|
251. Thomas, Mathew A. |
Army S/Sgt. |
| 1318 Beach Avenue |
|
|
Sgt. Mathew Thomas died of wounds he received while serving with the
ll2th Engineers in Germany. He won a Bronze Star and a Presidential Citation. |
|
252. Thomascik, Frank B. |
Army Pfc. |
11-9-1944 |
| 1548 Clarence Avenue |
France |
|
|
Pfc. Frank Thomascik died while serving with General George Patton's
3rd Army in France. He was in the corps of engineers and died near the
Marne River. He is buried in an American cemetery in France. |
|
253. Tidik, John M., Jr. |
Army Pvt. |
1-15-1945 |
| 2120 Richland Avenue |
Belgium |
H.S.1943 |
|
Pvt. John Tidik lost his life while serving with an engineer's unit
in Belgium. |
|
254. Uherka, David F. |
Army Sgt. |
1-16-1945 |
| 2059 Quail Avenue |
Belgium |
Wd. H.S.1928 |
|
Sgt. David Uherka played the organ at his father's church the Slavic
United Presbyterian at 2051 Quail Avenue. He left the peace of the church
to serve in the infantry and was specially trained to be a scout. He was
killed January 16, 1945, in Be1gium on the day that the U.S. 1st and 3rd
Armies linked in the Ardennes. |
|
255. Uhler, Emil |
Army Sgt. |
4-21-1945 |
| 2034 Magee Avenue |
Germany |
|
|
Sgt. Emil Uhler was killed in Germany. He served with the 18th Infantry. |
|
256. Ulman, Richard J. |
AAF 2nd Lt. |
8-9-1944 |
| 2083 Chesterland Avenue |
North Carolina |
H.S.1940 |
|
Lt. Richard Ulman was trained to be a navigator. He lost his life in
an accident near Southern Pines, North Carolina, while demonstrating life
saving equipment. |
|
257. Van Nortwick, George T. |
Army T/Sgt. |
4-7-1945 |
| 17420 Woodford Avenue |
Germany |
|
|
Sgt. George Van Nortwick was attached to an armored unit of the 9th
Army. A friend was cleaning his gun and accidentally killed Sgt. Van Nortwick. |
|
258. Varney, Robert F. |
AAF 2nd Lt. |
5-28-1944 |
| 1590 Lauderdale Avenue |
China |
H.S.1939 |
|
Lt. Robert Varney was a pilot with General Clare Chenault's famous
Flying Tigers in China. The Flying Tigers were an American volunteer group.
It was the only mercenary air force in World War II. Lt. Varney was well-trained
to fly a B-24 Liberator bomber, and was awarded the Presidential Citation
and Air Medal for his efforts. He was killed May 28, 1944. |
|
259. Vukas, Louis P. |
Coast Guard Cook 1/c |
10-8-1943 |
| 1445 Elmwood Avenue |
Lakewood, Ohio |
Wd.H.S.1919 |
|
Louis Vukas was in the Coast Guard for three years. He came home on
leave and died in a traffic accident. The car he was riding in crashed
into a utility pole on Clifton Boulevard, near Nicholson Avenue. |
|
260. Waldron, Arthur S. |
AAF 1st Lt. |
2-5-1944 |
| 1595 Arthur Avenue |
England |
H.S.1933 |
|
Lt. Arthur Waldron crashed into a cable holding a barrage balloon in
the air over England and emerged without a scratch. Lt. Waldron was attached
to a photographic reconnaissance squadron based in England. He made many
hazardous missions over enemy territory armed only with cameras. He was
awarded the Air Medal and had been recommended for a captaincy. Ironically
he lost his life in England on February 5, 1944 when his plane caught fire
on an altitude test flight. Lt. Arthur Waldron is buried in the American
cemetery in England. |
|
261. Walker, Edwin C. Jr. |
Army Pvt. |
8-6-1944 |
| 1596 Marlowe Avenue |
France |
|
|
Pvt. Edwin C. Walker was an infantryman. He entered the service in
September, 1943, and was sent abroad in July. His wife, Leveda, received
the news of her husband's death on her 31st birthday. |
|
262. Walter, William F. |
Army Pfc. |
4-12-1945 |
| 14217 Bayes Avenue |
Germany |
H.S.1943 |
|
Pfc. William Walter was killed in Germany. He was serving with the
12th Armored Division. |
|
263. Wangberg, Ronald |
Army Pvt. |
2-11-1942 |
| 15618 Lakewood Hts. Blvd. |
Bataan |
|
|
Pfc. Ronald Wangberg died while trying to destroy an enemy machine
gun nest. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple
Heart Medal for extraordinary heroism under enemy fire. |
|
264. Warner, Charles G. |
Army Capt. |
11-19-1944 |
| 1091 Erie Cliff Avenue |
France |
Wd. H.S.1935 |
|
Capt. Charles Warner was killed while leading his men in a battle near
Dieuze, France. He served with General George Patton's 3rd Army. |
|
265. Weitlauf, Frank L. |
Army Pvt. |
3-13-? |
| 1475 Winchester |
Luzon |
|
|
Pvt. Frank Weitlauf lost his life on Luzon, while fighting with the
infantry of the 43rd Division. |
|
266. Wesp, William Edward |
Coast Guard Seaman 2/c |
10-12-1943 |
| 1499 Northland Avenue |
Lakewood, Ohio |
H.S.1935 |
|
William Wesp was in the Coast Guard for 9 months when he came home
on leave. He died in a traffic accident on Clifton Boulevard, near Nicholson
Avenue. He was with his friend Louis P. Vukas. (See above) |
|
267. Wessel, Ralph C. |
AAF S/Sgt. |
4-2-1944 |
| 1301 Cranford Avenue |
Austria |
|
|
Sgt. Ralph Wessel entered service in May, 1942, and trained as a gunner
on a Liberator bomber. He went overseas in June, 1943. His first mission
was the raid on the Ploesti Oil fields in Romania for which he received
the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was based in North Africa, the Middle
East, and in England as well as Italy. He received the Air Medal and 5
Oak Leaf Clusters for his service. He was killed April 2, 1944, when his
plane was shot down on his 32nd mission. |
|
268. Wetzel, Louis Edward |
AAF 2nd Lt. |
10-8-1943 |
| 1300 Idlewood Avenue |
Germany |
H.S.1939 |
|
Lt. Louis Wetzel was killed in a raid over Bremen, Germany. He was
a pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress. He was awarded the Air Medal with 2
Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart posthumously. |
|
269. Whitaker, Richard H. |
AAF 2nd Lt. |
6-30-1944 |
| 15111 Clifton Blvd. |
Hungary |
Wd.H.S.1939 |
|
Lt. Richard Whitaker was based in Italy and attached to the 15th Air
Force. He was a bombardier aboard a B-24 Liberator. Witnesses said his
plane exploded over Lake Balaton, Hungary. He had completed 17 missions
and was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. |
|
270. Wilk, Walter S. |
Army Pvt. |
7-28-1944 |
| 1611 W. ll7th Street |
France |
|
|
Pvt. Walter Wilk was attached to the 331st Infantry in the 83rd Division.
He was killed in action in France, July 28, 1944. |
|
271. Wilson, Harry A. |
Army Cpl. |
12-13-1944 |
| 2109 Halstead Avenue |
Germany |
Wd.H.S.1942 |
|
Cpl. Harry A. Wilson served in an armored unit in Germany. He was killed
December 13, 1944. |
|
272. Winger, Robert H. |
Navy Mo.M.1/c |
1-24-1944 |
| 1573 Wagar Avenue |
at sea |
H.S.1935 |
|
Robert Winger was remembered at Lakewood High School for his nickname,
"Spook," and his action on the football field. He was a star tackle on
the school football team from 1932 to 1935. He was a graduate of the Navy
Service School at Dearborn, Michigan, where he received high honors. He
was on destroyer duty at the time of his death. He was killed in the area
of the Mediterranean January 24, 1944. |
|
273. Wright, Mark L. |
AAF 2nd Lt. |
12-26-1944 |
| (formerly Lakewood) |
East Indies |
H.S.1940 |
|
Lt. Mark Wright was a pilot of a P-51 Mustang fighter. He wrote to
his family on December 24, 1944, "I have completed 50 missions against
the enemy in the Pacific." He died two days later on a mission over the
East Indies. |
|
274. Yensho, Edward |
AAF Pvt. |
9-1-1945? |
| 14120 Lakewood Hts. Blvd. |
Europe |
H.S.1943 |
|
Pvt. Edward Yensho was attached to the 9th Air Force. He lost his life
in the European theater. |
|
275. Young, Richard K. |
AAF Capt. |
3-19-1946 |
| 15846 Madison Ave. |
Colorado |
|
|
Capt. Richard Young was among 26 people who lost their lives on a plane
that crashed, March 19, 1946. |
|
276. Zeedik, John |
Navy A.M.M. 1/c |
3-19-1944 |
| 2210 Lewis Drive |
Pacific |
|
|
March 19, 1944, while the U.S.S. Franklin was launching her aircraft
an enemy divebomber came out of the clouds and scored hits with two five
hundred pound armor-piercing bombs. Flames shot through the ship, and it
was rocked by one explosion after another as fuel and ammunition blew up.
There were more than 1,000 casualties and Aviation Machinist Mate John
Zeedik was one of those who lost his life on the U.S.S. Franklin that day. |