On Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who gave their lives in military service. I’ve never had the inclination to grill out, throw a pool party, or go to the lake, as it seems those are the most popular explanations of “what we did for Memorial Day”. To be honest, growing up, my Memorial Day’s were usually spent at some soccer complex for some “Memorial Day Cup” with my teammates and parents, as were most weekends that people were doing fun things. I don’t regret that, but it has an impact on what I do with this day in my future.
After completing my graduate project, I have a newfound respect for those men who never made it home to see their families in war. For the 362nd Fighter Group, I saw the names and faces of these boys-turned-men as I searched through books, papers, photographs, and webpages, and I was saddened by how many did not make it home.
I was especially saddened when I saw how many men my grandfather knew and flew with personally that didn’t make it back. To know how close he was with them and how much they meant to him, I can get some inclination of how he felt to lose them.
So for this Memorial Day, in honor of the men of the 362nd who gave their lives, I want to list them here. This list is from the first couple of pages of “Mogins Maulers – the 362nd Fighter Group’s History of WWII.” The authors (a few of the men themselves and their families) make sure to note that this may not be a comprehensive list, that some may have been forgotten or lost. For now, these men are listed in their squadrons, in the order their lives were lost.
362nd Fighter Group Headquarters Personnel
Capt. Clough F. Gee, III
Major Berry Chandler
377th Fighter Squadron
Lt. Homer V. Waits
Capt. John E. Moist
Lt. Raymond J. Shea
Lt. John E. Hayden
Lt. Ralph D. Day
Lt. Walter J. Booth
Lt. Donald R. Gipple
Lt. Emory A. Riggs
Lt. Burleigh E. Curtis
Lt. Richard M. Hoff
Lt. Ralph E. Phillips
Lt. James P. Harris
P.F.C. John E. Goodale
Lt. Jack D. Conatser
Lt. Elroy M. Nangle
Lt. William H. Ort
Lt. Roy D. Christian
Lt. James G. Newman
Lt. Fred C. Ford
Lt. Robert E. Daw
Capt. Roy L. Barker
Lt. Archie E. Billings
Lt. Willard Nagelstadt
Capt. Darden W. McCollum
Lt. Asa W. Shuler
Lt. Cecil M. Gurganus
Lt. Virgil P. Kirkham
Lt. John B. Fisher
Capt. Kenneth Caldwell
Lt. Merrill E. Holland
Lt. Robert V. Mendenhall
378th Fighter Squadron
Lt. Burdick
Lt. Charles Armstrong
Lt. Richard Huber
Lt. William F. Hall
Lt. Maynard L. Cowles
Lt. Daniel A. Sipe, Jr.
Pvt. Robert Taft
Lt. Kevin Gough
Lt. Craig A. Gilbert
Lt. Leon R. Bentley
Lt. Alva D. Bessey
Capt. Harry R. Stroh
Capt. Leon Bilstin
Lt. Andrew Sunter
Lt. Richard Heyne
Lt. Alvin A. Johnson
Lt. Richard K. Grant
Lt. Joseph J. Maucini, Jr.
Lt. Robert W. Snell
Lt. Gordon J. McGrath
Lt. Vernon A. Post
Lt. Edward E. Smith
Lt. George F. Robinson
Lt. James W. Noland
379th Fighter Squadron
Lt. George S. Palmer
Lt. Kenneth K. Kitts
Capt. Hugh F. Houghton
Lt. Theodore D. Jensen
Capt. George W. Rarey
Lt. Robert G. Barnes
Lt. I. L. Taylor
T/Sgt. Arthur L. Hartman
Lt. Harold D. Wood
Lt. Harold Wellek
Lt. Warner H. Marsh, Jr.
Lt. Donald H. Wilson
Lt. Joseph T. Price
Capt. Raymond A. Mitchell
Lt. Louis A. Bauer
Maj. Carroll A. Peterson
Lt. Chester B. Kusi
Lt. John K. McMahon
Lt. Robert A. Sovern
Lt. Donald J. Kueffner
Lt. James H. Sheets
Lt. Philip P. Heelan
Lt. Jack C. Taylor
Capt. Timothy F. Ruane, Jr.
These men of the 362nd paid the ultimate price for their country and our freedom. They are just a small list among thousands, but they are important to me. The least I can do is remember them and their sacrifice.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Studying Colonel Joseph Laughlin 