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McKEAN
COUNTY
WORLD WAR II
Casualties
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Private
William H. Haglund
319th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry
Division
Hometown: Barrett Avenue, Port Allegany
Killed in action 10 February 1945
Germany
Age: 19
Buried: Plot H, Row 2, Grave
29
Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg
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Tech
Sergeant Gerald Hansen
525th Bomber Squadron, 379th Bomber Group,
Heavy
Hometown: Bradford
Killed in action 14 October 1943
Age: 29
Buried: Plot C, Row 23, Grave
83
Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France
Hansen
was on his 19th mission as a tail gunner on the B-17 "BAD
NEWS" when he and three other crewmen were killed by German
fighters. Their mission was Schweinfurt, Germany, and became known
as "Black Thursday" because 60 of the 291 B-17s on that
mission were shot down. Hansen was moving forward to assist a
waist gunner and was killed by 20mm shell fire from a German fighter.
Control of the B-17 was lost and the remaining six crewmen parachuted
and were taken prisoner. Hansen and the other three men crashed
with the B-17 south of Schweinfurt.
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Tech
Sergeant Willard G. Hanson
United States Marine Corps
Hometown: Kane
Died Non-Battle, Hawaiian Territory: June 24, 1945
Age: 27
Buried: Plot C, Site 1320
Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii
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Staff
Sergeant Merle L. Hartburg
Radio Operator, 403rd Bomber Squadron
43rd Bomber Group, Heavy
Hometown: Clermont
Missing in action: November 29, 1942
Age: 23
Tablets of the Missing
Manila American Cemetery, Philippines
Their B-17 was the first loss
of the 403rd BS. It took off from Turnbull Airfield near Milne
Bay, New Guinea, at 11:45 hrs on a mission to shadow a Japanese
convoy of four destroyers sent to reinforce Buna. At 17:30 hrs
their B-17 radioed that it had made contact with the convoy near
Umboi Island in the Vitiaz Straight. No further contact was received
from the aircraft. The entire crew was declared dead on January
7, 1946.
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Private
First Class William E. Hauck
175th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division
Hometown: Colegrove
Killed in action 17 June 1944, France
Buried: Plot G, Row 11, Grave 6
Normandy American Cemetery, St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France
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Corporal
Robert T. Hawk
Company A, 489th Ordnance Evacuation Company,
37th Tank Division
Hometown: Bradford
Killed in action 11 April 1945, Germany
Age: 20
Buried: Union Dale Cemetery,
Pittsburgh, PA
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Private
Leo E. Hayes
Company C, 805th Tank Destroyer Battalion,
1st Armored Division
Hometown: Bradford
Killed in action in March 7, 1943
Age: 28
Battle of Kasserine Pass, North
Africa
Buried: Ridge Cemetery, Kersey, PA
Repatriated: 10 March 1949
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Second
Lieutenant Roger L. Hazard
P-38 Pilot, 35th Fighter Squadron
Army Air Forces
Hometown: Ash Street,
Kane
Killed in action: Apri 18, 1944
Age: 23
Buried: Section 12, Site 2492
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Repatriated: 25 June 1948
Shot down over New Guinea
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Private
Robert P. Henretta
United States Marine Corps
USS Solace (AH-5)
Hometown: Bordell
Killed in action 17 November 1942
Buried: St. Bernards Cemetery, Bradford
Repatriated: 17 March 1948 |
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Corporal
Paul R. Henton
602nd Medium Tank Company (Amphibious)
Camp Bradford, VA
Hometown: Duke Center
Died on 16 January 1945 as he was handling high explosives during
regimental exhibition maneuvers
Age: 24
Buried: McKean Memorial Park, Lafayette Twp |
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Sergeant
Jack O. Higgins
15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
Hometown: Bradford
Killed in action 3 November 1944, France
Age: 21
Buried: Plot B, Row 31, Grave
51
Epinal American Cemetery, France
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Staff
Sergeant Lester R. Higley
855th Bomber Squadron, 491st Bomber Group,
Heavy
Hometown: Duke Center
Killed in action 24 March 1945
Age: 22
Buried: Plot H, Row 11, Grave
14
Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands
Tail
gunner on the B-24 "Hot Rock" (pilot Lt Paul Fox) on
a low level supply mission to British drop zone across the Rhine.
The B-24 was hit by enemy flak, on fire, and attempted a steep
climb to reach a safe bail out altitude, but the aircraft went
out of control, rolled over on its back and crashed about two
miles northeast of Wesel, Germany.
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Private
First Class Albert A. Himes
193rd Military Police Company
Hometown: Hazel Hurst
Died of accidental wounds 15 January 1944
Tunisia, North Africa
Age: 19
Buried: McKean Memorial Park, Lafayette Twp
Repatriated: 2 June 1948 |
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Corporal
Clay H. Holmes
Company B, 343rd Engineers,
1255th Combat Engineer Battalion
Hometown: Sergeant Twp, Kane
Drowned 19 September 1945, Germany
Age: 19
Buried: McKean Memorial Park, Lafayette Twp
Repatriated: 22 October 1948 |
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Private
First Class Eugene F. Howard
115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division
Hometown: School Street, Bradford
Died of wounds 19 September 1944, France
Age: 19
Buried: Plot J, Row 16, Grave
5
Brittany American Cemetery, St. James, France
Seriously wounded on 15 September
1944
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![](halo%20(300x165).jpg)
Messman
Milford K. Hullihen
U.S. Merchant Marine - SS Halo
(Tanker)
Hometown: Bradford
Missing in action 20 May 1942, Gulf of Mexico
Age: 36
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At 07.58
hours on 20 May 1942 the unescorted and unarmed Halo (Master Ulrich
Fred Moller) was hit by two torpedoes from U-506 about 50 miles
from the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River, while proceeding
on a rapidly changing zigzag pattern at 10.4 knots. The first
torpedo struck on the starboard side under the bridge and completely
destroyed this part of the ship. The second hit aft of the bridge
but forward of the engine room. The second explosion broke the
ship in two and ignited the cargo.
The tanker plunged bow first
with her propeller still turning and sank within three minutes.
23 men of the crew of eight officers and 34 men managed to leave
the ship, but only one raft was left, the four lifeboats and three
other rafts were destroyed by the explosions and fire. The survivors
huddled together clinging to wreckage in the water near the sunken
ship throughout the night and the next day. The oil on the surface
burned for six hours. Two men cling to a half-burned raft and
stayed on it for seven days without food or water. They were then
picked up by Otina and taken to New Orleans.
The other survivors in the
water began dying from exposure and injuries. On the third day
wreckage ascended from the tanker and the seven remaining survivors
tied boards together with strips of canvas torn from their life
preservers. Crude oil also floated free forming a layer four inches
thick. Five days after the sinking, the Oaxaca picked up the three
remaining survivors, but one of these men died at sea. The two
men arrived at a hospital in Tampico on 28 May, but one men died
30 minutes after arriving. Thus, only one officer and two crewmen
survived the sinking.
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Fireman
2/c Frederick L. Huntoon
USS Atlanta (CL-51)
Hometown: Lewis Run
Missing in action 13 November 1942
Age: 20
Tablets of the Missing, Honolulu
Memorial, Hawaii
Struck
by a torpedo and 49 enemy shells, the Atlanta lay dead in the
water only minutes after engaging Japanese naval forces near Savo
Island, Guadalcanal. The Atlanta sunk one Japanese destroyer and
had claimed several hits against a cruiser, all the while with
one third her crew killed or missing, operating under auxiliary
power, the engine room flooded and topside in ruin. Scuttling
charges were set and exploded, sending the Atlanta to the ocean’s
bottom.
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Private
William H. Hyde
295th Combat Engineer Battalion
Hometown: Derrick City
Killed in action 30 December 1944, Germany
Buried:
Plot F, Row 12, Grave 25
Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands
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Tech
Sergeant Charles K. Isham
305th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division
Hometown: Bradford
Killed in action 25 July 1944, Guam
Age: 32
Buried: Plot O, Site 105
Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii
Killed
on his birthday
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Private
First Class Angelo J. Isidori
Company E, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry
Division
Hometown: Smethport
Died of wounds 16 March 1945
Luzon, Philippines
Age: 24
Buried: St. Elizabeth's Cemetery, Smethport
Repatriated: 10 February 1949 |
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Private
First Class Harold F. Jackson
Company C, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry
Division
Hometown: Port Allegany
Died of wounds 1 July 1944, France
Buried: Plot D, Row 2, Grave
10
Cambridge American Cemetery, England
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Second
Lieutenant Henry R. Jacobus
327th Fighter Squadron, 328th Fighter Group,
Hamilton AAF, San Rafael, CA
Hometown: Kane
Died 24 September 1942
Age: 27
Buried: St. Callistus Cemetery,
Kane
Jacobus
was piloting a P-39D when he failed to pull the plane from a steep
dive, two miles Southeast of Petaluma, CA.
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Second
Lieutenant Howard D. Jeutter
717th Bomber Squadron, 449th Bomber Group,
Heavy
Hometown: Derrick City
Killed 23 February 1944, Italy
Age: 27
Buried: McKean Memorial Park,
Lafayette Twp
Repatriated: 29 November 1948
Jeutter's
B-24 "The Temptress" was on mission to Steyr, Austria
when it crashed on takeoff, killing all 10 on board.
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Second
Engineer Botvig R. Johnson
U.S. Merchant Marine - SS Gulftrade (Tanker)
Hometown: Port Allegany
Missing in action 10 March 1942, off NJ coastline
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At 06.32
hours on 10 March 1942 the unescorted and unarmed Gulftrade (Master
Torger Olsen) was torpedoed by U-588 3 miles off Barnegat Light.
The tanker was spotted by the U-boat, because the running lights
and the masthead light had been turned on to avoid collision with
several colliers in the vicinity. A torpedo struck the starboard
side just forward of the mainmast and just aft of the bridge.
The explosion broke the ship in two, ripped up the decks and completely
opened tanks #5, #6 and #7.
Oil and debris was sprayed
over the vessel from stem to stern and the ship caught fire immediately.
Within one minute, the high seas washed over the tanker and extinguished
the flames. The engines were stopped and the ship was abandoned
by the crew of eight officers and 26 crewmen. The high seas and
the fact that oil lay several inches deep all about the deck and
had filled the boats complicated the abandoning. Seven survivors
stayed on the stern and nine abandoned ship in a lifeboat. Two
other boats with 18 men swamped, drowning the officer and 17 crewmen
in them.
USCGC Antietam (WPC 128) arrived
and picked up the men in the lifeboat. While maneuvering to remove
the men on the stern, her port propeller got fouled with a mooring
line. The men were then rescued by USS Larch (AN 21). The survivors
reported that the U-boat surfaced 5 minutes after the attack,
circled the stern and departed 45 minutes later on a southerly
course.
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Private
First Class Ivan J. Johnson
Company A, 336th Combat Engineer Battalion,
Ninth Army
Hometown: Willard Avenue, Bradford
Killed in action 14 February 1945, Germany
Age: 34
Buried: Willow Dale Cemetery, Bradford
Repatriated: 14 April 1949 |
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First
Sergeant John E. Johnson
Company H, 112th Infantry Regiment,
28th Infantry Division
Hometown: Kane
Drowned 6 March 1943
Amphibious landings training at Camp Gordon, FL
Age: 25
Buried: Forest Lawn Cemetery, Kane |
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Gunners
Mate 3/c Raymond A. Johnson
USS Cabot (CVL-28)
Hometown: Kane
Killed in action 25 November 1944
Age: 21
Tablets of the Missing, Manila
American Cemetery, Philippines
The carrier
USS Cabot was attacked by Kamikazes off Luzon, Philippines with
62 KIA.
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Private
Walter A. Johnson
803rd Engineer Aviation Battalion
Hometown: Kane
Missing in action 7 September 1944
Tablets of the Missing, Manila
American Cemetery, Philippines
Taken
prisoner on May 6, 1942
Corregidor, Philippines / Prisoner of War: Japan
Private Johnson was being transported on the Prisoner of War "HELL
SHIP" Shinyo Maru when it was torpedoed and sunk accidentally
by the US submarine USS Paddle on September 7, 1944 off the coast
of Mindanao, Philippines. Of the 750 American prisoners on board,
668 drowned and 82 survived.
![](ShinyoMaru%20(300x189).jpg)
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Private
William M. Johnson, Jr.
Section
C, 224th A.A.F. Base Unit, Sioux City, Iowa
Hometown: Kane, James City
Died of Illness: July 10, 1944
Age: 20
Buried: Forest Lawn Cemetery,
Kane
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Staff
Sergeant Arthur C. Johnston
Company K, 112th Infantry Regiment
28th Infantry Division
Hometown: Bradford
Killed in action 8 November 1944
Battle of the Huertgen Forest, Germany
Age: 27
Buried: Willow Dale Cemetery, Bradford
Repatriated: 3 December 1948 |
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Corporal
George H. Jones
596th Airborne Engineer Company,
517th Parachute Infantry Regiment
Hometown: Smethport
Killed in action 5 January 1945, Battle of the Bulge
Buried: Plot F, Row 10, Grave
32
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium
Jones served in combat in Italy,
France and Belgium
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Staff
Sergeant George D. Keefer
Army Air Corps
Hometown: Bradford
Non-battle Air Crash: October 17, 1945
Age: 32
Pilot Powers and Keefer
crashed in a DC-3 in Burma.
Buried: Section 34 / Site 4986,
Arlington National Cemetery
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Corporal
Virgil C. Kinney
27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division
Hometown: Eldred, Port Allegany & Portville, NY
Killed in action 22 April 1945, Luzon, Philippines
Age: 30
Buried: Annin Cemetery, Annin Twp
Repatriated: 7 August 1948 |
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Private
First Class George Knickerbocker
104th Infantry Division
Hometown: Eldred
Died of wounds 10 March 1945, Germany
Buried: Chestnut Cemetery, Portville, NY
Repatriated: 12 December 1947
Wounded on 26 February 1945 |
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Staff
Sergeant Raymond W. Kraft
Company D, 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry
Division
Hometown: Kane
Killed in action 8 November 1944
Battle of Huertgen Forest, Germany
Buried: St. Callistus Cemetery, Kane
Repatriated: 12 December 1947 |
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Staff
Sergeant Joseph M. Kunkel
Company L, 423rd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division
Hometown: Eldred
Killed in action 21 December 1944
Battle of the Bulge
Age: 35
Buried: St. Bonaventure Cemetery, Allegany,
NY
Repatriated: 19 April 1949 |
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Private
First Class John D. Lacney
Company D, 31st Tank Destroyer Battalion,
7th Armored Division
Hometown: Keating Summit (Port Allegany)
Died of wounds 22 January 1945
Age: 31
Battle of the Bulge
Buried: Fairview Cemetery, Port Allegany
Repatriated: 14 September 1948 |
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Sergeant
Laurence Lambillotte
180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division
Hometown: Eldred
Killed in action 12 February 1944, Anzio Beach, Italy
Age: 25
Buried: Plot
I, Row 13, Grave 65
Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Nettuno, Italy
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Private
Rudolph E. Larson
Company M, 112th Infantry Regiment,
28th Infantry Division
Hometown: Kane
Died January 11, 1942, Lewistown, PA
Age: 31
Buried: Nebo Cemetery, Mt. Jewett
Struck by a vehicle while hitch
hiking home on furlough
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Private
Clyde M. Lawton
Company F, 1301 SN Reception Center, New Cumberland,
PA
Hometown: East Smethport
Committed suicide in Port Allegany: June25, 1942
Age: 30
Buried: Eulalia Cemetery, Coudersport, PA |
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Staff
Sergeant Quinten E. Lecker
476th Bomber Squadron, 335th Bomber Group,
Medium
Hometown: Mount Alton
Killed in action 17 December 1943, Over English Channel
Age: 25
Buried: St. Marys Cemetery
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Lieutenant
Donald N. Leilich
60th Ferry Squadron, 3rd Ferry Group, Romulus
AAF, MI
Hometown: West Corydon Street, Bradford
Died 26 March 1944
Age: 24
Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Erie, PA
Leilich
was piloting a P-39 when it crashed six miles South of Billy Mitchell
Field, WI.
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Sergeant
Eugene C. Lewis
18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division
Hometown: Eldred & Portville, NY
Killed in action 1 March 1945, Germany
Age: 31
Buried:
Plot B, Row 2, Grave 51
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium
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Sergeant
Joseph A. Liegey
Battery C, 925th Field Artillery Battalion
100th Infantry Division
Hometown: Kane
Killed in action: January 13, 1945, France
Age: 25
Buried: Frenchville, PA
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Private
Homer S. Long, Jr.
Company F, 194th Glider Infantry Regiment,
17th Airborne Division
Hometown: Coleville
Enlisted: New York
Killed in action 6 April 1945, Germany
Age: 20
Buried: McKean Memorial Park, Lafayette Twp
Repatriated: 3 December 1948 |
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Private
First Class Charles D. Loop
337th Infantry Regiment, 85th Infantry Division
Hometown: Eldred
Died of wounds 19 June 1945
Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, DC
Buried: Willow Dale Cemetery, Bradford
Loop
was severely wounded in Italy in October 1944. He was also hospitalized
at Beaumont Hospital, El Paso, TX and Deshon Hospital, Butler,
PA.
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Staff
Sergeant Robert C. Luce
Headquarters Company, 112th Infantry Regiment,
28th Infantry Division
Hometown: Kane
Killed in action 8 November 1944
Battle of Huertgen Forest, Germany
Age: 28
Buried: Forest Lawn Cemetery, Kane
Repatriated: 9 December 1947 |
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Flight
Officer Howard J. Lundberg
425th Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group,
Heavy
Hometown: Kane
Missing in action: August 9, 1944
Age: 23
Tablets of the Missing
Manila American Cemetery, Philippines
On his
4th mission, Lundberg's B-24J departed Kunming, China on a low
altitude, combat-mine laying mission to Victoria Harbor, Hong
Kong.
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Second
Lieutenant Jesse A. Lutman
Co-pilot, B-26 Marauder, Ninth Army Air Force
Hometown: Bradford
Killed in action 23 December 1944, Over Witry, Belgium
Buried: McKean Memorial Park, Lafayette Twp
Repatriated: 14 December 1948 |
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