WW2 Fallen - B-29 Bombardier Werner Leu

2nd Lt. Walter Leu was the bombardier on the B-29 Southern Belle, 497th Bombardment Group.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107830242
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/292734044502942244/

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

He was born on December 7, 1917 in Wisconsin. His parents Sam and Lena were both born in Switzerland and immigrated to America in 1896. His father worked as a farmer. Werner had four older brothers, five older sisters, and one younger sister. Werner completed four years of high school and worked in a warehouse prior to joining the army.

He enlisted in the army on January 24, 1941. The future of his life changed on his 24th birthday with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. At some point he joined the Army Air Forces and trained to be a bombardier. He became a second lieutenant in the 871st Bombardment Squadron, 497th Bombardment Group which was equipped with B-29 Superfortresses. The 497th BG operated out of Saipan.

On July 19, 1945 the mission for the 871st Bomb Squad was Hitachi. Lt. Leu's plane, named Southern Belle, ditched into the ocean shortly after takeoff. Five airmen returned to duty, one died of wounds and the other five, including Lt. Leu were killed in the crash.

His grave is at Union Grove Cemetery in Darlington, Wisconsin.

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

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 D-Day Fallen - Nalty Keen, 82nd Airborne Division

Pfc. Nalty Keen was killed on D-Day. His united liberated the first France town -- Sainte Mere Eglise.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50060266
https://d-daybattletours.co.uk/where-we-go-and-what-we-do/american-airborne-landings/
http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/82nd-airborne-at-sainte-mere-eglise/ 

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

He was born on December 6, 1917 in Mississippi. His parents Ernest and Martha were also both born in Mississippi. His father worked as a farmer. Nalty had an older brother and sister. By 1940 Nalty had completed four years of high school and was working on the family farm.

He enlisted in the army on December 6, 1940, his twenty-third birthday. He eventually became a private first class in the Headquarter Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. The 82nd AD was created in March 1942. It was the first airborne division sent overseas. It's first airdrop was in Sicily in July 1943. Two months later Pfc. Keen's 505th PIR airdropped at Salerno. In early 1944 it moved to England to prepare for the invasion of France.

Late in the evening of June 5, 1944, the men from the 505th PIR boarded 117 C-47 Skytrains for the flight to Normandy. Just before 2:00 am on June 6, 1944 Pfc. Keen jump out of his C-47 Skytrain and landed near Sainte Mere Eglise. The skill of the 505th PIR pathfinders resulted in 75 percent of its men landing in their drop zones. It successfully captured Sainte Mere Eglise, the first town liberated in France.

Pfc. Keen was killed before D-Day ended. I was not able to determine any more details. On D-Day and the week that followed 212 men from the 505th PIR were killed or died of their wounds.

His grave is at Rose Hill Cemetery in Brookhaven, Mississippi.

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

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 - 1st Marine Division's Leslie Sargent, from Pearl Harbor to Okinawa

Cpl. Leslie Sargent served on Okinawa with these leathernecks from the 7th Marine Regiment shown landing on D-Day.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22274760/leslie-charles-sargent/photo
https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Okinawa/USMC-M-Okinawa-5.html

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

He was born on December 5, 1917 in California. His parents Roy and Ruth were born in Minnesota and Kansas, respectively. His father worked as a farmer and later as a rancher. Leslie had an older sister and four younger sisters. By 1940 Leslie was still living at home. He had completed four years of high school and had a job as a farmer. He married Ester Hess on June 26, 1944.

Leslie enlisted in the Marines on March 21, 1941. He became a corporal in Company L, 3rd, Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. 

Leslie was on Oahu Island when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was with his unit when it fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal. It went on to fight in New Britain and Peleliu. Leslie made it through all these battles without being wounded. 

He was stateside for part of 1944. He married Ester Hess on June 26, 1944. He had another 30 day leave in December to visit his family. He would not talk much about his experiences in the Pacific.

By 1945 Leslie was a corporal when the 1st Marine Division was assigned to the invasion of Okinawa that began on April 1, 1945.

He was killed after 38 days of combat on May 9, 1945. His actions resulted in a posthumous Bronze Star. The citation said:

"Quick to act when his platoon"s advance was temporarily halted by a well entrenched machine gun position, Copal. Sargent fearlessly led his squad up a steep ridge, fighting with aggressive determination to reach his objective. Although fatally struck by enemy fire his daring initiative inspired his men to continue the assault until two of the Japanese were killed and the rest forced to withdraw." 

The number of people who were at the first major battle of the Pacific and and last major battle were probably just a few hundred at the most and perhaps much less. Cpl. Sargent was one of them.

His grave is at Hillside Memorial Cemetery in Redlands, California. His widow remarried and died in 1992.

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

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 Battle of the Bulge Fallen - Albert Meeham, 80th Infantry Division

Sgt. Albert Meehan fought in the Battle of the Bulge with these 80th Infantry Divsion soldiers.
https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/17793270/person/556770239/media/60555a25-6ad0-43c0-9d64-599950da97b4?_phsrc=zRz6&_phstart=successSource
https://theamericanwarrior.com/2013/12/ 

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

He was born on December 4, 1917 in Pennsylvania. His parents James and Bess were also both born in Pennsylvania. His father worked as a gasoline station proprietor and later as a coal operator. Albert (his father went by James) had three younger brothers and two younger sisters. By 1940 he had completed three years of college and was working as a coal mine weighmaster. All of his brothers were eligible for the draft, but I could only find evidence that his youngest brother served and it was only for the last few months of the war.

He first enlisted in the Marines but he was discharged after contracting polio that left him with a weakened left side. After the war started he wanted to join again. Despite his ailment, his previous military training allowed him to enlist in the US Army on July 7, 1942.

He became a tech sergeant in the 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division (Nicknamed "Blue Ridge Division"). The 80th ID arrived in France in August 1944. It first saw action at Argentan in late August and raced across France to the river Sielle. By November it had advanced almost to Saarbrucken.

When the Battle of the Bulge started, the 80th ID was dispatched by General Patton along with the 4th Armored Division, to reconnect with the 101st Airborne Division encircled in Bastogne.

Sgt. Meehan was killed on December 25, 1944 while his regiment and 4th Armored Division tanks defeated the last Germans blocking the path to Bastogne. 

His grave is at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.

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

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-26 pilot William Vroom

Lt. William Vroom was a B-26 pilot who served with the 19th Bombardment Squadron (different crew shown in photo).
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136573560
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/366902700872585767/

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

He was born on December 3, 1917 in Massachusetts. His mother Lillian was also born in Massachusetts and his father Frank was born in Canada. His father worked as a print shop manager and later was the assistant president of a printing office. William was an only child. By 1940 William was a graduate of Dartmouth University.

He enlisted in the Army Air Forces on November 25, 1940. As an aviation cadet he learned how to fly B-26 Marauders. By July 1941 he was stationed in Riverside, California. William married Susanne Cooke in February 1942. Shortly thereafter he was shipped out to Australia where he became a first lieutenant in the 19th Bombardment Squadron, 22nd Bombardment Group. It operated out of Townsville and later Woodstock where it attacked targets in New Guinea and New Britain.

Modern readers may find it fitting that someone with the name of Vroom would become an airplane pilot. From what I have found, Vroom did not have the popular meaning of motion until the 1960's.

Lt. Vroom death was not flying related. He died after falling down a flight of stairs in Brisbane, Australia.

His grave is at Exeter Cemetery in New Hampshire. William's widow remarried and died in 1999.

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 Fallen - Silver Star hero Dr. Robert Schorsch, 101st Airborne Division

Lt. Robert Schorsch, PhD. jumped with these troops from the 101st Airborne Division into Holland
on September 17, 1944.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10152966146890882&id=113797015881
http://ww2today.com/17-september-1944-market-garden-allied-airborne-attack-into-holland 

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

He was born on December 2, 1917 in Illinois. His mother Elizabeth was also born in Illinois and his father Albert was born in Hungary. His father worked as a builder and later as a real estate contractor. Still later he was a real estate broker. Robert had two younger brothers and five younger sisters. By 1940 Robert as still living at home. He completed four yeas of college. He went on to earn a PhD. from Notre Dame University.

He enlisted in the army on July 14, 1942. At some point he volunteered to join the airborne. He also married Donna Lacher. 

He became a first lieutenant in Company B, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division. He jumped into Normandy in the early hours of D-Day, June 6, 1944. While leading his men in Normandy, Lt. Schorsch earned the Silver Star, one of only 15 of these awards given to officers from the 101st Airborne during WW2. 101st Division General Maxwell Taylor was stingy about approving awards for valor.

Three months later he jumped into Holland on September 17, 1944 as part of Operation Market Garden. At that time I believe he was serving in the HQ Company of the 1st Battalion. He was killed in action on September 24, 1944 in Eerde, Holland.

His grave is at Saint Joseph Cemetery in River Grove, Illinois. I don't know what happened to his widow.

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

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 pilot Louis Bass

Lt. Louis Bass was the pilot of the B-24 Kentucky Baby, shown here with another airman and after the crash.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5981978
http://www.b24.net/MM042144.htm
http://www.b24.net/aircraft/KentuckyBaby.jpg 

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

He was born on December 1, 1917 in Texas. His parents Ben and Emma were also both born in Texas. His father worked as a farmer. Louis had an older sister and brother and a younger brother who was a lieutenant commander in the US Navy and survived the war. By 1940 Louis had completed four years of high school and worked on the family farm.

He enlisted in the army on January 28, 1941. Some point later he volunteered for the Army Air Forces and was trained as a pilot. He attained the rank of second lieutenant, 577 Bombardment Squadron, 392nd Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force which was equipped with B-24 Liberators. The 392nd BG arrived in England in 1943.

On April 21, 1944 Lt. Bass and his officers were briefed on the mission to bomb the aircraft repair factory in Zwickau, Germany as part of a 28 bomber mission. The weather over the base in England was bad with severe icing up in the clouds. Nevertheless, Lt. Bass took off the Kentucky Baby with the rest of the bomb group. Perhaps due to icing, the left wing broke off in flight. The plane exploded on its way down. Two men got out and parachuted to safety. The other eight were killed, including Lt. Bass.

His grave is at Altoga Cemetery in Texas. In 2010, the English village near where the plane crashed erected a memorial to honor those who died.

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

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