The Final Story of the WW2 Fallen 100 Project - Peter Anderson, 158th Regimental Combat Team

PFC Peter Anderson served in the 158th Regimental Combat Team in the Philippines.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30940603/peter-richard-anderson
https://www.ww2online.org/image/members-1st-battalion158th-regimental-combat-team-rests-wounded-near-damortis-philippines-1945

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

If you have enjoyed reading the stories of the WWII fallen, Can you help write some stories? It's a big project. The more help, the better.  Announcing "The Stories Behind the Stars", see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org. This crowd-sourced national project has the goal of compiling stories of all 421,000 of the US World War II fallen in one free-to-access central database. As of this writing we have people from 43 state and 7 other countries involved. We are going to need a lot of volunteers. Anyone visiting a war memorial or gravesite can use their smartphone to read any of these stories. Example here. UPDATE 01-10-2024 Our volunteers have now completed more than 40,000 stories. We need many more volunteers to complete the remaining names.

He was born on September 2, 1920 in Grantsville, Utah. His parents Gustave and Claudia (Brim) were also both born in Utah. His father worked as a farmer and a sheep herder. He died in 1936. Peter had one older brother (Adolph) and five older sisters (Geneva Ecton, Emma Tripp, Florence Watson, Josephine Howell, Bernice Carson). By 1940 Peter was still living at home. He had completed two years of high school and was working odd jobs. He married Nancy Widger in 1941. They had two children.

He was drafted into the army on June 14, 1944. He reached the rank of private first class and was assigned to the 158th Infantry Regiment. This unit was nicknamed the Bushmasters. When the war started it was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. It was an independent regiment that did not become part of an infantry division as was normally the case. The 158th IR was sent to Australia in January 1943. It was redesignated the 158th Regimental Combat Team.

PFC Anderson shipped out in December 1944 and became part of the 158th RCT as a replacement in March 1945. The unit had been part of the invasion of Lingayen Gulf in January 1945 to begin the task of retaking Luzon.

On April 1 the 158th RCT landed on the Bicol Peninsula with the task of taking Legazpi. PFC Anderson was killed on April 12, 1945. He may have been one of the last Bushmasters killed in the war.

His grave is at Grantsville City Cemetery in Grantsville, Utah. His widow remarried and died in 1990. His son Gary died in 2005. His other child may still be living.

Thank you PFC Anderson for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Peter.

This is THE final story to be written as part of this project which honors at least one of the US fallen for every day of the war from December 7, 1941 to September 2, 1945. More than 1,400 men and women were  profiled. The project will live on in an expanded program to write the stories of all 400,000+ US World War II fallen. Visit www.storiesbehindthestars.org to learn more. We welcome your continued support and interest and encourage you to help write some of these stories.

Last year on this date I profiled Robert Lemmon, 7th Armored Division. 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

References:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30940603/peter-richard-anderson

Luzon 1945: The Final Liberation of the Philippines by Clayton K. S. Chun

The Transcript Bulletin, 29 Oct 1948

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/158th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)

https://www.manilatimes.net/2017/04/01/news/regions/legazpi-commemorates-liberation-japanese/320459/

WW2 Fallen - Alf Wedberg, 36th Infantry Division

PFC Alf Wedberg served with the 36th Infantry Division in France.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100598928/alf-erick-wedberg
https://36thbaker.weebly.com/unit-history.html

Private First Class Alf Erick Wedberg never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom. 

If you have enjoyed reading the stories of the WWII fallen, Can you help write some stories? It's a big project. The more help, the better.  Announcing "The Stories Behind the Stars", see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org. This crowd-sourced national project has the goal of compiling stories of all 400,000+ of the US World War II fallen in one free-to-access central database. We are going to need a lot of volunteers. Anyone visiting a war memorial or gravesite will be able to scan the name of the fallen with a smartphone and his story will appear on the phone.

Alf was born September 1, 1920,  in Westmanland, Maine to Eric Walter Wedberg and Alvina Clara Espling. His siblings were Ethel E. Wedberg Ekman and Edwin R Wedberg. Alf attended school in Westmanland, Maine, and was working in farming before he enlisted. His parents proceeded him in death.

He enlisted in the Army on April 11, 1944, at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. He received his training at Camp Croft in South Carolina. He went overseas that same year. He ended up with the rank of private first class and was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division.

The 36th ID had been in action since September 1943, beginning with the Italian Campaign where it suffered very high losses. In August 1944 it was part of the American landing in southern France. By October it was heavily engaged in the Vosges Mountain. PFC Wedberg likely joined his unit around this time. The 36th ID was finally taken out of the line at the end of 1944. It was back to the front in March 1945.

Alf was reported Killed In Action in France on March 20, 1945. His findagrave memorial mentions he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, but this is not confirmed elsewhere. By the time the war ended the 36th ID suffered nearly 20,000 casualties including more than 3,600 killed or missing.

Private First Class Alf Erick Wedberg was laid to rest Westmanland Cemetery in Aroostook County Westmanland, Maine.

Thank you PFC Wedberg for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Alf. You will never be forgotten. 

__________________

This profile was written and summarized by Brianne Ellison. I am a business owner and stay at home mom of 4 children in Utah. I have been an independent family history researcher for over 12 years. I have also had a passion for U.S. war history since I was a child. WWII is my most passionate research project aside from family history. I am so grateful to be able to contribute to a memorial of such a courageous soldier that never gave up. It is because of men like Alf, that we have our freedom today. “Land of the Free because of the Brave.” Thank you, Private First Class Alf Erick Wedberg.

This is one of the last 2 stories to be written as part of this project which ends on September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. At that time more than 1,370 men and women will have been profiled. The project will live on in an expanded program to write the stories of all 400,000+ US World War II fallen. Visit www.storiesbehindthestars.org to learn more. We welcome your continued support and interest and encourage you to help write some of these stories.

Last year on this date I profiled training submarine USS R-12 fallen James Horton. You can read about James 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

References:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100598928/alf-erick-wedberg

Bangor Daily News, 15 Jun 1945

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/36th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)