COON, CARL Mar 16, 1945 age 23 MIA Germany

CARL WILLIAM COON, b. 1922 Wisconsin Missing in Action Mar 16, 1945 Germany. Body recovered after the War

Sgt Navigator Toggler 16149828 Army Air Corps 584^th Bomber Squad 394^th Bomber Group, Medium

Buried Netherlands American Cem., Magraten, Netherlands

Parents: Mother Ester born 1897 Endeavor, Wisconsin. No data on father. Ester was divorced in the 1930 census, remarried Faron E. Burlingame in 1935 in Lucas Co., Ohio; Faron had divorced in 1924. I didn’t realize it happened so often back in the 1920’s-30’s; or maybe it is just reflective of this group, a lot of resettlement from other states, factories opening up opportunities. In 1940 they lived at 15508 Patton (appears to be an empty lot now), then moved to15840 Westbrook. Ester died in 1989; she and Faron are buried in Belleville, MI

Siblings: none

He left Redford in Sept 1940 after 3 years. He registered for the draft 30 June 1942 and was employed by J.L. Hudson Co., also now long gone. Carl was 125 lbs with blue eyes and brown hair, stood 5’7”. Noted that his next of kin was R.A. Paselk, not his mother. Then Nov 6, 1942 enlisted in the Michigan Air Corps where he is recorded as 170 lbs and 5’6”! At that time he was a machinists apprentice with Fisher Body Co.

The war took him on a Martin B-26 Marauder; he was the bombardier Tail Gunner. Carl volunteered for the Düsseldorf raid March 16, 1945. He and six other crew were killed or missing, each having a differing missing or dead date. There could be as much as a year or more from the MIA notification until a determination of death was found. Often the person was in an area not under Allie control so a body couldn’t be recovered.

The AF Individual Casualty Questionnaire gives a detailed account of the incident. Did he bail out? Unknown. If not, why not Plane on fire – can’t see.
Past contact or conversation just prior to or at time of loss of plane: Pilot said prepare to Jump. Was he injured? Unknown Where was he when last seen? Near Greuenbrood Germany Any explanation of his fate in part or wholly on supposition: Hit several times with HO mm losing altitude fast. Possibly killed in plane.
Any heresay information: None.

Carl’s body was found after the war,

STRINGFIELD, CHARLES/ BERT Jan 10, 1943 age 21 KIA Solomon Islands

BERT MACK aka CHARLES STRINGFIELD, b. July 31, 1922 Michigan d Jan 10, 1943 Killed in Action Solomon Islands

Pvt 404590 Co F  2ndBn, 2ndMar, 2ndMarDiv

Buried Ft Rosencrans Nati’l Cemetery, San Diego, CA

Parents: Charles A. b. Kansas & Daisy H. (Mack) b. Redford, MI.
Siblings: Alice Catherine, Peggy Lee, Ella J.


The research on Stringfield was complicated. The plaque reads ‘Charles Stringfield’. Thought I had the correct one,same name as shown on census for 1940 & 1930. Had middle initial ‘B’. But suddenly Charles turned into Bert Mack – same smother, same address, same siblings with slight name variation. To complicate matters more, both are listed in USMC casualty cards with different serial number, date of death, and units. Grandfather was named Bert Stringfield and Daisy’s maiden name is Mack. And neither Charles nor Bert show up in any RHS yearbooks; he attended but didn’t graduate which fits with the family’s frequent moves. The data above is for Bert Mack. Cannot find any additional info on Charles re enlistment, census unrelated to Daisy, gravesite other than the casualty card  where he is Charles Bertrand #565859; the card states he was wounded in action May 17, 1945 Guadalcanal. However on the state casualty report for Bert, Daisy is the family member noted, at the Fielding house where they lived from 1930 when he was listed as Charles.

Father Charles Anderson was a carpenter when he died Oct 24, 1937 of stomach cancer in Detroit age 43. He was born in Garden City, Kansas the place made infamous by the brutal killed covered by “In Cold Blood”.  He married Daisy June 27, 1922. The family lived at 15045 Fielding for over 13 years; the house site is another empty Detroit lot. Alice Catherine also became Katherine. Both parents are buried in Redford’s Bell Branch cemetery.

In checking the Marine Corp casualty list I discovered they have a database for WWII War Dogs – dogs in service killed or wounded. They, too, are remembered.



Guadalcanal is one of the Solomon Islands. Seems quite a coincidence that both Charles and Bert Mack fought there.  Found photos of the temporary cemetery on Guadalcanal, from which the fallen were later moved. And it is a very young looking Bert in his Marine uniform. And the mystery remains of Charles Bertrand Stringfield, #565859…



Guadalcanal -Temporary Cemetery

AMICK, HELEN ARLENE March 25, 1946 Age 21 Paris DNB

HELEN B AMICK/JOHNSTON, b. May 12, 1924 Guernsey Co, Ohio, d. March 25, 1946 Jeep accident

WAC Sgt. A-608449 1400^th Army Air Force Base Unit

Buried Epinal American Cemetery, France

Parents: Amos & Leli Johnston
Siblings: Della, Amos Lee, Thelma

Helen is the only female on the Memorial Plaque.

This was a real research project to locate the right trail on this family or to plain figure out if and when Helen was an Amick or a Johnston. You do this to make you have the correct information on a particular person. Genealogy research is generally fraught with difficulties on spelling of names, people having similar names, but this was more complex. Problems lie largely with her mother, Leli or Lela nee Church. She seems to have been married three times, twice widowed, once separated.

 Mother Lela Gertrude Church born 1898 in Cambridge, Ohio. Her first recorded marriage was Aug 30, 1913 age 18 to Amos Daniel Johnston age 24 in Guernsey Co., Ohio. Amos was born in Bridgeport, Ohio and had a sister Della and brother Samuel. Amos registered for the draft in 1917 showing he was born in Bridgeport 1887 and had a wife and one child. In 1920 they lived in Toledo, Lucas Co, he a glassworker.  Also living with him were Leli, Della age 5, and Amos Lee age 2. Details are important when tracked people with the same names.

Lela Johnson next shows up in 1930 marrying Frank Amick in Ohio Co., West Virginia. In the 1930 census she lives with Frank at 1273 Stinson along with Thelma Amick 9, Helen Amick 6 and nephew Amos Johnston and niece Della Johnston.  This census column shows the relation to the head of household, namely Frank. They were Lela’s children from the first marriage.

Wait, there’s more! Frank dies Dec 11, 1939 when an auto struck the safety zone (trolley median in the center of the road) at Warwick and Grand River in Detroit; he is buried at White Chapel Cemetery. The on April 3, 1940 Lela married Charlie Houston Grace in Henry Co., Ohio; her maiden name on the marriage license as church). Charlie is 11 years her junior.

Now here’s the kicker - Amos David Johnston was still around, until March 2, 1946 when he dies in West Virginia. Noted on the grave information is his mother Anne Johnston and that he was married to Lela Church but separated. His grave is unmarked.

In 1949 Charlie and Lela lived in Hesperia, MI, which is her address on the 1950 gravestone record for Helen. Charlie is buried in Paducah, KY; he was born in Calvert, KY

In 1940 Helen lived at 15065 Stout (home demolished) with her mother and sister; she graduated from Redford in June 1943. She enlisted in Detroit on May 17, 1944 in Women’s Army Corp as a Pvt. As written in a Redford Outpost article, Helen was very active in the glee clubs and sang in the Bushnell Congregational choir.

There is a family history on Helen’s Find-A-Grave site which seems largely accurate. Brother Amos Lee died Nov 1944 in Ohio of an accidental fund shot wound. Sister Thelma’s first husband died 1945 in Germany. And Helen was stationed in London during the war but afterward transferred to Paris. A family history tells the story that Helen she had gone to arrange passage for her dog; on her return trip her jeep ran into a stone wall and she was killed.

PETSCH, EDWARD G Sept 24, 1945 age 25 DNB Mindoro

EDWARD GUSTAVE PETSCH,  b. 1920 Mich d. Sept 24,1945 Died Non Battle Mindoro, Philippines

2^nd Lt, 0-2012436 Army 382^nd Inf Reg 96^th Inf Div

Buried Ft. Wm McKinlye, Manila, Philippines

Parents: Gustave & Christina, born he in Russia, she in Germany, arrived
1913. Father a painter in the auto industry
 



Brother Gordon 1940

Brother William 1936

     Siblings: William, Gordon



Ed-Swim Team 1936 Front 2 from Right

He graduated from Redford in June 1936. 1940 census lists him as a salesman in the sausage industry.

Ed 1936 Row 2 3rd from Left

The team photos show a more innocent time, youth and excitement of their future lay ahead.


At enlistment Oct 20, 1941 in Detroit he was 6’ 193 lbs. It was after enlistment on May 10, 1942 that he married LaPearl Groudel, born 1918 in Ohio. She was a secretary. They had one son who never met his father.

He was wounded in May 1945. On Okinawa Yaeju-Dake Hill mass was secured by 17 June and on 22 June all resistance was declared at an end. The Division patrolled an area from Chan to Ogusuku until 30 June. After a July rest, the Division left Okinawa went to Mindoro in the Philippines where they engaged in a training program. Edward died in a jeep accident.

He received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

WOODWARD, HARRY L Dec. 22, 1943 age 28 KIA New Britain Is., SW Pacific

HARRY L. WOODWARD, b. July 5, 1915 Ohio; d. Dec. 22, 1943 Killed in Action  New Britain Is., Solomon Islands

1^st Lt O-1037372 Army 93^rd Chemical Composite Co

Buried New Albany National Cemetery, Indiana
 

Parents: William & Clara B, from Indiana & Penn. Father was the Proprietor for Electric Lighting Specialties
Siblings: Charles, Kenneth, Richard, Betty L., Robert L., Thomas, Barbara. # children born in Ohio, rest in Michigan
Parents: William & Clara B, from Indiana & Penn. Father was the Proprietor for Electric Lighting Specialties.

Siblings: Charles, Roy, Kenneth, Richard, Betty L., Robert L., Thomas J., Barbara L.  3  born Ohio, 5 born Michigan

Mother Clara spent a good part of her life pregnant. In 1940 they lived with 5 of their children at 3795 Vicksburg Ave. near the GM Headquarters Bldg. Harry graduated from Redford in Jan 1934 and did one year college. In 1940 he was a Dept Store salesman for wholesale toys.
 

He enlisted June 24, 1941 in Detroit.  The purpose of a composite company was to provide field organizations of divisional size with a CWS service organization capable of simultaneously operating supply points, doing third and fourth echelon maintenance, running a field laboratory and a field impregnating program and providing at least a nucleus of trained men for decontamination. It was in the Pacific that most composite companies saw service. In 1942 the CWS employed 60,000 soldiers and civilians and was appropriated $1 billion. They completed a variety of non-chemical warfare related tasks including producing incendiaries for flame throwers and flame tanks. Chemical soldiers were involved in smoke generation missions. The Pacific was the most likely area for the initiation of gas warfare but the CWS deficiency of knowledge as to the employment of gas in the tropics was a serious drawback. They were also hampered by a lack of information on the effectiveness of toxic munitions in a tropical environment.

On Dec 15, 1943 the 112th Cavalry ECT landed on Arawe Peninsula, whose main geographic feature is Cape Merkus, for the purpose of diverting the enemy forces from Cape Gloucester were a Marine Division was to land 11 days later. This was the start of the Battle of Arawe, part of the Allied Operation Cartwheel.  

At 0615 the leading platoon reached the village and the advance was stopped as one trooper was killed "by frontal fire from caves. Reconnaissance disclosed that the enemy was resisting from two caves. Bazooka fire was employed and closed the entrance to one cave, but the other cave was protected by log pilings in such a manner that bazooka and machine guns did no apparent damage. The troop had landed with two filled flame throwers carried by trained operators. These were called forward. Tests revealed that one flame thrower was not functioning properly. The" troop's assault party was formed, including one flame thrower team augmented by a machine gun. Fire was placed on the entrance to the cave while the flame thrower operator crawled up to within fifteen yards and fired the entire charge. The assault platoon then advanced to the cave entrance and threw in hand grenades. Seven enemy dead were found in the cave. All of them were badly burned and their clothes were still ablaze. The operation was completed at 1130 without further loss to the cavalry. Arawe was secured after about a month of intermittent fighting with the outnumbered Japanese force there.

1^st Lt. Woodward was killed on Dec 22.

OLSON, MELVIN H Nov 9, 1943 age 23 KIA Italy

MELVIN H. OLSON, b. 1920 Mich  d. Nov 9, 1943 Killed in Action Italy

Pfc 36131120 135^th Inf Reg  34^th Inf Div

Buried Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Nettuni, Italy

Parents: Hogan and Gertrude N. both immigrants from Norway. Father worked as a press operator. Auto Factory.  

The family lived at 21494 Curtis, a short walk from the High school.

Melvin graduated from Redford in June 1938 so was a bit older than other students when he enlisted. Oct 21, 1941 in Detroit.  The 34^th Infantry Division was originally a federalized National Guard Division from Minnesota and North Dakota. It was the only US infantry division serving in the North African and Mediterranean Theaters of Operation throughout the war.

The division skipped the Allied invasion of Sicily and instead trained intensively for the invasion of the Italian mainland, with the main landings at Salerno (Operation Avalanche) on Sept 9, 1943 to be undertaken by elements of the US Fifth Army. After a Field Artillery Battalion landed Sept 9, the rest followed on Sept 25. After engaging the enemy at the Calore River Sept 28, the 34^th relentlessly drove north to take Benevento. After crossing the winding Volturno River repeatedly as they pushed forward toward Rome.

Progress was steady but slow. Determined resistance at a roadblock or ford often halted the advance, forcing units to struggle through the mountains to envelop the obstacle. When they finally conducted an assault on a position, the Allied would find that Germans had melted away and they would resume their forward progress, only to be halted a few hundred yards away by another obstacle. In twenty days during October across a forty-mile front Fifth Army forces advanced only 15-20 miles. By the time they advanced from the Volturno River to the Bernhard Line they were near the point of exhaustion. On Nov 15, succumbing to both weather and fatigue the Fifth Army’s progress was halted for two weeks for rest.

 Pfc Olson was killed Nov 9.

KAMMER, RUSSELL G Feb. 27, 1945 age 22 Iwo Jima

RUSSELL G. KAMMER, b. abt 1923 Oak, MI;  d. Feb 27, 1945 MIA/DOW Iwo Jima

Pfc. 833283 Expert Rifleman USMC V Amphibious Corps, 28^th Regt, 5^th Marine Div.

Burial at Sea - Honolulu Memorial, Tablets of the Missing, Hawaii

Parents: Bernard W & Alice Bernard and Alice were young when they married: 23 & 17. Bernard was a mail carrier US Post Office since before 1930.

Siblings: Roger, Marilyn, Beatrice (b. 1936 Redford  d. 2011)

Brother Roger RHS 1940

 In 1940 the family had moved to the larger home at 15484 Lamphere, down the street from the Hainer family; Hainer’s son Donald is also on the Memorial Plaque.  

Russell entered the service April 1943. His enlistment card describes him as 160 Wt, blue eyes, brown hair 5’10”.  Boot camp was in San Diego. Then he served with the Marine Military Police. Until he was sent overseas where he served spent 17 mos before he was killed.
 

He took part in The Battle of Iwo Jima, horrendous fighting, a story sadly he can’t tell.  Called Operation Detachment it lasted 19 February to 26 March 1945; it was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese. The American invasion had the goal of capturing the entire island, including its three airfields (including South Field and Central Field), to provide a staging area for attacks on the Japanese main islands. This five-week battle comprised some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the War in the Pacific of World War II. After the heavy losses incurred in the battle, the strategic value of the island became controversial. It was useless to the U.S. Army as a staging base and useless to the U.S. Navy as a fleet base. However, Navy SEABEES rebuilt the landing strips, which were used as emergency landing strips for USAAF B-29s. 

From 19 to 23 February, the 28th Marines fought to secure Mount Suribachi. Progress was initially slow and measured in yards as they had to fight their way through hundreds of layered and mutually supporting Japanese pillboxes, blockhouses, spiderholes, and strongpoints. By the morning of 23 February, Suribachi had been encircled. Col. Liversledge called for a reconnaissance patrol to scale the mountain a find a path to the top if possible. Chosen for the mission was the 3rd Platoon, Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine. These men reached the summit at approximately 1020 and proceeded to raise a U.S. flag. It was the raising of this flag that led the then Sec. of the Navy, James Forrestal, to comment that "...the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years". Fearing that the flag would be taken by higher-ups, Lt. Col. Chandler Johnson, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, ordered a second patrol to the top of the mountain to replace the flag with a larger one that could later be given to any senior ranking personnel that wanted it as he intended for the first flag to remain with the battalion. It was the raising of this second flag that was caught on film by Joe Rosenthal and would become the iconic photo of the battle if not the war in the Pacific.

Iwo Jima was the only battle by the Marine Corps in which Japanese combat deaths were three times those of the Americans throughout the battle. Of the 22,000 Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima at the beginning of the battle, only 216 were taken prisoner, some of whom were captured because they had been knocked unconscious or otherwise disabled. The majority of the remainder were killed in action, although it has been estimated that as many as 3,000 continued to resist within the various cave systems for many days afterwards, eventually succumbing to their injuries or surrendering weeks later.
The battle tally: 6,131 servicemen killed on Iwo Jima.

Russell was wounded in the battle, transferred to the USS Lubbock APA-197 for evacuation to Guam. He died of wounds on the ship Feb. 27, 1945.

A corpsman who attended him participated in his burial at sea; these are pictures of Kammer burial at sea. 

He received the Purple Heart and Rifle Expert Medals.

 

BROADBROOKS, LEWIS F July 22, 1944 age 25 Burma

LEWIS F. BROADBROOKS, b. 1917 Mich  d. July 22, 1944 Myitkyina, Burma Finding of Death declared dead while missing

1^st Lt, O-1299677 5307^th Composite Unit (provisional) “Merrill’s Marauders”

Buried Manila American Cemetery, Taguig city, Philippines Walls of the Missing

Parents: Walter R. & Edith Father born New York and mother Canada. Father was a Superintendant of building construction.

Siblings: Alta E. (RHS grad 1934), Walter H., Jane M.

The Broadbrooks lived many years at 17774 Northrop, a small house built in 1917 (the boom times in Old Redford). House has 1,000 sq ft with an extra large lot, 3 bedrooms and 2 baths (surely that second bath was put in years later).  Small as the house was in 1940 they, with 4 adult children, also had the father’s two brothers living there! This was common for other families on the block. Reflect on that as you sit in your modern home with an average 2,200 sq ft.

RHS 1932

Lewis graduated from RHS January 1935. Before he enlisted he was an apprentice lineman with the electric power company.  

He enlisted in the army May 27, 1941 in Detroit and later joined the famed Merrill’s Marauders in Burma. This was a US Army long range penetration special ops unit in Southeast Asia. It was famous for missions behind enemy lines, and also for a high numbers of casualties due to disease. The unit had veterinarians with it to care for horses and mules used as pack animals (also occasionally carrying wounded) who suffered as much as the soldiers. Check the site Marauders.org for astonishing photos of the unit in Burma.

 Broadbrooks received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

VIDEO: MERRRILL'S MARAUDERS | Special Ops Forces of WWII | Rare Documentary Film

 

Just How Did the Draft ,i.e. Selective Service, Work

It has been many years since the Vietnam War, wait was war ever declared? At any rate it is useful to clarify just what the draft was.
The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, also known as the Burke–Wadsworth Act, Pub. L, 76-783, 54 Stat. 885, enacted September 16, 1940, was the first peacetime conscription in United States history. This Act required that men who had reached their 21st birthday but had not yet reached their 36th birthday, register with local draft boards. Later, when the U.S. entered World War II all men from their 18th birthday until the day before their 45th birthday were made subject to military service; all men from their 18th birthday until the day before their 65th birthday were required to register.

Draftees were selected by national lottery. If drafted, a man served on active duty for 12 months, and then in a reserve component for 10 years or until he reached the age of 45, whichever came first. Inductees, person newly admitted to military service, had to remain in the Western Hemisphere in United States possessions or territories located in other parts of the world. The act provided that not more than 900,000 men were to be in training at any one time.

The draft began in October 1940, with the first men entering military service on November 18. By the early summer of 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked the U.S. Congress to extend the term of duty for the draftees beyond twelve months to a total of thirty months, plus any additional time that he could deem necessary for national security. On August 12, the United States House of Representatives approved the extension by a single vote.

Many of the soldiers drafted in October 1940 threatened to desert once the original twelve months of their service was up. Many of these men painted the letters "O H I O" on the walls of their barracks in protest. These letters were an acronym for "Over the hill in October", which meant that the men intended to desert upon the end of their twelve months of duty. Desertions did occur, but they were not widespread. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941 millions of American men entered the United States military's ranks both by volunteering and by conscription.

After the United States entered World War II, amendments to the Selective Training and Service Act on December 20, 1941, made all men between the ages of 20 and 44 liable for military service, and required all men between the ages of 18 and 64 to register. The terminal point of service was extended to six months after the war. Another amendment signed on November 13, 1942, called the registered 18- and 19-year-olds into military service. From October 1940 until March 1947—when the wartime Selective Training and Service Act expired after extensions by Congress—over 10,000,000 men were inducted. 

Volunteers could join at age 18, 17 with parental consent. Starting in Dec 1942 the Navy and Marine Corp allowed 17 year olds to join. The army only allowed 18 year old draftees – no volunteers, within the parameters of the Acts described above.

Courtesy of Wikipedia – pls donate!

BUSH, DONALD

BUSH, DONALD 1917?  AAF

The name is on the plaque. But finding anything about him has proved difficult. How many of us will leave so little traces of our existence? There was a Bush family in Calif. with a Donald – he was born in Michigan but they lived in Calif. in the 1930’s and the dates mean he could not have attended Redford. He was a Donald W., likely the Radio Operator gunner who went missing on a plane doing a sea sweep in Feb. 1943. Then there is the Bush family in Lansing, but if they lived there in 1935 he also would not have been an age to attend Redford. Common names prove difficult to search, especially without a useful second bit of information.

A high school photo is the trace I can find of Donald…

PERRY, RUFUS S July 1, 1945 age 19 Okinawa

Rufus S. PERRY  Jr. b. May 26, 1926 Ohio; d. July 1, 1945 Died of Wounds Okinawa   Pvt., 1000590 USMC 3^rd Bn, 29^th Mar. 6^th Div

Buried White Chapel Memorial Park, Troy, MI

Parents: Rufus  and Tabitha, both born in Kentucky. Father was a crane operator, auto shop.

The family had 8 children, with mother Tabitha pregnant every 2 years.  Rufus fell in the middle. They lived in a small house on 15128 Dolphin, in the Brightmoor neighborhood of Detroit, a roughly 4 sq. mile area on Detroit’s west side, south of my own neighborhood growing up. It was a planned community of cheap housing for immigrants from the southern U.S. who were migrating to Detroit pulled by the labor needs of the auto factories. Dolphin street was a literal melting pot of immigrants. Neighbors came from Italy, Latvia, Scotland, Austria, Poland, Canada, Ireland – all living in one block.

Brightmoor was always poor and now is another of Detroit’s blighted areas of vacant lots, overgrown grass. The Perry house is gone, so is their earlier home a few blocks away.

 Interesting is the history of Rufus’ resting place, White Chapel. Take the name literally. In 1960 they made the news when the cemetery dug up a WWI veteran who was Native American; his white wife was buried next to him. Cemetery rules required corpses to be 75% white. Plot owners “paid for the restriction” was the defense posed. Well, it was not against state law, even though Gov. Milliken tried to intercede. Others persons of note here for eternity are: Jimmy Hoffa’s wife Josephine, Lee Iacocca, Jack Kevorkian, Albert Kahn (did allow Jews, even though they had to build their own golf country clubs), Eero Saarinen.

UNLAND, FRANCIS F Feb 23, 1945 age 20 Germany

UNLAND, FRANCIS F. b. June 27, 1924;  d. February 23, 1945 Killed In Action Germany

Pvt 16105503 120^th Inf Reg 30 Div  

Buried Arlington Nat’l Cemetery, VA

Parents: Bruno August (Gus) and  Gertrude M (nee Oughton)
Bruno died Feb. 24, 1945 St. Louis, MO; Gertrude died Feb 17, 1942 Detroit.
Sibling: Helen M. (of Detroit)


High School photo

Families are complicated, even just looking at the basic facts. Prior to the war the entire family lived in St. Louis, MO. Francis lived in Michigan for some time, graduating from Redford in 1942 and going on to attend Michigan State College 1942-43 enrolled in Business Administration. He was in the Class of 1946 but the war cut that short. The April 19, 1945 minutes of the meeting of the State Board of Agriculture gave special mention of him and students killed in the war.

Sister Helen RHS 1944

Father Bruno in St. Louis had his share of woes. In 1930 he was arrested for felonious wounding with his automobile a man; he was released on bond. Then in the July 27, 1941 St. Louis Dispatch he posted a notice that he will not be responsible for any debits contracted by anyone except himself; perhaps that’s connected to why the family headed to Detroit. Isn’t that something done with separation, divorce or family estrangements? 

Francis was first reported Missing in Action before being designated Killed in Action. He was buried initially at Margraten-Aachen, Holland. As happened with many of the dead, he was reinterred in Jan 7, 1949 at Arlington Cemetery.

I feel very bad for sister Helen and her burden. Good likelihood it was family problems that moved her to Detroit from St. Louis, along with her mother and brother. The mother dies 1942, her brother is missing in action early 1945, followed by death of the father then her brother is determined killed. Life can have such hopes that quickly turn dark. I hope Helen fared well after the war.

ELANDT, WILLIAM E. died March 18, 1945 age 22 Louisana

WILLIAM E. ELANDT b. Sept 22/1922 Royal Oak, MI;  d. Mar 18/1945 Died Non Battle The Plains, Louisana

2^nd Lt, 0-767169 AAF Squad 49ABS Pilot crew number 43-25387

Buried Holy Sepulchre Cemetery family plot, Southfield, MI

Parents: John Joseph 1892-1952 and Victoria T. (Czeslawske) 1890-1965 both born in Mich. Father served in WWI.

Had to look up Eland – with no T, to find information on William; name spelling are a common problem in genealogy research.
The Eland family moved from Berkley in the 1930’s to Detroit and resided at 16660 Woodbine when he crashed. Theirs was a large family, 7 children only one girl! He had only 3 years of high school and didn't graduate so no senior photo.
Per his draft card he was 5’8”, wt. 140, blue eyes and brown hair. When he enlisted he was employed by Motors Metal. Previously he worked as a nurseryman.
His home base was Harding Field, Rouge, LA, an active air base 1941-1945. William was killed 3 miles south of The Plains, LA when he crashed his plane. He flew the Republic 47D-20-RA Thunderbolt.  Aircraft went into a spin, stalled. Cause of crash stated as ‘due to weather’. An complete accident report can be requested on Aviation Archeology.