| World War 2 Casualties R-S |
| 204. Rados, Steve | Army Pfc. | 6-30-1944 |
| 2140 Elbur Avenue | France |
| On June 30, 1944, the 3rd Armoured Division was making slow progress in the area south of St Lo. Pfc. Steve Rados was in the infantry, 3rd Armoured Division and was declared missing near St. Clair, France. It was later confirmed that he died on that date. |
| 205. Radu, Charles | AAF S/Sgt. | Easter Sunday 1944 |
| 17315 Madison Avenue | Germany |
| Sgt. Charles Radu was killed in action over Germany. He was the crew-chief of a B-24 Liberator bomber stationed in England. They were making their first run over Germany when they were hit. It was Sgt. Radu's job as crew-chief to make sure everyone bailed out of the plane. The rest of the crew were captured and survived but Sgt. Radu didn't jump in time. A group of German farmers found his body and buried him reporting it much later to the American authorities. His body was moved to the American soldier's cemetery in Belgium. |
| 206. Randall, Jospeh P. | Maritime Service Capt. |
| 1285 Mathews Avenue | at sea |
| Capt. Joseph Randall was serving aboard an Army oil tanker at the time of his death. He had been employed on lake freighters for more than fourteen years and worked at the Edgewater Yacht Club and was well qualified to captain an oil tanker. He lost his life at sea off the coast of Australia. |
| 207. Reed, George Edward | Marines Cpl. | 6-4-1942 |
| 1488 Coutant Avenue | Midway Island | H.S.1933 |
| Throughout the first half of 1942 our position in the Pacific was extremely precarious. Our small Asiatic Fleet performed miracle after miracle. One of those miracles was the battle at Midway June of 1942. On June 3, a large enemy attack force was sighted several hundred miles southwest of Midway, and with great courage the Navy and Marines prevented the vastly superior Japanese fleets from surging over the whole Pacific. Cpl. George Reed was one of those brave men who participated in this battle and gave his life, June 4, 1942. |
| 208. Richter, Ernest J. | Marines Pfc. | 3-21-1946 |
| 2096 Chesterland Avenue | Japan |
| Pfc. Ernest Richter was overseas for 15 months when he lost his life in a freak accident. An airplane crash landed into the jeep in which he was riding. It was the day before his 21st birthday. |
| 209. Riley, Norbert J. | AAF Pvt. | 3-24-1945 |
| 10136 Madison Avenue | California |
| Pvt. Norbert Riley died while stationed at Camp Santa Rosa, California. He was in a search party sent to locate a downed plane in the mountains, and they were caught by bad weather. |
| 210. Riley, Paul F. | Army Pvt. | 11-19-1944 |
| 2125 Elbur Avenue | France |
| Pvt. Paul F. Riley served in the infantry and was killed in France. He was attached to the 3rd Army. General George S. Patton, nicknamed "Blood and Guts," commanded the U.S. 3rd Army in the fighting across Europe. |
| 211. Rimar, John | Army Pvt. |
| 2014 Halstead Avenue | France |
| Pvt. John Rimar died of wounds received during an infantry action in France. |
| 212. Ross, Charles E. | AAF S/Sgt. | 12-25-1944 |
| 2121 Richland Avenue | Pacific |
| Pvt. Charles Ross was killed in action on Leyte Island on Christmas Day. |
| 213. Rote, Bernard C. | AAF 2nd Lt. | 8-9-1943 |
| 1336 Kenilworth Avenue | Washington | H.S.1939 |
| Lt. Bernard Rote was on a routine training flight when the accident occured. He was killed with six other fliers when the B-17 Flying Fortress crashed near Patterson Field, Washington. Three other crew members parachuted to safety. He was commissioned a navigator on June 24, 1943. |
| 214. Rush, James Lee | Army Pvt. | 11-19-1944 |
| 1218 Jackson Avenue | France | H.S.1944 |
| Pvt. James Rush graduated from Lakewood High School, January, 1944. Ten months later he was killed in action in France. He was in the infantry and died on November 19, 1944. |
| 215. Ryan, Thomas A. Jr. | Army Pvt. | 3-24-1945 |
| 15417 Lake Avenue | Germany |
| Operation Plunder was an Allied crossing of the Rhine River north of the Ruhr and it began on March 23, 1945. Pvt. Thomas Ryan was killed in action in Germany a day later. He was with the 17th Airborne Division and was killed east of the Rhine River. That Airborne operation was probably the most successful in history. |
| 216. Rybka, Theodore | Army Pvt. | 1-3-1943 |
| 2042 Lark Street | New Guinea |
| After the family of Pvt. Theodore Rybka received the news that their dear son and brother had died they decided to share their sorrow with Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt. Mrs. Roosevelt responded in a personal note, "I can fully realize what grief must be yours. I can only hope that you may receive comfort in the knowledge that he gave his life for his country." Pvt. Rybka enlisted in the Army in November, 1941 and went overseas without a furlough. His family never saw him again. |
| 217. Saltis, James A. | Army Pfc. | 1-4-1945 |
| 2202 Lewis Drive | Belgium | H.S.1944 |
| Pfc. James Saltis was in the infantry. He acted as a runner for his company and had survived action in the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded January 3, 1945, and died the next day. |
| 218. Schad, Robert D. Jr. | Army Pfc. | 3-28-1945 |
| 11733 Edgewater Drive | Luzon |
| The retreating Japanese in the Solomons entrenched themselves in Bougainville. On the morning of November 1, 1943 heavy guns of the Navy and hundreds of planes began battering the shoreline. But it was the Marines and Army that trudged through the Jungle mud, seeking out the fighting Japanese. Pfc. Robert Schad was a veteran of the Bougainville campaign. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge for exemplary conduct in helping to defeat an assault on Hill 129. He served with the 129th Infantry of the 37th Division. Pfc. Schad lost his life in the battle for Luzon. |
| 219. Scherer, Paul W. | Army Pvt. | 9-16-1944 |
| 17453 Clifton Blvd. | France | H.S.1940 |
| Pvt. Paul Scherer was a member of an armored infantry outfit. He was killed in France. |
| 220. Schweitzer, Robert Martin | AAF 1st Lt. | 9-27-1943 |
| 2077 Morrison Avenue | Germany | H.S.1939 |
| Lt. Robert Schweitzer was the pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress, which was hit in an attack by enemy aircraft while on a raid over northeastern Germany. The War Department had informed Lt. Schweitzer's family that his plane was seen to slip out of formation after being hit and that from 5 to l0 men were seen bailing out near Emden, Germany before the Fortress fell to earth. The family learned later that Lt. Schweitzer lost his life on that day. He was the holder of the Air Medal and had previously written home that he had completed more than half of the required missions for a furlough in the States. |
| 221. Scullin, Harry S. | Army Pvt. | 10-9-1944 |
| 1442 Elmwood Avenue | France | Wd.H.S.1935 |
| Pvt. Harry Scullin was killed in action in France on October 9, 1944. |
| 222. Secor, Richard St. Clair | AAF Flight Officer | 12-8-1944 |
| 2117 Olive Avenue | California | H.S.1942 |
| Flight Officer Richard Secor was on one of his last training flights before being assigned to overseas duty. His P-38 Lightning fighter crashed in the Mojave Desert in California. |
| 223. Sedor, George | Army Pvt. | 12-26-1944 |
| 15620 Madison Avenue | Germany |
| Pvt. George Sedor was killed on December 26, 1944 while serving with General Patton's 3rd Army. |
| 224. Seiler, Franklin C. | Army Major | 3-27-1945 |
| 1423 Roycroft Avenue | Germany | H.S.1933 |
| March 26, 1945, General Patton led the 3rd Army across the Rhine and moved on to Frankfort. A day later, the 3rd Army took Frankfort and began the race across Germany. Major Franklin Seiler was with them until March 27, 1945. He was killed on that day while serving with the 87th Field Artillery Division. |
| 225. Semrau, Louis R. | AAF lst Lt. | 6-19-1944 |
| 1340 Bonnieview Avenue | Florida |
| Lt. Louis Semrau was training for overseas duty as a pilot when he was killed in the crash of his P-51 Mustang fighter. |
| 226. Sheets, Jack B. | Marines Pfc. | 7-24-1944 |
| 1466 Victoria Avenue | Tinian | Wd.H.S.1942 |
| On June 15, July 21, and July 23 amphibious landings were effectively made on Saipan, Guam, and Tinian respectively in the sultry summer of 1944. Pfc. Jack Sheets died during the amphibious landing on Tinian, July 24, 1944. |
| 227. Sheridan, George L., Jr. | AAF 2nd Lt. | 10-28-1945 |
| 17447 Northwood Avenue | West Va. | H.S.1936 |
| Lt. George L. Sheridan, was a 26-year-old Lakewood navigator of a B-29 that was shot down over Tokyo. He was taken prisoner and held until August, 1945, when he returned to America on the Benevolence, a hospital ship. Lt. Sheridan was admitted to Baker General Hospital at Martinsburg, W. Virginia. When he was rescued he was suffering from beri-beri, diphtheria and malnutrition. Lt. Sheridan lost fifty-five pounds and was in a coma for the last few hours of his life. His parents, brother and sisters never saw him again. |
| 228. Shimko, Joseph B. | Army Pvt. | 7-17-1944 |
| 2020 Chesterland Avenue | France | H.S.1943 |
| Pvt. Joseph Shimko was killed in action in France on July 17, 1944. |
| 229. Shroka, Harold W. | AAF 2nd Lt. | 12-?-1942 |
| 1253 Hathaway Avenue | Western Europe |
| Lt. Harold Shroka learned to fly under the civilian defense training program. Lt. Shroka participated in a raid over Europe that involved over 400 planes. Seventeen of those planes didn't return. Lt. Shroka, a bomber pilot made it back to his base in England from that raid, but he was reported missing in action in a later one. His parents received word that Harold, their only child, was killed in action. He is buried in the Netherlands. |
| 230. Sicking, Ralph | AAF S/Sgt. | 8-28-1943 |
| 2058 Elmwood Avenue | California |
| Sgt. Ralph Sicking was killed in the crash of a B-17. It was a night training flight. |
| 231. Simons, Gerald C. | Army 1st Lt. | 8-3-1944 |
| 12505 Edgewater Drive | Italy |
| Lt. Gerald Simons was attached to the 1st Ranger Battalion of D Company. It was wiped out with the 3rd and 4th Battalions when the 3rd Infantry Division spearheaded the attack on Cisterna de Litteria at Anzio. January 30, 1944, Lt. Simons was among those men taken prisoner. They were interned in a prison camp near Florence, Italy, only a few days when he escaped. Somehow, he managed to round up about 20 Allied fugitives, a mixture of South Africans, French, English and Americans and had been named captain of the desperate little group. With the help of arms and supplies dropped to them by the British, they blew up troop and supply trains and powerhouses and harassed the Germans. He was recaptured and was seriously wounded when he tried to escape a second time. The German government informed his family through the International Red cross that he died of those wounds August 3, 1944. |
| 232. Skeath, Albert Edward Jr. | Army Pfc. | 10-14-1944 |
| 1652 St. Charles Avenue | Italy | H.S.1943 |
| Pvt. Albert Skeath was in the infantry. He was listed as missing on October 14, 1944. It was later confirmed that he had been killed on that date in Italy.[Update submitted via e-mail: Albert E. Skeath, Jr., was KIA on 14/10/1944 with the 1st platoon of F Company of 135th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division. This day his regiment was attached to 1st Armd Div and was attacking Montevumici but suffered heavy losses (among them 26 killed and 21 POWs).] |
| 233. Slavik, Andrew J. | Army Cpl. | 8-16-1944 |
| 2101 Halstead Avenue | France |
| Cpl. Andrew Slavik was in the infantry. He was serving with an armored unit and was killed August 17, 1944 in France. |
| 234. Smith, Kennan H. | Navy Lt. | 5-28-1944 |
| 1485 Northland Avenue | Atlantic | H.S.1930 |
| Lt. Kennan Smith served aboard a U.S.S. Landing Ship-Tank (LST). The LST was an ocean going ship. It carried smaller craft topside, plus numerous tanks, vehicles, guns, or cargo within her tunnel-like hold. This ship was the backbone of the invasion fleets. Lt. Smith was an engineering officer and left the states for duty in the Atlantic war zone. He was killed in action on May 28, 1944. |
| 235. Smith, Richard A. | Army 2nd Lt. | 12-21-1944 |
| 17400 Woodford Avenue | Belgium | H.S.1937 |
| Lt. Richard A. Smith was awarded the purple heart for wounds he received in the Netherlands and was cited by the 82nd Airborne Division for an act of bravery. Lt. Smith was a veteran member of the 504th Airborne Infantry Regiment. He jumped in the invasions of Sicily, Italy and the Netherlands. He received his commission on the battlefield in Italy and saw action in Sicily, Salerno, Casseno, and Anzio. It was in Belgium that he earned the Silver star for gallantry in action and the Presidential Citation. The citation read in part: "On December 20, 1944, in an attack upon a heavily defended Belgium village ..... his platoon came under murderous cross-fire from enemy machine gun and cannon. He bravely and calmly organized his firing line and led his platoon forward. The platoon knocked out two German machine guns and over-ran the enemy positions. Later, with his platoon down to 11 men, he lead an attack which destroyed two armored vehicles and two machine guns. While urging his men forward through a hail of German fire he was killed." An Oak Leaf Cluster was added to his Purple Heart. |
| 236. Soltis, Steven W. | Amy Pvt. | 1-4-1945 |
| 2023 Dowd Avenue | Utah |
| Pvt. Steven Soltis was home on leave after an absence of several years. When he was returning to camp, the train he was riding on was wrecked in Utah. Pvt. Soltis died in that accident. He never made it back to his camp in Oregon. |
| 237. Sonenfield, Robert | AAF 2nd Lt. | 5-16-1941 |
| 2141 Arthur Avenue | Ohio | H.S.1933 |
| Lt. Robert Sonenfield was killed in a plane crash in central Ohio. He was enroute home from Barksdale Field, Louisiana. |
| 238. Sparrow, Arthur H. | Navy Lt.(J.G.) | 3-18-1944 |
| 1348 W. Clifton Blvd. | Pacific | H.S.1933 |
| Lt. Arthur Sparrow was a navy pilot. He operated from the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Lexington. He flew many missions over Tarawa, the Gilberts, Kwajalein and Wake Island. He was awarded the Air Medal for his many missions. He was reported missing in action in the south Pacific, and it was later changed to killed in action. |
| 239. Sperk, Peter A. | Army Sgt. | 3-9-1945 |
| 1305 Thoreau Avenue | Germany |
| Sgt. Peter Sperk spoke fluent German, and talked 30 German soldiers into surrendering without firing a shot. He was with Company C, 385th Infantry when they launched an attack against a group of pillboxes. Sgt. Sperk took over the job of lead scout and led his platoon towards its objective. After the first pillbox was taken, he questioned the surviving German soldier, and persuaded the 29 others hiding in the woods to surrender. Sgt. Sperk died March 9, 1945, from wounds received near Cologne, Germany. |
| 240. Spisak, Frank B. | Army Pvt. | 1-4-1943 |
| 2124 Halstead Avenue | New Guinea | Wd. H.S.1935 |
| Pvt. Frank Spisak was born on Armistice Day of World War I, and stood 6'5 tall. His friends called him "Tiny." January 3, 1943, the American troops succeeded in seizing Buna Mission, and all organized resistance by the Japanese ceased in the afternoon. January 4, 1943, the Japanese returned with reinforcements, and retook the Buna garrison, near Tarakena, New Guinea. Pvt. Spisak gave his life on New Guinea on that date. |
| 241. Spissman, Carl T. | Army Pvt. | 3-3-1943 |
| 2110 Overbrook Avenue | U.S.A. |
| Pvt. Carl T. Spissman died in the Billings Hospital near Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. He became ill after suffering a severe ear ailment. |
| 242. Stercula, Walter | Navy Seaman 1/c | 12-18-1944 |
| 2011 Morrison Avenue | Philippine Sea | Wd.H.S.1941 |
| Seaman Walter Stercula was lost at sea. The destroyer he was aboard, the U.S.S. Hull, was hit by a typhoon in the Philippine Sea, December 18, 1944. |
| 243. Stover, John P. | AAF 2nd Lt. | 7-4-1943 |
| 1498 Larchmont Avenue | Sicily |
| Lt. John Stover was a pilot of a P-38 Lightning fighter plane. He received the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters for the completion of 25 successful missions. He was attacked by three German planes, July 4, 1943 and never returned to his base. |
| 244. Student, Emil S. | Marines Pvt. | 11-?-1942 |
| 12406 Madison Avenue | Guadalcanal | Wd.H.S.1937 |
| Pfc. Emil Student lost his life during the fierce fighting on Guadalcanal. He had received training as a ranger. Pvt. Student wrote home, "I really feel proud of the Marine Corps .... we accomplished our missions with great success." |
| 245. Student, Frank C. | Army S/Sgt. | 6-14-1942 |
| 12406 Madison Avenue | France |
| Gliders were used throughout World War II by nearly all participants to deliver airborne forces behind enemy lines. By the end of the war the U.S. had more than 13,000 gliders and 10,000 trained glider pilots. Sgt. Frank Student was a glider infantryman. On June 14, 1942, he had been reported seriously wounded, but that was later revised to killed in action. |
| 246. Studer, John Westlake | Army S/Sgt. | 3-18-1945 |
| 1554 St. Charles Avenue | Germany | H.S.1944 |
| January 27, 1945, Sgt. John W. Studer volunteered to evacuate a fellow member of his Company from a position of extreme danger. He crawled approximately seventy-five yards over ground exposed to intense enemy machine gun, mortar and artillery fire, with no cover or protection to help a fellow soldier. For his achievement, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. The Silver Star was awarded to him for gallantry in action March 18, 1945, and read in part: Sgt. Studer returned to the rear areas and brought up a resupply of ammunition under intense enemy fire. He then lead a successful attack until he was mortally wounded. |
| 247. Surovy, Joseph Frank | Marines S/Sgt. | 5-26-1945 |
| 1609 Lakewood Avenue | Okinawa | Wd. H.S.1920 |
| Sgt. Joseph Surovy was a gunner aboard a carrier-based Avenger. He was killed May 26, 1945. |
| 248. Sutter, John | Army Lt. | 8-27-1944 |
| 1258 Belle Avenue | Louisiana | H.S.1930 |
| Lt. John Sutter died of a heart attack in New Orleans, Louisiana. |
| 249. Sutton, William J. Jr. | Army Pvt. | 12-19-1944 |
| 17449 Woodford Avenue | Germany | H.S. 1942 |
| Appalling weather virtually grounded Allied planes, and left the weight of the German onslaught to ground troops in the Battle of the Bulge. Pvt. William Sutton was serving with the 303rd Combat Engineers as a demolition expert when he was killed in Hitler's last offensive drive, December 19, 1944. |
| 250. Svendsen, James J. | Army Pvt. |
| 1169 French Avenue | Germany |
| Pvt. James Svendsen was killed while serving as a tank driver. |