If you could meet one WWII KIA....

[p51]

Ernie Pyle

Same.

Yeah, but the problem with that is that he'd likely not want to talk to you. Remember, the man had an almost "rock star" following he hated and couldn't stand talking with fans.
I've stood within 6 feet of the man, at least at his grave in Hawaii.

 

[JennyLou]

I met someone who had served with the USAAF, and he swore that when Miller died, the word out was that Miller had actually fallen out of his plane while in a drunken stupor. He claimed that Miller was drunk half the time he was in the air. Anybody else hear of this claim?

I've heard that one and so many other rumors as to how he died. History Channel actually did a whole episode on his dissappearance a long time ago.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Lt. Bert Stiles, USAAF

3rd Division
339th Fighter Group
505th Fighter Squadron
Fowlmere, England
K.I.A. 26 November, 1944
Hanover, Germany

'Serenade To The Big Bird'

-dixon cannon

 

[Dixon Cannon]

For me, it would have to be Emmanuel B.'Manny' Klette, C.O. of the 324th BS, 91st BG, who flew 90 missions-more than any other flier in the 8thAAF.[/QUOTE]

I wonder if you meant Lt. Col. Immanuel J. Klette?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_J._Klette

-dixon cannon

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Und... the Star of Africa...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Joachim_Marseille

Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Marseille
Deutsche Luftwaffe
Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 27
Sidi Abdel Rahman, Egypt
K.I.A. 30 September 1942

-dixon cannon

 

[Spitfire]

These two gents:
"Dicky" Lee MIA after following 3 ME109 out to sea during Battle of Britain. And his close friend:
Albert Lewis - survived the war - but was shot down several times and ended the war with 18 kills.
Both were flying Hurricanes in 85 Squadron. Why I want to meet them?
Because they were ordinary young men who did extraordinary things at the right moment.
And because not much has been written about them.

And I would ask "Dicky" - who was a super pilot - why he followed 3 EAs out to sea. Rumour says that he also had spent all his ammunition.
And I would ask Lewis to tell me about the two times he got 5 EA in a day.

 

[DutchIndo]

It's a toss-up between two MOH recipients: "Manila" John Basilone, USMC (formerly USA), whom Gen. MacArthur called "a one-man army," and Joe Martinez of 7th Infantry Division, USA, who served with my father on Attu. I did have the great opportunity of meeting someone who was not a veteran, per se, but was a famous figure of the war: Joel Rosenthal, photographer of the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima.

I worked with Basilones Grand Daughter at Trader Joes. His Grandson is often heard on our Radio Ads. The Basilones are influential in our Company.

 

[Widebrim]

I worked with Basilones Grand Daughter at Trader Joes. His Grandson is often heard on our Radio Ads. The Basilones are influential in our Company.

When did you work with her? I had no idea that a branch of the family was in Southern California.

 

[WH1]

Not KIA in war but Killed in action defending his wife from an attacker.

Marion Carl, first Marine Ace of all time, Navy Cross recipient, member of the Cactus Air Force, retired Marine Corps Major General, test pilot extraordinaire. I was fortunate to meet him several times when I was a young Marine. He was a great individual and a hell of a Marine. I would like to have a chance to sit down with him and speak of his experiences.

 

[MisterCairo]

Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski VC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Charles_Mynarski

Mynarski was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross AND was promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer. If he were an American airman, his story would have been the subject of several movies by now.

As a Canadian, we barely remember him. Read why he was awarded the VC and you'll understand why I'd like to have a pint with him.

 

[Canadian]

I'd like to meet some of the Canadians who died at Dieppe. For every Canadian who died at Dieppe, it saved the lives of ten Brits and Canadians on D-Day.

Although not a KIA, there was a padre who's name was Captain John Foote, V.C.. At Dieppe, the boats were pulling out after the raid and he jumped off, shouting that the men on the beach needed him more than they needed him in England, or something to that effect. Someday, I'll ask him why, but I think that was absolute heroism. He got a VC for that.

There is a museum in Calgary which holds a lot of war memorabilia. I go almost every year, as well as to the one in Ottawa. I pray my grandchildren never have to understand why.

Thomas

 

[DutchIndo]

When did you work with her? I had no idea that a branch of the family was in Southern California.

I worked with her about 9 years ago in Orange, OC . The last time I talked to her was about 3 years ago. She is Mgr. at one of the Trader Joes. I forget which one I lost track . Her Brother is a Big Wig in the Company and does Radio spots. My friends at work (also WWII buffs) told me the Basilones were invited to Camp Pendleton a few years ago for some Ceremony.

 

[Smithy]

I would dearly love to talk with Edgar "Cobber" Kain, the RAF's first ace of the war. I've had a great interest in Cobber for a number of years and was lucky enough to be in contact with his sister by email. But I would love to hear it from the horse's mouth and to meet and talk to him would be a great honour.

I also wouldn't mind having a chat with Billy Fiske either, the American with 601 Sqn. As well as his experiences in the Battle of Britain, I'd like a chinwag about the Cresta Run and pre war Bentleys - two other things which interest me greatly.

 

[Chas]

My Mum's two cousins. One was killed in the 8th Army, fighting in Italy, the other killed on HMS Prince Of Wales off Malaya.

 

[Fletch]

Maj. Gen. Clarence Tinker, commander, 7th Air Force, first US general officer killed in WW2 and the first Native American general since the war of 1812.

This former territorial mounted policeman and artillery officer learned to fly just after WW1. As Hap Arnold's right-hand man thru much of the 1930s, he was a tireless advocate of air power when it was neither profitable nor popular.
General Tinker's B-24 disappeared June 6, 1942, enroute to attack Japanese forces on Wake Island.
Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is named for him.
He is remembered by few, but the memory is of a spit-and-polish gentleman, and a daring flier and leader.

"Tink" in front of his P-12, about 1930.

 

[Norumbega]

My grandfather.....a naval veteran of WWI who enlisted in the Merchant Marine during WWII. KIA during his first voyage with convoy HX 230

 

[Norumbega]

I worked with Basilones Grand Daughter at Trader Joes. His Grandson is often heard on our Radio Ads. The Basilones are influential in our Company.

I just caught this. Pretty cool. My mother, a Marine serving out at Pendleton during WWII lived in the same barracks and worked for Lena Basilone during KP at the chow hall, which she ran. She never remarried after John's death on Iwo stating according to my mother, that "once you've had the best, nothing else would do."

 

[K.D. Lightner]

When I was 10 years old, I read an article in Reader's Digest, called "The Death of Rodger Young." I skim-read it, only remembered that he was a WW II soldier, KIA.

I played with my brother's little green army men and named the one laying on his belly brandishing a rifle, "Rodger Young."

Years later, when I traveled through Clyde, Ohio, I saw a sign that boasted it was the resting place of Rodger Young.

OK, I thought, who was this Rodger Young? About a decade ago, I looked him up on a search engine.

Rodger Young was a young Ohio native who was a private in the US Army. He was KIA in the Solomon Islands in 1943, was in his mid-20's. A small man with thick glasses and a hearing problem, he only got into the army because he was in the National Guard.

Rodger Young died saving his unit that was under fire from an enemy machine gun nest. He crept forward, ignoring his own safety, firing at the nest, getting wounded twice, finally raising up and tossing a grenade into the nest. He was shot again and killed, but the grenade got all the enemy.

Rodger Young was the posthumus recipient of the Medal of Honor. You can read all about him online.

I certainly would want to meet the young man who gallantly gave his life to save his unit and who has fascinated me all my life.

karol

PS -- there is a song about him, too. And I believe a spaceship in a Sci Fi story named after him.

 

[David Conwill]

1 LT Arthur R. Noyle, killed in action at the Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen, Germany. He was an artillery spotter and his plane was shot down. He was also my great uncle and an Indianapolis 500 fan. He was a plaster contractor before the war, just like his father.

-Dave