Sergeant Carl A. Nelson

108th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division

Hometown: Smethport

Missing in action 23 February 1945, Luzon, Philippines
Age: 27

Tablets of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Philippines

Private First Class Maurice V. Nelson

51st Medical Corps, Army

Hometown: Mount Jewett

Died in a vehicle accident 12 May 1944, Oran, Algeria
Age: 44

Buried: Nebo Cemetery, Mount Jewett

PFC Nelson saw action in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. He had received a furlough home to the U.S. and was en route home when the accident occurred.

Private First Class Jack B. Ness

7th Airways and Communications Service,
Army Air Force

Hometown: Port Allegany

Died Non-Battle: Vehilce Accident
21 April 1945, Schwangliu, China

Buried: Plot C, Site 335,
Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii

Repatriated: February 3, 1949

Their vehicle struck a bomb crater in roadway in middle of the night, overturning into a ditch full of water. Ness was pinned under the truck and drowned.

Gunners Mate 2/c John F. Novosel

USS Callaghan (DD-792)

Hometown: Kane

Killed in action 29 July 1945, Okinawa
Age: 25

Tablets of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii

The Callaghan was on the embattled radar picket line off Okinawa when she drove off a Kamikaze bi-plane with well directed fire, only to have the plane turn low, return and slammed into the starboard side. The Callaghan started flooding and the ship's ammunition exploded preventing other ships from rendering aid. The Callaghan sank at 02:35 with a loss of 47 crew KIA of the 273 on board.

Private First Class Maurice J. Ott

Company K, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division

Hometown: Kane

Killed in action 23 June 1944, Couvains, France

Buried: Hillcrest Cemetery, Clearfield, PA
Repatriated: 19 April 1948

Private Keith D. Oyler

112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division

Hometown: Kane

Killed in action 8 November 1944, Huertgen Forest

Buried: Plot C, Row 12, Grave 50
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium

Staff Sergeant Robert L. Oyler

324th Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, Heavy

Hometown: Kane

Killed in action 26 July 1943, over Germany

Buried: Plot B, Row 42, Grave 47
Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupre, Belgium

Ball Turret gunner on B-17 NITEMARE. The bomber lost two engines and was heavily damaged by flak and German fighters. Orders were given to bail out. S/Sgt Oyler bailed out of the B-17 but his parachute failed to open and fell 26,000 ft to his death near Nindorf, 10 miles SE of Rotenburg.

Private First Class Robert W. Oyler

27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division

Hometown: Kane

Wounded: 14 March 1945, near Balete Pass, Luzon, Philippines
Died of Wounds: 21 March 1945
Age: 26

Buried: Plot A, Row 13, Grave 153
Manila American Cemetery, Philippines

Cousin to Keith and Robert L. Oyler

Second Lieutenant Glenn S. Panyity

725th Bomber Squadron, 451st Bomber Group, Heavy

Hometown: Bradford

Killed in action 23 August 1944
Over Markersdorf, Austria
Age: 23

Group Burial: Section A, Site 12
Grafton National Cemetery, Grafton, WV
Repatriated: 12 May 1950

Seaman 1/c Lewis E. Paynter, Jr

USS South Dakota (BB-57)

Hometown: Bradford

Killed May 6,1945

Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii

The battleship South Dakota was rearming from USS Wrangell (AE-12) on May 6, when a tank of high capacity powder for the 16 inch guns exploded, causing a fire and exploding four more tanks. Turret No. 2 magazines were flooded and the fires put out. The battleship lost three men killed instantly; eight more died of injuries; and 24 others suffered non-fatal wounds.

First Lieutenant Kermit R. Peasley

88th Squadron, 22nd Transport Group

Hometown: Smethport

Killed in a plane crash 22 September 1943
Calcutta, India
Age: 22

Buried: Plot C, Site 209,
Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii

Peasley was the pilot of a transport that crashed
killing fourteen officers and enlisted men

Staff Sergeant Joseph R. Penfield

364th Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomber Group, Heavy

Hometown: Bradford

Missing in action 17 May 1943, Over the English Channel
Age: 24

Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery, England

Tail-gunner aboard a B-17 bomber that was shot down and crashed into the channel

Private Gurman E. Peters

21st Armored Engineer Battalion

Hometown: Kane

Killed in action 26 March 1945, Germany
Age: 22

Buried: Mt. Tabor Cemetery, Kane
Repatriated: 2 November 1948

Private First Class Paul A. Phillips

22nd Marines, 1st Pro Mar Bde

Hometown: Guffey (also Warren Co.)

Killed in action 23 August 1944, Guam

Second Lieutenant George R. Pittenger

3rd Tank Platoon, Company A,
20th Armored Battalion, 20th Armored Division

Hometown: Bradford

Killed in action 30 April 1945, near Munich, Germany
Age: 23

Buried: Easton Cemetery, Easton, PA

Awarded the Silver Start posthumously for gallantry in action on 30 April 1945. An armored assault against a German SS barracks near Munich started with Pittenger’s tank only advancing seventy-five to one hundred yards from the tree line before it was hit by a panzerfaust. The projectile entered just behind the driver and filled the Sherman tank with smoke, forcing the men out. As they abandoned the tank, they immediately came under enemy machine gun fire. Lt. Pittenger attempted to provide return machine gun fire as cover while his men escaped and sought protection at the rear of the tank. While Lt. Pittenger tried to shield his gunner from enemy fire, but both were killed instantly.

Sergeant Leroy G. Plubell

515th Coast Artillery Regiment

Hometown: Ludlow

Died 1 June 1942 as Prisoner of War
POW Camp O'Donnell, Philippines

Plubell survived the Bataan Death March

Buried: Plot F, Row 1, Grave 89
Manila American Cemetery, Philippines

Private First Class James V. Polio

Company F, 413th Infantry Regiment, 104th Infantry Division

Hometown: Hazel Hurst

Killed in action 29 November 1944, Germany
Age: 32

Buried: Plot F, Row 9, Grave 17
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium

On the afternoon of 28 November 1944 elements of the company to which Private POLIO was assigned were advancing toward their objective when they were suddenly pinned to the ground by heavy machine gun and sniper fire from well-concealed enemy positions 300 yards to their immediate front. Private POLIO, voluntarily and on his own initiative, crawled from his covered position and, at great risk to his life, advanced toward the enemy, exposing himself to the merciless fire in order to locate the enemy positions. After ascertaining the enemy's disposition and relaying this information to his company commander, he nevertheless continued to advance on the hostile positions in the face of intense fire, attacking and eliminating a machine gun nest with a rifle grenade. He then continued on into the enemy positions, using his rifle and hand grenades to wipe out a second machine gun nest before being killed by sniper fire. His heroic sacrifice undoubtedly saved the lives of many of his comrades in the subsequent advance of the company. His action, far above and beyond the ordinary call of duty, earned him the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously and was in keeping with the finest traditions of the armed forces of the United States and reflects the highest credit on Private POLIO and the military service.

Radio Technician 1/c Francis F. Powell

USS Liscome Bay

Hometown: Bradford

Missing in action 25 November 1943
Age: 24

Tablets of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii

The escort carrier Liscome Bay was one of several carriers involved with the invasion of Tarawa. Positioned near Makin Island, the carrier was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-175. The torpedo struck in the worse possible place: the bomb stowage area which had 200,000 pounds of bombs all exploding en masse. The enormous blast ripped the ship in two and she sank within 28 minutes. Of the ship’s 914 brave men, 642 would perish.