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McKEAN
COUNTY
WORLD WAR II 290 Gold Stars |
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N - P
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Sergeant Carl A. Nelson Tablets of the Missing |
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Private First Class Maurice V. Nelson
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. |
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Private First Class Jack B. Ness Buried: Plot C, Site 335, Repatriated: February 3, 1949 |
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Gunners Mate 2/c John F. Novosel Tablets of the Missing 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. |
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Private Olin G. Oestreich
Company C, 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division Hometown: Duke Center Killed in action 3 December 1944 Germany Age: 30 Buried: McKean Memorial Park, Lafayette Twp Repatriated: 9 December 1947 |
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Private Donald J. Ost
United States Army Hometown: Ludlow Killed in action 11 August 1943 Sicily Age: 27 |
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Private First Class Maurice J. Ott
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Private Keith D. Oyler Buried: Plot C, Row 12, Grave 50 Brother of Robert L. Oyler |
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Staff Sergeant Robert L. Oyler Buried: Plot B, Row 42, Grave 47 Ball Turret gunner on B-17 “NITEMARE” The NITEMARE 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. Brother of Keith D. Oyler |
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Private First Class Robert W. Oyler Buried: Plot A, Row 13, Grave 153 Cousin to Keith and Robert L. Oyler |
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Second Lieutenant Glenn S. Panyity Group Burial: Section A, Site 12
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Private First Class George
G. Papageorgiou
77th Infantry Division Hometown: Port Allegany Killed in action 27 December 1944 Leyte Gulf, Philippines Age: 38 Buried: Fairview Cemetery, Port Allegany Repatriated: 31 August 1948 |
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Tech Sergeant Michael F.
Patrick
Hometown: Westline Died non-battle, date unknown Enlisted: August 10, 1942 in Pittsburgh |
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Seaman 1/c Lewis E. Paynter, Jr. 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. Buried at Sea |
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First Lieutenant Kermit R. Peasley Buried: Plot C, Site 209, Peasley was the pilot of a transport that crashed
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Staff Sergeant Joseph R. Penfield Tablets of the Missing Tail-gunner aboard a B-17 bomber that was |
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Aviation Cadet Bennett
F. Penn
366th Bombardier Training Squadron San Angelo Army Field, TX Hometown: Smethport Killed along with three others in a training crash on 5 December 1942 in Texas Age: 25 Buried: Rose Hill Cemetery, Smethport |
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Private Gurman E. Peters
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Private First Class Paul A. Phillips Also credited to Warren County |
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Second Lieutenant George R. Pittenger 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.
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Sergeant Leroy G. Plubell Plubell survived the Bataan Death
March Buried: Plot F, Row 1, Grave 89 |
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Private First Class Perry L. Plyler Buried: Plot F, Row 6, Grave 37 |
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Private First Class James V. Polio Buried: Plot F, Row 9, Grave 17 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. |
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Private First Class Floyd
W. Pond
Credited to McKean County Declared killed in action in 1946 Enlisted: Wilkes Barre, PA |
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Radio Technician 1/c Francis F. Powell
Tablets of the Missing
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. |
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Private Winifred L. (Fee)
Powell
WAC Army Air Force Station Hospital, Newark, NJ Hometown: South Avenue, Bradford Died of illness 17 May 1945 Age: 20 Buried: Allegany, NY |
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N - P
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