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| Ensign Glenn Nelson was an BPY-5 navigator in VP-84 based in Iceland https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19959988/glenn-sparks-nelson https://stridsminjar.is/en/a-list-of-crash-sites-by-year/accidents-in-1942/85-catalina-arnarholl-landeyjasandur-june-20-1942 |
Glenn Sparks Nelson never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Glenn was born on May 2, 1920 in Texas. His parents Hunter and Lucille were born in Kansas and Texas, respectively. His father worked as a grocery store salesman and later as a retail grocery clerk. Glenn had one older brother and one younger sister. By 1940 Glenn had completed one year of college and was working as a newspaper carrier.
He enlisted in the US Navy in June 1941. He became an ensign in Squadron VP-84. This squadron was equipped with PBY-5 Catalinas in February 1942. In September 1942 it was assigned to a base in Iceland where it served to locate and sink enemy submarines. Winter in Iceland often made flying hazardous plus with only four hours of daylight, flying time was limited. Regardless, Ensign Nelson made regular anti-submarine flights beginning on November 1, 1942.
On December 27, 1942 Ensign Nelson's plane was caught in a squall and crashed on the Keflavik Peninsula killing Ensign Nelson. He was posthumously award the Air Medal.
His grave is at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo, Texas
Last year on this date I profiled B-17 pilot and West Point grad Herschel Jarrell. You can read about Herschel 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.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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