Hawaii. He became a staff sergeant and top turret gunner in B-24 Liberators in the 321st Bombardment Squad, 90th Bombardment Group that operated out of New Guinea.

On November 11, 1943 Sgt. Sabastenski was aboard the B-24 Jack Pot when it took off from Port Moresby on a mission to bomb Rabaul. The mission was aborted due to bad weather and the planes returned to base. While attempting to land, Jack Pot collided with another B-24. The other B-24 was badly damaged, but managed to land safely. Jack Pot exploded when its full bomb load hit the ground. All onboard were killed.

Sgt. Sabastenski's grave is at Calvary, Cemetery in South Portland, Maine.

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

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100