WW2 Fallen - Spitfire and Skytrain pilot Benjamin Taylor, General Eisenhower's pilot

Lt. Benjamin Taylor volunteered to fly in the RAF Eagle Squadron
before transferring to the USAAF's 325th Ferrying Group.
He crashed his C-47 while trying to land in heavy fog.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82705194/benjamin-albert-taylor
https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/americans-in-the-royal-air-force/eagle-squadrons.aspx
https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-douglas-c-47a-25-dk-raf-ramsbury-3-killed

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

He was born on May 31, 1918 in Washington. His parents James and Helen were born in Nebraska and Wisconsin, respectively. His father worked as an odd jobs laborer and later as a used car salesman after moving to Oregon. Benjamin had an older brother, older sister, two younger sisters and a younger brother. By 1940 Benjamin had completed seven years of schooling and was working as a millwork pressing operator. He learned to fly as a civilian and actually owned a plane.

The US Army Air Forces preferred college men for their pilots so Benjamin took the unusual step of going to Canada and volunteering for the RAF American No. 121 Eagles Squadron in late 1941. Although thousands volunteered, Benjamin was one of only 244 pilots who qualified to serve in the RAF. They flew Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires. Benjamin was wounded on his first operational mission in July 1942 while making low level attacks  against German targets near Dunkerque. He was shot in the leg but made a safe landing back in England.

On September 29, 1942, he and the rest of the Eagle Squadron fliers were transferred to the US 8th Air Force. Benjamin ended up serving as a first lieutenant in the 325th Ferrying Squadron, 31st Transportation Group, which mainly used Douglas C-47s. While flying for the 235th FS, Lt. Taylor piloted General Eisenhower on a number of secret trips. Although given numerous chances to return home, Lt. Taylor stayed. He also trained bomber pilots while in England.

Lt. Taylor was returning from a mission over France on December 22, 1944 when he crashed his C-47 into the treetops while trying to land near Ransbury, England in foggy conditions. Lt. Taylor was one of three men killed, but two managed to survive the crash.

His grave is at Belcrest Memorial Park, Salem, Oregon.

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

Last year on this date I profiled B-17 radio operator Robert Buchanan. You can read about Robert here.

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
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Fallen - Silver Star hero Clarence Aschenbrenner, USS Marblehead

Shipfitter Clarence Aschenbrenner earned the Silver Star while serving on the light cruiser USS Marblehead.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63338027/clarence-john-aschenbrenner
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:THE_U.S.S._MARBLEHEAD_COMES_HOME%5E_-_NARA_-_513505.jpg 

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

He was born on May 30, 1918 in Minnesota. His parents Lawrence and Rosa were also both born in Minnesota. His father worked as a farmer. Because his mother died shortly after he was born, he was raised by his paternal grandmother. Clarence had three younger brothers and five younger sisters from his father's second marriage. 

Clarence joined the Navy on June 13, 1938. His shipmates gave him the nickname "Bull" because of this strength. He was assigned to the USS Marblehead where he was a shipfitter 2nd class.

Marblehead was a WW I era light cruiser that was assigned to the Asiatic Fleet in 1938. Shipfitter Aschenbrenner would spend four Christmases in Asia, not getting a chance to return home to visit family.

Marblehead was in Borneo when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the Philippines. The Asiatic Fleet was isolated and outnumbered by the enemy and was particularly vulnerable to air attack. Marblehead was spotted and attacked by 36 Japanese bombers on February 4, 1942 at Makassar Strait. While evading most of the bombs, Marblehead did suffer two direct hits and a near miss that could have resulted in sinking had not the crew been able to successfully repair the ship enough to escape to a port on the south side of Java. Shipfitter Aschenbrenner was recommended for a medal for actions that put him in harm's way that helped save the ship.

Permanent repairs were not possible in the area, so the damaged ship limped first to Ceylon and then South Africa. While in a South African port on March 18, 1942 Shipfitter Aschenbrenner tried to rescue a shipmate who had been overcome by bilge gas. He was unsuccessful and was also overcome and died.

Clarence Aschenbrenner was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions at Makassar Strait and South Africa.

His grave is at New Ulm Catholic Cemetery, New Ulm, Minnesota.

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

Bob Evans

Also born on the same day as Clarence was a native born Ohioan by the name of Bob Evans. His parents owned a grocery store. Although he went to school to study veterinarian medicine, he bought a restaurant in 1940 but sold it when he was inducted into the Army in 1943.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30564255/bob-evans

After the war he started another restaurant and made his own sausages because he was not satisfied with the quality of what he could buy. His high quality sausages were a hit and he built a farm-to-store and restaurant empire that reached more than 600 locations.

Last year on this date I profiled Creed Carter, 38th Infantry Division. You can read about Creed here.

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
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Fallen - Arnold Harmon, 80th Infantry Division

Pvt. Arnold Harmon served with these men from the 80th Infantry Division.
He was killed in action about a week after this photo was taken.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/120174932/arnold-h-harmon
https://picclick.com/US-Army-Original-WWII-44th-Infantry-Division-Shoulder-362317176384.html
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/538672805412506028/?autologin=true

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

He was born on May 29, 1918 in Maine. His parents Charles and Amy were both born in New Hampshire. His father worked as a physician. Arnold had five older sisters, three older brothers, and one younger brother. He married Florence Devine on December 13, 1940. He completed two years of college and worked as a salesman.

He was drafted into the army on August 3, 1944. He became a private and was assigned as a replacement rifleman in Company A, 1st Battalion, 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division.

As with many of the other front line infantry divisions, the 80 ID absorbed casualties that exceeded the size of the division. It would suffer more than 17,000 battle casualties before the war ended. Most likely Pvt. Harmon joined his unit after the 80th ID took part in the Battle of the Bulge where it broke through the Germans surrounding the 101st Airborne in Bastogne.

By February the 80th ID had broken through the Siegfried Line. By February 20 Pvt. Harmon's battalion had reached the village Enzen, Germany. The attack the next day, against heavy resistance, resulted in the worst losses for the regiment for the month. Losses included 70 wounded, 40 missing, and 4 killed, including Pvt. Harmon.

His grave is at Evergreen Cemetery in Caribou, Maine. I don't know what happened to his widow.

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

Last year on this date I profiled Medal of Honor hero Jack Knight. His story reads like the script for a John Wayne movie. You can read about Jack here.

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
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

9 Questions about the WW2 Fallen 100 Project - 1 million plus views

National WWII Memorial photos taken by author.

UPDATED May 12, 2020

The WW2 Fallen 100 Project started on January 1, 2017. Since then it has profiled more than 1,250 of the fallen on the anniversary of their 100th birthdays. In October 2018 it surpassed 1,000,000 views. (Sadly, shortly thereafter Facebook changed its algorithm and only 10-20% as many people now see this project from Facebook.)

Thank you to all who have taken an interest in these stories and have shared them with others. I think it is important that living Americans recognize the freedoms we enjoy today are only possible because these men and women selflessly served and paid the price that resulted in victory for world peace.

Here are nine questions answered about this project.

1. What is the purpose of the WW2 Fallen 100 project? More than 400,000 Americans lost their lives while serving in the military during WW2. Our nation had one-third of the current population back then, so comparably that would be like seeing 1,200,000 war casualties in our day. That would be a big deal now. We should recognize that it was a big deal then and time should not diminish the impact.

Because these fallen never came home, they missed enjoying the peace they won. The Freedom Wall at the World War II Memorial helps us honor these men and women as a group. Each of the 4,048 stars represents 100 of the fallen. However, unlike the Vietnam War Memorial, no names are displayed. I think they deserve some individual recognition. So each day I profile one of the fallen on his/her 100th birthday -- telling the stories behind the stars.

Not to take anything away from those who made it home, but if you read any memoirs of the World War II veterans, they always say something along the lines that it was those who did not come back that are the true heroes and they think of them all the time.

It is well worth that the rest of us come to know these fallen.

2. How did you get interested in starting this project? I've had an interest in history that goes back to early childhood. During elementary school, I was attracted to biographies. I remember reading youth biographies of Paul Revere, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln and others. While still in grade school, I saw the movie Patton and wanted to learn more. The movie was based on the book A Soldier's Story by Omar Bradley. Even though it was not written for grade schoolers, I checked it out of the library anyway and read the whole thing. I went on to read Cornelius Ryan's books The Longest Day and A Bridge Too Far. Over the decades, I would guess that I have read at least half-a-dozen books each year that cover World War II subjects. With the 75th anniversary of American's involvement in World War II, it seemed like this would be a fun project to create.

3. Is there a connection between the fallen and any current generation? The generation that did most of the fighting was born between 1901 and 1924. In the book The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe, the authors identify this group as a Hero Generation. Strauss and Howe see history as occurring in cycles of four generations. The circle has come around again and those currently identified as the Millennial Generation are also Hero Generation. Will they leave a similar legacy as this previous Hero Generation? Let's hope so.

4. How do you decide which of the fallen get profiled? I mostly use Ancestry.com and start with Headstone Applications for Military Veterans. Not all of the fallen have this record, but it is the best source for finding which unit he or she served in. Next I match up the names with findagrave.com which is another great source, often created by family of the fallen. There are usually around 20-80 or so names to pick from each day. I try to vary the branch of the military so readers see profiles of Army, Army Air Forces, Navy, and Marines. I use census records, enlistment records, military history websites, and Newspapers.com to find the details needed to flesh out each story.

If you know any of the World War II fallen who were born through September 2, 1920, let me know and I will schedule to profile them on their 100th birthday. Email me at ww2fallen100@gmail.com.

5. How long will the project last? It started on January 1, 2017 and will continue until September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of WW2.

By the time I have finished I will have profiled about 1,350 of the fallen. That is only enough to account for 131/2 of the 4,048 stars from The Freedom Wall. Now with the creation of the nonprofit initiative Stories Behind the Stars, it should be possible to write the stories of all of the US World War II fallen. We will need hundreds if not thousands of volunteers to make this happen, but is should be something America should be able to complete in a few short years.

6. Do you have a personal connection to the WW2 fallen? My wife's uncle served in the navy during the last year of the war. He died in the Philippines in a plane crash. He was only 20 years old. He never had a chance to raise a family of his own. Also, I found out TODAY that my dad's second cousin Ralph J. Brady was killed on the opening day of the Battle of Iwo Jima. I was totally surprised to discover this because I had never heard of this from my family.

7. What kind of response have you received? Some of the families of the fallen have contacted me to express appreciation for sharing their stories. This includes some siblings who are still alive. A common response is that people look forward to reading these profiles each day, it's addicting in a good way. Many are deeply moved by the sacrifices these young men made: in many cases they knowingly gave their lives to save others or accomplish their mission. I am particularly thankful to The Greatest Generations Foundation which has provided help to cover my research costs.

8. What are some of the things you have learned? Although I would guess I know more about World War II than 99% of the people out there, I have learned a lot, mostly because the history books usually don't focus on the individual soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen.

I was surprised to see that there were thousands of men killed in non-combat air crashes. Four decades after the Wright Brothers, air flight was still far from safe.

There are a lot of things that get missed by most history books. For example, I was surprised to learn that the Germans sunk a transport ship in the Mediterranean that took more American lives than were lost on the Arizona at Pearl Harbor - and it was sunk by a cruise missile! The Allies covered it up so the Nazis would not know about the effectiveness of this new technology. It would be decades before the story came out.

It wasn't really a surprise, but the project showed the families of the fallen came from all over the world. I have profiled hundreds of men who were one or two generations removed from just about every country in Europe, plus Mexico, China, and even Japan (the US Army soon discovered the Nisei were among the best soldiers around). America welcomes all people to enjoy the blessings of freedom. These men fought for America, though many could barely call it their home.

9. How can I keep up with WW2 Fallen 100? Join the Facebook group, WW2 Fallen 100. Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100. I would like to see support grow over time.

Please pass on a link to these stories to those who you think would enjoy it.

Don Milne

Bountiful, Utah

May 12, 2020

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

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Fallen - Artillery corporal Fred Hancock and his Marine brother Samuel

Cpl. Fred Hancock fought with an artillery battalion in Luzon
while his brother Samuel was with the 5th Marine Division on Iwo Jima.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39478761/fred-m.-hancock
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39478852/samuel-b.-hancock
https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/pacific/philippines/field-artillery-battery-in-action-january-1945-battle-of-luzon/
https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/pacific/iwo-jima/5th-division-marines-under-fire-on-iwo-jima-red-beach-no-1-feb-19-1945/ 

On this Memorial Day we honor Fred M. Hancock who never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on May 28, 1918 in Colorado. His parents Samuel and Florence were born in Texas and Oklahoma, respectively. His father worked as a farmer and later as a trucker. Fred had one older brother and two younger brothers. Their mother died in 1922 and their father remarried and moved to Kansas. By 1940 Fred had completed four years of high school and lived at home while working on the family farm.

Younger brother Alford was the first in the family to join the army when he was drafted on October 14, 1941. He served as a private first class in the 1909th Communication and Support Unit, Coast Artillery Corps.

Youngest brother Samuel joined the Marines on February 3, 1942. He became a sergeant in Company D, 1st Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division.

Fred was drafted on December 9, 1942. He became a corporal in Battery A, 947th Field Artillery Battalion. This unit was assigned to the South Pacific and took part in McArthur's island hopping to  the Philippines. It even hosted McArthur for a visit shortly after it landed on Luzon.

He was killed in action on Luzon on February 21, 1945. Four days later Samuel was killed in action fighting on Iwo Jima.

It took many weeks for the word to get back home to Dodge City. Samuel's wife was expecting the birth of their daughter when the telegrams came. Word was kept from her until after the baby was born so as not to complicate the birth.

The brothers' graves are at Greely County Cemetery in Tribune, Kansas. I don't know what happened to Samuel's wife or daughter.

Brother Alford, a WW2 veteran, died on April 22, 1948 from an embolus at age 29, most likely not due to any war wound. He is buried in the same cemetery as his brothers.

Oldest brother Erbern died in 1993.

Thank you Fred and Samuel and Alford for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for the Hancock brothers.

Last year on this date I profiled Floyd Klemme, 5th Marine Division. He and his brother Howard served in the same regiment on Iwo Jima and both were killed in action. You can read about Floyd and Howard here.

For Memorial Day 2017, I wrote about Medal of Honor hero Jack Knight. His story reads like a John Wayne movie script. You can read about Jack here.

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
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Fallen - B-24 gunner Sequoyah Downing

S/Sgt. Sequoyah Downing was a gunner in the 64th Bombardment Squadron, 43rd Bombardment Group which operated out of Port Moresby, New Guinea.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27518201/sequoyah-j-downing
https://www.reddit.com/r/WWIIplanes/comments/2qnnbz/b24_liberator_of_the_43rd_bomb_group_during_a/
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/189124-a-ww-ii64th-bombardment-squadron-patch-for-comments/

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

He was born on May 27, 1918 in Oklahoma. His parents Joel and Betsy were also both born in Oklahoma. Both parents were of Cherokee descent. His father worked as a farmer and later as a court clerk. He died sometime in the 1930s. Sequoyah had two older sisters, three younger brothers, and four younger sisters. He was an Oklahoma Golden Gloves boxing champion. He married Cora Thornton in August 1938.

Sequoyah volunteered for the Army on April 25, 1942 and selected to serve in the Army Air Forces. He became a staff sergeant in the 64th Bombardment Squadron, 43rd Bombardment Group which was equipped first with B-17s and later with B-24s, which could cover the longer distances needed in the Pacific. The 43rd BG was sent to Australia in February 1942 and later operated out of New Guinea.  Sgt. Downing was trained as a gunner.

On October 18, 1943 Sgt. Downing was one of the gunners on the B-24 Ben Buzzard. It was part of a bombing mission to hit Rabaul. The bomber ran into bad weather and turned back. It ran out of fuel before reaching its base at Port Moresby and ditched in Bootless Bay. Sgt. Downing and six others drowned, but four of the crew were rescued. 

His grave is at Hogan Cemetery in Locust Grove, Oklahoma. I don't know what happened to his widow.

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

Last year on this date I profiled Hellcat fighter pilot Robert Stimson. You can read about Robert here.

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
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Normandy Fallen - Charles Johnston, 82nd Airborne Division

Major Charles Johnston was the executive officer in the HQ Company, 3rd Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
He commanded the Americans at the Battle of Graignes.
Photo provided by Felix Alicea (enhanced using MyHeritage.com)

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

I was unable to find a photo of Charles T. Johnston. Given his high rank, I am hoping that someone can locate a photo and send it to me to update this story.

UPDATE: This photo is courtesy of Stephen G. Rabe, Ashbel Smith Chair in History (emeritus), University of Texas at Dallas

Major Johnston is standing in the 2nd row on the extreme right.

He was born on May 26, 1918 in Tennessee. His father was also born in Tennessee while his mother was born in North Carolina. His father died when Charles was an infant and he lived with his granduncle for a time. Later he and his widowed mother moved into her brother's home and she worked as a department store decorator. It appears that Charles was an only child.

He probably attended the University of Tennessee where he was an ROTC platoon sergeant.

At some point after that he accepted an officer's commission in the army and he volunteered for the paratroopers. He became a major in the 3rd Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He was the executive officer of the HQ Company.

The 507th PIR replaced the 504th PIR that had taken heavy casualties in Italy. It was selected to take part in the predawn D-Day airdrop to keep the Germans from reaching the beaches. German flak as the transport planes reach Normandy diverted the planes off of their planned course. As a result Major Johnston and the troops in the planes near his all jumped into a location far from their planned drop zone 15 miles away. It was the worst misdrop of D-Day.

Major Johnston determined it was impractical to march to the intended drop zone and ordered the 150 men under his command to defend the town they were in -- Graignes. Because they were out of position, there was no option to get resupplied, but the local French residents disbursed and collected ammunition and other supplies they found from the D-Day drop and fed the Americans from their own food.

This was an HQ unit, not a rifle company, but they did their best to adapt. They set up an observation team in the church belfry so they would see any advancing enemy in time to give warning.

For three days the Germans ignored the paratroopers in Graignes. On June 10 an SS Panzer Grenadier unit approached Graignes, but withdrew after challenged by the defending paratroopers. 

They returned the next day, outnumbering the Americans ten to one. On June 11 the SS troops were initially repulsed, but they attacked again. A very effective enemy artillery barrage took out the belfry observation post. The Americans pulled in their lines. Recognizing they were badly outmanned, Major Johnston ordered his men to breakout individually to make their way to friendly lines. More artillery came in burying Major Johnston at his command post at the local school. 

The Americans withdrew under cover of darkness. They were unable to take their wounded with them. They remained in the aid station set up in the church. In an act all to common to German SS soldiers during the war, the wounded Americans were executed. 

Major Johnston was found wounded in the ruble of his command post the next day. The SS interrogated him for serval hours and then executed him. His remains were not found until after the war. No member of the SS was ever held to justice for these war crimes.

His grave is at Lynnhurst Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee. If anyone reading this can take a photo of this and email it to ww2fallen100@gmail.com, I would like to add it to this profile.

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

An excellent account of the Battle of Graignes by Martin K. A. Morgan can be read here.

Last year on this date I profiled army cook Harry Weber, 3rd Infantry Division. You can read about Harry here.

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
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Fallen - Lester May, 36th Engineer Combat Regiment

Sgt. Lester May served with these men in the 36th Engineer Combat Regiment in Italy.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74151550/lester-eldred-may
http://tothosewhoserved.org/usa/ts/usatse03/chapter09.html

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

He was born on May 25, 1918 in Pennsylvania. His parents William and Bertha were also both born in Pennsylvania. His father worked as a farmer. Lester had one older sister. His mother died in 1928. After completing high school he got a job as a driver.

He was drafted into the army on March 3, 1942. He became a sergeant in Company H, 36th Engineer Combat Regiment. He was part of the 36th ECR from the start. The nine companies in this unit were specially trained in amphibious assault. It participated in the first amphibious landing in North Africa. It next provided engineering support as the Allies advanced through Tunisia. After that it was part of three amphibious landings in Sicily, Naples, and Anzio.

Sgt. May was killed in action on June 30, 1944 during the Rome-Arno campaign.

His grave is at Milligans Cove Christian Church Cemetery in Buffalo Mills, Pennsylvania.

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

Last year on this date I profiled Craig Spowers, USS Reuben James, who was killed by the Germans before Pearl Harbor. You can read about Craig here.

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
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Hurtgen Forest Fallen - Charles Anderson, 4th Infantry Division

Pvt. Charles Anderson joined these 4th Division GIs as a replacement in the Hurtgen Forest.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38581122/charles-william-anderson
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/349521621057540220/

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

He was born on May 24, 1918 in Tennessee. His parents James and Willie Mae were also both born in Tennessee. His father worked as a motorman for a coal mine and later as an electrician. Still later he worked as a night watchman. Charles had two younger brothers and one younger sister. His mother died in 1931. He had two more brothers and two more sisters from his father's second marriage. By 1940 Charles had completed eight years of schooling and was working as a delivery man. He married Anna Smith.

He was drafted into the army on April 23, 1944. He was sent to Europe in November 1944 and joined Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division as a replacement private. At that time the 4th ID was emeshed in the bloody fighting in the Hurtgen Forest.

On December 2, 1944 the 8th IR was heavily engaged with the enemy near Auchen, Germany. Nine officers and 125 enlisted men, including Pvt. Anderson, were wounded and evacuated to a field hospital. Two days later the hospital was bombed and Pvt. Anderson was killed.

His grave is at Coalmont Cemetery in Coalmont, Tennessee. I don't know what happened to his widow.

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

Last year on this date I profiled Elmo Olson, 7th Armored Division. You can read about Elmo here.

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

Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100

WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

http://www.tggf.org

WW2 Fallen - B-24 engineer Raymond Ranville

Staff Sergeant Raymond Ranville was the engineer / top turret gunner on the B-24 Fertile Myrtle.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44890332/raymond-a-ranville
http://www.ww2incolor.com/us-air-force/B24-ACTION.html

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

He was born on May 23, 1918 in Michigan. His mother Ellen was also born in Michigan while his father and three of his grandparents were born in Canada. His father worked as a barber. Raymond had three younger brothers and two younger sisters. By 1940 Raymond had completed four years of high school and was working as a heating duct operator and lived at home.

He was drafted into the army on June 5, 1941 and volunteered for the Army Air Forces. He became a staff sergeant in the 724th Bombardment Squadron, 451st Bombardment Group which was equipped with B-24 Liberators. It was sent to Italy in January 1944 and was part of the 15th Air Force.

On August 23, 1944 the 451st BG's 109th mission of the war was to bomb the enemy airdrome in Markersdorf, Austria. Between this mission and the one the day before, the 451st lost 15 planes, the worst outcome for this unit during the war. The Germans had scores of fighters and the Americans were without any fighter coverage of their own. Sgt. Ranville was the engineer/top turret gunner on the Fertile Myrtle on what would be her final mission. The plane was shot down and Sgt. Ranville was listed as missing in action. The other men on the plane survived but two were later killed trying to escape with the remainder becoming prisoners of war. Sgt. Ranville's remains were found at some time because they were sent home in 1950.

His grave is at New Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Flint, Michigan.

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

Last year on this date I profiled Ney Wagner, 35th Infantry Division. You can read about Ney here.

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 100 is supported by

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation

“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”

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