KELLER, HERMAN March 4, 1943 age 20 MIA unknown

HERMAN ALLAN KELLER, JR b. Nov 6, 1922 Detroit d. Mar 4, 1943 Missing in Action

Aviation Radioman3-C 3115702 Navy

11339 Broadstreet

Buried Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

Parents: Herman Allan Sr & Leona A. (Fessler)

Siblings: Charles Leonard, John Lawrence, Lawrence L   

The Keller family had a troubled and complicated history. Herman Sr was born 1890 in Milwaukee; he died 1978 in Redford Twp. From the 1920’s he owned is own lab for prosthetic dentistry. Leona was one of 10 children born to a German mother; the family lived on 808 E. Canfield in 1920. Leona worked as a stenographer when she married Herman Oct 26, 1921 in Detroit. She filed for divorce Oct 28, 1932, 2 days after their anniversary. The grounds were the standard ‘extreme and repeated cruelty and non-support’; it wasn’t contested and she received alimony. Divorces were not easily obtained back then and couples didn’t have an option to file with mutual consent.

Children named in Divorce Decree

 In 1930 the family lived on Broadstreet. By 1940 the address for Herman was 17360 Lahser which is the site of the Redford Theater. Perhaps there were apartments upstairs? Of note is that on the Michigan casualty list, Herman Sr. is listed with the Lahser address. Typically the mother’s name is given. For whatever reason only the father only was listed by Herman Jr. as next of kin.

All sons registered for the draft. John worked for the Michigan State Troopers when he registered. Young son Lawrence enlisted in 1946 for the Panama Canal Dept. this was a separate command of the US Army responsible for laying, maintaining and clearing of harbor defense minefields at the canal entrance.

Herman Jr. enlisted Dec 6, 1940 and in June 1941 was at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, FLA. He is listed as a combat naval casualty, crew involved in an aircraft accident. No additional information on the circumstances were found.

 

Radioman training film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQKMwTATmGc