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McKEAN
COUNTY
WORLD WAR II 290 Gold Stars |
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E - G
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Corporal James D. Early
Hometown: Bradford Died of wounds 14 April 1945 Age: 23 Buried: Section F, Site 4073 Woodlawn National Cemetery, Elmira, NY Repatriated: December 11, 1948 |
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Electricians Mate 2/c Maynard H. Edgar Tablets of the Missing After midnight on 13 November, the USS Juneau received the order, “Stand by to open fire.” Within minutes the Juneau and several other American warships were engaged with two Japanese battleships, a light cruiser and eleven destroyers near Savo Island. The ships fought at a distance of 1,600 yards, nearly point-blank range for their guns. The Japanese used search lights to find the American ships and direct their accurate fire. The Juneau, on which the five Sullivan brothers were stationed, was hit by a Japanese torpedo on the port side near the forward fire room. The shock wave from the explosion buckled the deck, shattered the fire control systems and knocked out power. She limped away from the battle, down by the bow and struggling to remain afloat. The Juneau rejoined five American ships at dawn to the southeast and at 11:01, the Japanese submarine I-26 fired three torpedoes at the USS San Francisco. All three missed, but one struck the Juneau on the port side very near the previous hit. The ensuing magazine explosion blew the ship in half, killing most of her crew of 623 and sank in less than two minutes. However, approximately 115 crew survived and were floating in the waters. There remained uncertainty about the number of Japanese submarines in the area and rescue efforts did not begin for several days. Exposure, exhaustion and shark attacks whittled down the survivors and only ten men were rescued from the water eight days after the sinking. |
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Corporal Frederick C. Edmonds,
Jr.
439th Bomber Squadron Harding Field, LA Hometown: West Branch, Bradford Killed 25 August 1942 Mid-air crash of two bombers Buried: Willow Dale Cemetery, Bradford |
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Ensign Robert P. Enright Tablets of the Missing The destroyer USS Hammann screened the USS Yorktown during the battle. While tied alongside Yorktown on the afternoon of 6 June, assisting her salvage, Hammann was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-168 and sank in a few minutes. Casualties among her crew of 192 were heavy with 80 killed or missing in action. In his honor, the USS Enright (DE-216) was launched 29 May 1943 by Philadelphia Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. Katherine L. Enright, mother of Ensign Enright; and commissioned 21 September 1943. The ship’s first duty was escorting convoys across the Atlantic and she made six voyages to British ports. Converted to a high-speed transport in early 1945, Enright sailed for duty in the Pacific where she saw service at Leyte Gulf, Okinawa, Tokyo Bay and China. She was decommissioned on 21 June 1946.
Left:USS Hammann sinks next to the Yorktown |
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Private
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Private Jack R. Erickson
3508th Base Unit Truax Field, WI Hometown: Bradford Died of illness 27 June 1944 Truax Field Age: 18 Buried: Fairview Cemetery, Port Allegany |
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Staff Sergeant Robert E.
Evans
393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division Hometown: South Avenue, Bradford Killed in action 24 December 1944 Battle of the Bulge Age: 28 |
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Private First Class Charles P. Fair Buried: Plot F, Row 15, Grave 18 Posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action in Luxembourg on 21 January 1945. During the attack on Nocher, Luxembourg, Fair volunteered to destroy an enemy observation post. Advancing through severe artillery fire, he stealthily infiltrated the German lines, cut communications and killed the enemy observers with a grenade. PFC Fair’s initiative, aggressiveness and devotion to duty eliminated a serious threat, accelerated the American attack and exemplified the highest traditions of the armed forces. |
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Electricians Mate 3/c Joseph R. Fazio,
Jr. Tablets of the Missing The Vincennes was sunk near Savo Island after being hit by two Japanese torpedoes and 57 shells. Of the 952 officers and sailors, 332 were KIA or MIA. |
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First Lieutenant Albert J. Fensel Tablets of the Missing Pilot of the B-17F “Bonnie Sue,” his aircraft was shot down while returning from a mission somewhere over Italy. The plane that shot them down was a captured American P-38 fighter, with a German pilot |
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Major Charles W. Fetyko Buried: Plot E, Row 12, Grave 16 |
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Private First Class Robert
E. Feura
Field Artillery, United States Army Hometown: Smethport Died of wounds 7 April 1945 Okinawa Age: 23 Buried: St. Bernards Cemetery, Bradford Repatriated: 14 February 1949 |
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Hospital Apprentice 1/c Evan L. Fields |
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Tech Sergeant Arthur J.
Finson, Jr.
723rd Bomber Squadron, 450th Bomber Group, Heavy Hometown: Cornen Street, Bradford Killed in action 19 January 1945 Over Brod, Yugoslavia Age: 26 Buried: Willow Dale Cemetery, Bradford Repatriated: 30 November 1949 Finson was a photographer on the B-24 "Daisey Mae," which was hit by flak over the target and exploded. The only survivors were the pilot and flight engineer |
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Electricians Mate 1/c Donald E. Folk
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First Lieutenant Thomas T. Fox
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Private Ned R. Francis
Company L, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division Hometown: Gifford Killed in action 8 April 1943 North Africa Age: 22 Buried: McKean Memorial Park, Lafayette Twp Repatriated: 1 June 1948. |
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Private William L. Fredell
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Private Joseph J. Funari
Funari was born in Rome, and came to U.S. in 1928 |
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Sergeant Marshall L. Gathers
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Seaman 1/Class Iley L. Gee, Jr. Buried: Plot E, Row 6, Grave 13 Commencing January 21, 1944, Plunkett escorted the follow up assault group to Cape Anzio. After delivering the craft, she remained in the area to screen the transports. On the 24th she fell victim to coordinated German air attacks which, involved two glider bombs coming in on the port beam, and two Ju.88's closing in from ahead. The ships speed was increased; maneuvering was radical. The glider bombs finally dropped, at 200 yards distance, but more planes had joined the foray to commence a sustained 17 minute battle. Plunkett took a 250kg. bomb hit and caught fire. ... The bomb killed 23, left 28 missing, with many more, wounded, and caused extensive damage to her fire control apparatus, armament, and port engine. ... Damage Control efforts on Plunkett were successful in putting out the fires and restoring power to the ship. Plunkett proceeded, on one engine, to Palermo where temporary repairs enabled her to reach Casablanca and, finally, New York, where repairs were completed. |
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Buried: Plot P, Row 17, Grave 8 |
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Tech Sergeant Waldo W. Glass Buried: Plot J, Row 3, Grave 6 Their B-24 was on mission to Rennes, France, and hit badly damaged by enemy flak and fighters. The plane crashed near Charles de Bretange, France. Three men were killed in the crash, two were shot and killed as they parachuted, one was taken prisoner. Four evaded capture back to friendly lines. |
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Seaman 1/Class Joseph A. Gocella Tablets of the Missing The Emmons saw duty during the Normandy Invasion and Operation Dragoon in Southern France before ordered to the Pacific for mine sweeping duties. At 16:30, 6 April 1945, while on picket duty off Iheya Jima, she was hit by five Kamikaze planes. With the stern smashed and most of the superstructure gone, it drifted towards enemy held Kouri Jima. The ship was purposely sunk with 96 five inch shell rounds from the USS Ellyson. Of the 254 crew members, fifty were killed or missing and sixty-five wounded. |
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Sergeant Buried: Plot N, Row 2, Grave 4 |
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Private Isadore Goodman
Military Police, United States Army Hometown: Marion Avenue, Bradford Died of illness 13 October 1945 Honshu, China Age: 30 Buried: Beth Israel Cemetery, Bradford Repatriated: 4 January 1949 |
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Sergeant Edwin R. Gordon
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Corporal Harry A. Gordon Buried: Plot I, Row 9, Grave 19 |
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Tech Sergeant 3/Grade John F. Gorton Awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action on September 27, 1944. As word was received in the Battalion aid station, which was a small Italian church, that two soldiers were seriously wounded and lying five hundred yards forward of a rifle company command post, Sgt. Gorton volunteered to bring aid and plasma to the men. Two previous attempts were stopped by intense German automatic weapons and small arms fire. Gorton had a rifle squad deployed to give cover fire and crawled forward under the heavy fire. On his way across the open field, he was hit with three enemy bullets. He was carried back to the battalion aid station and the doctor did all he could to save him. Sgt. Gorton died at the foot of the church alter. His gallant sacrifice of life in volunteering for an extremely hazardous mission reflected great credit upon himself and his unit. |
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Lt Commander Gordon S. Grant Tablets of the Missing |
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Sergeant Buried: Morningside Cemetery |
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First Lieutenant Harry G. Green Buried: Plot E, Row 24, Grave 39 On V-E Day, he had completed 107 combat missions |
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First Lieutenant James D. Gudger Group Burial: Plot R, 35-36 Gudger's B-24 was on mission to Constanta, Rumania, oil storage facilities when it was downed by enemy fighters, with 6 KIA and 4 POWs. |
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Private Donald A. Gustafson Buried: Plot A, Row 13, Grave 9 |
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Staff Sergeant John A.
Gustafson, Jr.
B-17 Ball turret gunner 325th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomber Group, Heavy Hometown: Kane Killed in action 11 January 1944 Over Oschersleben, (Halberstadt) Germany Age: 21 Buried: Section 45, Site 230 Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, SC Repatriated: 29 June 1949 |
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Private First Class Robert
W. Gustafson
Company L, 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment 10th Mountain Division Hometown: Kane Killed in action 16 April 1945 Italy Age: 22 Buried: Mt. Tabor Cemetery, Kane Repatriated: 6 June 1949 |
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E - G
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