Friday, May 18, 2012

Bovina's World War II Honor Roll - Some Assistance Please

With help from the Town of Bovina and the Bovina Historical Society, I am working to reinstall Bovina's World War II Honor Roll (see my blog entry for June 3, 2011 concerning this Honor Roll).  I also need some help from you. 

There are 94 names on the roll.  Through my own knowledge and through the use of Ancestry.com and other sources, I've been able to get enough information on about 2/3 of the names on the list, including birth and death dates.  In the  process, I have identified three people on the roll that are still with us - Ed Davidson, now living in California, Gordon Rabeler, who is in Rockland County, NY, and Stanley 'Stub' Hewitt, who lives in Lake Delaware.

Below are 32 names for which I need some clarification of information I have found or for whom I have no information at all.  I have included birth and death years when I have found those.  For some people, I did find information on Ancestry.com, but because the name is relatively common, I'm not sure in all instances if I have the right one.  I also included text that came from an issue of the 1946 Walton Reporter that provided information on soldiers from Delaware County.  If there is no information, that means I could not find their names - at least in the section marked 'Delhi Draft District.'

So, if you know this person or know someone who does know him (or in one instance here, her), please let me know.  I'm also going to be trying to get photographs of everyone on the roll - preferably in uniform - so if you have photos or know someone who does, I'd appreciate that too.  Drop me a line at bovinahistorian@gmail.com or put any information you wish to share in the comments field at the end of this blog.  Thanks folks.  Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. 

  • Samuel Barlow - Walton Reporter: Denver, Col (Delhi): Seventh Armoured Division; inducted Feb. 12, 1942, discharged Aug. 8, 1945.
  • Edward Barnes
  • Paul Bellino, c 1908-xxxx
  • Edwin Chase, 1916-xxxx -Walton Reporter: Temple, Texas (Delhi):  Sergeant, Medical Detachment, 1884th Service Command Unit; inducted Jan. 26, 1942, discharged March 4, 1946.
  • Kenneth Curtis, 1923-xxxx - Walton Reporter: Delhi:  First lieutenant, 7th Air Service Group; enlisted Aug. 19, 1942 called to active duty May 24, 1943, discharged Aug. 17, 1946; Asiatic-Pacific and Caribbean service April 18, 1945 to May 25, 1945, and Dec. 4, 1945, to Aug. 2, 1946.
  • Frances Decker, 1920-xxxx - Walton Reporter: [Francis A. Decker] Bovina Center: Private, Medical Corps; inducted April 24, 1942, discharged June 12, 1942.
  • Donald DeSilva, 1918-1989 - Walton Reporter: Arena: Private, Co. B, 714th Military Police Battalion; inducted March 30, 1943, discharged Oct. 26, 1943.
  • Jack Ditty, 1920-xxxx - Is this Thomas J. Ditty, Delhi, who is referenced in the Walton Reporter?  Walton Reporter: Sergeant; enlistment.
  • Warren Eitner, 1921-xxxx
  • Floyd Estus, 1909-1981 - I suspect that the first name on the roll is incorrect.  I didn't find a Floyd, but I found a Lloyd who was in the Walton Reporter (and who also showed up on Ancestry.com).  Walton Reporter:  Andes: Private first class, Anti-=Tank Co., 320th Infantry; inducted Sept. 23, 1942, discharged Sept. 16, 1945; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal, American Service medal; foreign service Oct. 22,
  • Robert Finkle, 1919-2007 - Walton Reporter: No discharge recorded: Shavertown: Army Air Forces; enlisted November 1939.
  • Leroy Graham - Is this Jacob L. Graham? I did not find a Leroy.  For Jacob Graham, the Walton Reporter had the following:  No discharge recorded: Bovina Center: Navy; enlisted March 6, 1944 when 17.
  • Richard Grundy, 1921-1986 - I did not find Richard but found Harry R.  The R could stand for Richard, but I'm not sure.  Walton Reporter: [Harry R.] Lake Delaware, Delhi:  Technical sergeant, 87th Mountain Infantry; enlisted July 19, 1940, discharged June 26, 1945; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal, American Service medal; foreign service Sept. 7, 1940, to July 13, 1943, and Ju
  • Robert Hoagland - Walton Reporter: Bloomville: Private first class, 1983rd Service Command Unit, Prisoner of War Camp; enlisted March 19, 1940, discharged Sept. 28, 1945; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign medal; foreign service Jan. 23, 1942, to Sep. 13, 1944.
  • Donald Hoyt, 1920-xxxx - Walton Reporter: [Donald E] Hobart:  Private first class, Co. D, 712th Military Police Battalion; enlisted March 6, 1940, discharged Aug. 9, 1945; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign medal; foreign service April 9, 1940, to July 1, 1944.
  • Rudolph Hunt, 1909-xxxx - Walton Reporter: Delhi:  Sergeant, 1262nd Service Command Unit; inducted Jan. 20, 1944, discharged April 21, 1946.
  • Ralph Hyatt
  • Everett Hyatt
  • Arthur Jones
  • Robert Lewis - Walton Reporter: Bovina: Private, Co. C, 317th Infantry; inducted April 25, 1944, discharged Dec. 22, 1945; Purple Heart medal (Nov. 29, 1944), European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal; foreign service Oct. 22, 1944, to Feb. 20, 1945.
  • Roy Lewis
  • Lawrence Lewis, 1923-xxxx
  • Leora Miller, 1924-xxxx - Walton Reporter: No discharge recorded: East Meredith: Waves, navy.
  • Ernist Miller
  • Bernard Perry, 1925-xxxx - Walton Reporter: Bovina Center:  Private first class, 107th Tactical Air Command Reconnaissance Squadron; inducted March 30, 1943, discharged Nov. 16, 1945; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal; foreign service Sept. 5, 1943, to Sept. 14, 1945.
  • Arnold Schneider, c 1909-xxxx - Walton Reporter: [Sterling A.?] Bovina Center:  Technician 5th grade, Co. C, 53rd Signal Battalion; inducted April 22, 1942, discharged June 7, 1945; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal; foreign service Aug. 19, 1942, to May 25, 1945.
  • Albert Simonson
  • Robert Todd
  • Carl Tuttle, 1915-1997- [is this Earl Tuttle?]  Walton Reporter: Delhi:  Technician 5th grade, 255th Infantry; inducted May 25, 1942, discharged Oct. 5, 1945; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal; foreign service April 3, 1943, to Sept. 28, 1945.
  • Arthur VanAlstine
  • Wilbur VanNooy
  • Marcus Young

4 comments:

  1. My grandfather is Ralph Hyatt and he was born July 21 1921 and just recently passed July 1 2012.

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  2. Thank you very much for sharing this. My condolences on his passing. Could you tell me where he was living? Thanks.

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  3. Warren V. Eitner was killed on 14 Oct 1943, Black Thursday (second Schweinfurt mission). He was the radio operator on a B-17F from the 423rd BS of the 306th Bomber Group,piloted by 1Lt Jackson who also died. He volunteered for the mission knowing it would be dangerous.He is buried in the Lorraine American Battle Monuments cemetery in St. Avoid, France.

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  4. Thank you for this information. I found this information but wondered if it was the same Warren Eitner -do you know what his connection to Bovina was? My references were to his being from Cold Spring, NY, so I wasn't sure.

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