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bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Dead > Roster Records > Roster Ba-Be, © 2024 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 23 Oct 2024
Part 2/27 of the Pottawattamie Area World War II Dead Roster, 27 "Ba-Be" records
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† Babcock, Victor Ross, SN 37-428-855, US Army, Harrison & Pott. Cos.
† Bach, Paul Leonard, served as Bach Paul L & Beach Paul L, SN 0-311-373, US Army, Pott. Co.
† Bagley, Charles Phelps, SN 0-765-281, US Army Air Force, Audubon Co.
† Baier, Arnold Leroy, SN 37-684-308, US Army, Cass Co.
† Bailey, Edwin Clark, SN 17-149-190, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
† Bailey, Jack Carl, SN 37-356-705, US Army, Pott Co. & Cheyenne Co., NE
† Baker, Delmar Eugene (also recorded as Baker, Delman E.), SN 321-35-78, US Navy, Montgomery Co.
† Baker, Donald Hugh, SN 20-706-350, US Army, Cass Co.
† Baker, Everett Ernest, SN 17-122-788, US Army, Montgomery Co.
† Baker, John Llewellyn, SN O-710-875, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
† Bales, Paul Edgar, SN 859-09-72, US Navy, Adair Co.
† Ball, John Jesse "Jack", SN 20-706-539, US Army, Pott. Co.
† Baraks, Frederick August, served as Barracks, Frederick A, SN 36-448-659, US Army, Rock Island Co., IL
† Bargenquast, Arnold Frank, SN 321-39-14, US Navy, Shelby Co.
† Barnett, Walter McMillan Jr., SN 20-743-494, US Army, Pott. Co.
† Barrett, Henry Joseph Jr., SN 37-699-275, US Army, Pott. Co.
† Bates, Stuart McCain, SN 37-475-399, US Army, Pott. Co. & Douglas Co., NE.
† Battey, Norma Jane, unknown service nbr, US Navy Waves, Pott. Co.
† Baylor, Charles William, SN 37-001-796, US Army, Cass Co.
Beach, Paul Leonard - see Bach Paul Leonard
† Beckendorf, Orville Leroy, SN 316-41-64, US Navy, Pott. Co.
† Beers, Harold Elmer, SN 37-476-206, US Army, Harrison Co.
† Benedict, George Junior, SN 37-485-642, US Army Air Force, Mills Co.
† Benton, Raymond James, SN 37-112-067, US Army Air Force, Guthrie Co.
† Bergman, George Eugene, SN 37-752-394, US Army, Pott. Co.
† Bernhardt, Paul Richard, SN 620-27-93, US Navy, Union Co.
† Berringer, Merroll Jackson, SN 0-735-025, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Page Cos.
† Berry, Kenneth Coit, SN 648-12-71, US Navy, Pott. Co.
- b. 14 Nov 1908 Co. Bluffs; s/o Edwin Babcock & Martha Mellor; married Opal M. Davis 1933, four children.
- entered service 5 Sep 1942 from Missouri Valley, Harrison Co.; buried Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines.
- 145th Inf. Regt., 37th Inf. Div.; XIV Corps, KIA 25 Jul 1943, near Munda, New Georgia, Solomon Is.
- Operation Cartwheel - South & SW Pacific > Solomon Is., New Georgia.
† Bach, Paul Leonard, served as Bach Paul L & Beach Paul L, SN 0-311-373, US Army, Pott. Co.
- b. 2 Aug 1912 Co. Bluffs; s/o Peter C. Bach (d. 1914) & Anna K. Hansen, ss/o Soren Peter Knudsen, all Denmark natives; b. 14 Nov 1908 Co. Bluffs; s/o Edwin Babcock & Martha Mellor; b. 14 Nov 1908 Co. Bluffs; s/o Edwin Babcock & Martha Mellor; married Kathryn C. “Kay” Ferguson 1936.
- entered service May 1941 from Co. Bluffs; buried Walnut Hill Cem., Co. Bluffs.
- 43rd Inf. Regt., Philippine Scouts, Philippine Division; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 21 Nov 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, Nueva Ecija Prov., Luzon, Philippines, amoebic dysentery.
- Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.
† Bagley, Charles Phelps, SN 0-765-281, US Army Air Force, Audubon Co.
- b. 10 Aug 1922 Audubon, Audubon Co. s/o Frank Bagley & Edith Phelps.
- entered service 25 Mar 1943 from Audubon at Santa Ana, CA; buried Ardennes American Cem., Neupre, SW of Liege, Belgium.
- 600th or 601st Bomb. Sqdn., 398th Bomb. Gp., Eighth Air Force; based at Nuthampstead SW of Cambridge, England; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #43-38463 co-pilot with pilot Roger Weum; KIA 30 Nov 1944 Grosslöbichau, east of Jena, Thuringia, Germany; aircraft went into a dive, exploded in mid-air, and crashed; crew of nine, six died.
- The ETO > ETO Air War > Eighth Air Force.
† Baier, Arnold Leroy, SN 37-684-308, US Army, Cass Co.
- b. 20 Feb 1923 rural Anita, Grant Twp., Cass Co.; s/o Frederick H. Baier & Goldie A. Daughenbaugh; family moved to rural Wiota, Franklin Twp., Cass Co. in late 1920s & to rural Griswold, Cass Co. in 1940s.
- entered service 5 Feb 1944 from Rt. 1, Griswold; buried Atlantic Cem., Cass Co.
- Co. G, 187th Glider Inf. Regt., 11th Airborne Div.; KIA 24 Mar 1945 near Santa Rosa, SE of Manila, Luzon, Philippines; probably died in 2nd Bn.'s attack on fortified village of Dita.
- Philippines Liberated > Luzon.
† Bailey, Edwin Clark, SN 17-149-190, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
- b. 13 Feb 1926 Frankfort Twp., rural Stanton, Montgomery Co.; s/o Russell H. Bailey & Annabelle E. Horvath; family moved to Grant Twp., rural Red Oak late 1930s.
- entered service 22 Feb 1944 from Rt. 4, Red Oak; buried Ardennes American Cem., Neupre, SW of Liege, Belgium.
- 7th Bomb. Sqdn., 34th Bomb. Gp., Eighth Air Force; based at Mendlesham, N. of Ipswich, Suffolk, England; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #43-38419 Miss Betsy tail gunner with pilot Jacob Raver; KIA 14 Jan 1945 on mission to Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany; aircraft lost right wing due to flak and crashed NW of Bremen, 700 meters SW of village of Eggestedt, Niedersachen, Germany; seven died, two POW.
- The ETO > ETO Air War > Eighth Air Force.
† Bailey, Jack Carl, SN 37-356-705, US Army, Pott Co. & Cheyenne Co., NE
- b. 14 Feb 1924 Stanberry, Gentry Co., MO; s/o Donald Bailey & Mary I. Carothers (d. 1935); parents divorced; lived in Co. Bluffs with aunt Frances C. (Carothers) Durbin.
- entered service 10 Jun 1943 from Co. Bluffs or Cheyenne Co., NE; buried High Ridge Cem., Stanberry, Gentry Co.
- Co. E, 60th Inf. Regt., 9th Inf. Div. (part of 2nd Bn. attached to 4th Inf. Div.); KIA 8 Aug 1944 NE of Avranches, Manche Dept., Normandy, France.
- The ETO > Liberation > Normandy.
† Baker, Delmar Eugene (also recorded as Baker, Delman E.), SN 321-35-78, US Navy, Montgomery Co.
- b. 5 Mar 1920 Conrad, Pondera Co., MT; s/o Frank B. Baker & Vina F. Bell (d. 1928), former Montgomery Co. residents; family moved to Anacortes, WA about 1926; the children lived with other families after mother's death; father returned to Villisca, Montgomery Co. about 1930.
- entered service 11 Oct 1939 at Des Moines; next of kin parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Baker, Rt. 2, Villisca, IA; body not recovered; memorialized Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines; cenotaph Arlington Cem., Stanton, Montgomery Co.
- Joined crew of Destroyer USS Peary (DD-226) 24 Apr 1940; KIA 19 Feb 1942 Darwin, Australia; Peary sunk by Japanese dive bombers; 93 died, 49 survived.
- Japan Lashes Out > The Dutch Indies Lost.
† Baker, Donald Hugh, SN 20-706-350, US Army, Cass Co.
- b. 5 Jun 1919 rural Atlantic, Cass Co.; s/o Hugh M. Baker & Katherine Beekman; family moved to Atlantic in early 1920s; married Virginia P. Henke of Missouri Jun 1941.
- ; entered service 10 Feb 1941 from Atlantic; service credited to Charlevoix Co., MI; buried Atlantic Cem.
- Co. K (Atlantic), 168th Inf. Regt., while stateside transferred to Co. K (Le Mars), 133rd Inf. Regt., both 34th Inf. Div.; DNB 6 Jun 1942 Coleraine, Londonderry, Northern Ireland; railroad accident.
- The ETO > ETO Comm. Zone.
† Baker, Everett Ernest, SN 17-122-788, US Army, Montgomery Co.
- b. 3 Aug 1922 Johnson, Nemaha Co., NE; s/o Guy R. Baker & Jessie J. Johnson; family moved to Glenwood, Mills Co. in 1920s and to Red Oak, Montgomery Co. in early 1930s.
- entered service Sep 1942 from Red Oak; buried Evergreen Cem., Red Oak.
- Co. L, 26th Inf. Regt., 1st Inf. Div., III Corps, First Army; DOW 26 Feb 1945 near Roer River SE of Aachen, North Rhile-Westphalia, Germany.
- The ETO > To The Rhine > Ops. Veritable & Grenade.
† Baker, John Llewellyn, SN O-710-875, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
- b. 9 Dec 1922 Villisca, Montgomery Co.; s/o John S. Baker & Helen E. Dilley.
- entered service 1 Feb 1943 from Rt. 2, Villisca; buried Arlington Cem., Stanton, Montgomery Co.
- 96th Fighter Sqdn., 82nd Fighter Gp., Fifteenth Air Force; based at Vincenzo Airfield SE of Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Lockheed P-38 Lightning pilot; KIA 29 Aug 1944 at San Pietro d'Carso 20 miles east of Trieste, Italy; aircraft struck the railroad station while strafing a nearby train; The MTO > MTO Air War > Fifteenth Air Force.
† Bales, Paul Edgar, SN 859-09-72, US Navy, Adair Co.
- b. 8 Apr 1924 Adair, Adair Co.; s/o Claude L. Bales & Kathryn F. Sherman.
- entered service date unknown from Rt. 2, Adair, Adair Co.; next of kin parents, Mr. and Mrs. Claude Lester Bales, Adair, IA; body not recovered; memorialized Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines; cenotaph Immanuel Lutheran Cem., Adair, Guthrie Co., IA.
- Destroyer USS Hoel (DD-533), Task Unit 77.4.3 (aka Taffy 3), Seventh Fleet; KIA 25 Oct 1944 off Samar, Philippines; the Hoel, Johnston, & Samuel B. Roberts were all sunk after their tenacious attack on a vastly-superior Japanese force.
- Battle off Samar - Philippines Liberated > Battle of Leyte Gulf.
† Ball, John Jesse "Jack", SN 20-706-539, US Army, Pott. Co.
- b. 20 Jul 1919 Co. Bluffs; s/o John E. Ball & Eleanor T. Pischel of Co. Bluffs; m. Ruth Lorraine Coon.
- entered service 10 Feb 1941 from Co. Bluffs; buried Vahalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, Los Angeles Co., CA.
- Co. L (Co. Bluffs), 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div. --> Co. C, 1st Ranger Bn., II Corps; KIA 25 Mar 1943 El Guettar, Tunisia.
- Battle of El Guettar - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.
† Baraks, Frederick August, served as Barracks, Frederick A, SN 36-448-659, US Army, Rock Island Co., IL
- b. 27 Sep 1917 Coal Valley, Rock Island Co., IL; s/o August Baraks (d. 1929) & Elizabeth Wilhouse of Coal Valley; married LaRue V. Jensen of Hazel Dell T., Pott. Co. 1941, two children.
- enlisted 15 Feb 1943 at Peoria, IL; buried Lorraine American Cem., St. Avold, Lorraine, France.
- 449th Military Police Co., Seventh Army, landed at Utah Beach 6 Jun 1944 with the First Army, served in the Battle of the Bulge; WIA early Apr 1945, KIA (sic) 4 Apr 1945, Germany.
- The ETO > Central Europe > Beyond the Rhine.
† Bargenquast, Arnold Frank, SN 321-39-14, US Navy, Shelby Co.
- b. 4 Feb 1914 Irwin, Shelby Co.; s/o Henry G. Bargenquast & Anna C. Wendt; m. Louise Quarto, one child.
- entered service 28 Feb 1940 from Manilla, Shelby Co.; body not recovered; memorialized Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines.
- Submarine USS Seawolf (SS 197); DNB 4 Oct 1944 near Morotai, Dutch Indies, SW Pacific; Seawolf sunk by friendly fire, all 83 crew & 17 US Army passengers died.
- Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force.
† Barnett, Walter McMillan Jr., SN 20-743-494, US Army, Pott. Co.
- b. 4 Mar 1922 Competition, Laclede Co., MO; s/o Walter M. Barnett Sr. (d. 1942) & Myrtle Shamel (d. 1932) of Oakland, Pott. Co.
- entered service 16 Jan 1941 from Oakland; buried Sicily-Rome American Cem., Nettuno, Lazio, Italy.
- Co. G, 505th Parachute Inf. Regt., 82nd Airborne Div.; KIA 13 Jul 1943, Sicily, Italy.
- Battle of Biazza Ridge - The MTO > Italy > Sicily.
† Barrett, Henry Joseph Jr., SN 37-699-275, US Army, Pott. Co.
- b. 9 May 1926 Fremont, Dodge Co., NE; s/o Henry J. Barrett & Edna M. Gaylord; family moved to Co. Bluffs in 1930s
- entered service 28 Jun 1944 from Co. Bluffs; buried St. Joseph Cem., Co. Bluffs.
- Co. I, 301st Inf. Regt., 94th Inf. Div., XX Corps, Third Army; KIA 6 Mar 1945 near Zerf, south of Trier, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany; The ETO > Siegfried Line, 1945 > XX Corps to Trier.
† Bates, Stuart McCain, SN 37-475-399, US Army, Pott. Co. & Douglas Co., NE.
- b. 9 Jan 1913 Oakland, Pott. Co.; s/o John O. Bates (d. 1941) & Gertrude M. McCain; Family moved from Oakland to Lincoln, NE in the late 1920s and then to Omaha, NE in early 1930s.
- maybe buried overseas; maybe buried Oaklawn Cem., Oakland. (maybe cenotaph)
- Co. C, 756th Tank Bn., 3rd Inf. Div., Seventh Army; KIA 24 Jan 1945 north of Colmar, Alsace, France.
- The ETO > Alsace, 1945 > Colmar Pocket.
† Battey, Norma Jane, unknown service nbr, US Navy Waves, Pott. Co.
- b. 25 Jun 1923 Co. Bluffs; d/o Herbert V. Battey & Frances Jensen of Co. Bluffs & Sioux City, Woodbury Co.
- buried Memorial Park Cem., Co. Bluffs.
- unit unknown; d. 3 Oct 1943, San Diego, CA, illness.
† Baylor, Charles William, SN 37-001-796, US Army, Cass Co.
- b. 14 Jan 1915 Exira, Audubon Co.; s/o John C. Baylor & Florence E. Miller; family moved to Cass Co. before 1920; married Joann Morrison 1942.
- entered service 14 Feb 1941 from Rt. 3, Anita, Cass Co.; buried Normandy American Cem., Colleville-sur-Mere, Normandy, France.
- 134th Inf. Regt., 35th Inf. Div.; KIA 4 Aug 1944 La Metairie, near Vire, Calvados Dept., France.
- The ETO > Liberation > Normandy.
Beach, Paul Leonard - see Bach Paul Leonard
† Beckendorf, Orville Leroy, SN 316-41-64, US Navy, Pott. Co.
- b. 13 Jun 1916 rural Walnut, Pott. Co.; s/o Ira C. Beckendorf & Anna L. Fries (d. 1930) of rural Walnut; married Mary Bernice Johnson of Kentucky.
- entered service 16 Jan 1935; reenlisted 4 Feb 1939 at San Diego Co., CA; body not recovered; memorialized Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines; cenotaph Layton Twp. Cem., Walnut.
- Destroyer USS Laffey (DD-459); KIA 13 Nov 1942 Ironbottom Sound, north of Guadalcanal, Solomon Is.; Laffey hit by 14” shell from Japanese battleship Hiei & torpedo, then exploded & sank; 59 died, 186 survived.
- First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal - South & SW Pacific > Solomons Naval War.
† Beers, Harold Elmer, SN 37-476-206, US Army, Harrison Co.
- b. 28 Nov 1923 Co. Bluffs; s/o Carl R. Beers & Isabelle Dick; married Mary D. Layton, one child.
- entered service 13 Mar 1943 from Little Sioux, Harrison Co.; buried Little Sioux Cem.
- unit unknown; stationed at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg AFB), Santa Barbara Co., CA; d. 19 Jan 1945 in nearby Lompoc, CA from asphyxiation.
† Benedict, George Junior, SN 37-485-642, US Army Air Force, Mills Co.
- b. 16 Sep 1921 Tabor, Fremont Co.; s/o Fenton Eber Benedict & Clara E. Lee; family moved to rural Hastings, Mills Co. in late 1920s; worked for North American Aviation in Inglewood, CA in early 1940s; married Twyla L. Carter of Iowa Nov 1944 in El Paso, TX.
- entered service 4 Oct 1943 from Rt. 1, Hastings; buried Hastings Cem.
- 731st Bomb. Sqdn., 452nd Bomb Gp., Eighth Air Force, based at Doepham Green, Norfolk, England; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #44-8015 Johnny Reb with pilot William T. Emmet II; KIA Pfaffenhofen an der Roth, Bavaria, near Ulm, Germany, 22 Feb 1945; aircraft broke apart approaching the target in overcast conditions; seven died, three survived.
- The ETO > ETO Air War > Eighth Air Force.
- Notes: Named George Junior Benedict at birth, thus in military records as Benedict George J. However, family often used the names Leslie or George Leslie. The William T. Emmet crew trained together in the US, traveled by ship to Europe, and used four different aircraft on their four missions. The crew history is well-documented at Crash of B-17 44-8015 MARC 12657.
† Benton, Raymond James, SN 37-112-067, US Army Air Force, Guthrie Co.
- b. 27 Jan 1918 west of Guthrie Center in Bear Grove Twp., Guthrie Co. s/o Samuel A. Benton & Eva Stephenson; family moved to Baker Twp., Guthrie Co. in early 1920s.
- entered service 20 Jan 1942 from rural Guthrie Center; body not recovered; memorialized Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cem., Coton, Cambridgeshire, England.
- 366 Bomb. Sqdn., 305th Bomb. Gp., Eighth Air Force based at Cheveston, NW of Cambridge, England; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #42-102255 radio operator; KIA 3 Feb 1945; aircraft suffered flak damage during mission over Germany & ditched in North Sea; crew of nine all died.
- The ETO > ETO Air War > Eighth Air Force.
† Bergman, George Eugene, SN 37-752-394, US Army, Pott. Co.
- b. 2 Jul 1926 Omaha; s/o John M. Bergman & Ruth A. Moyer of Co. Bluffs.
- entered service 17 Sep 1944 from Co. Bluffs; buried Natl. Cem. of the Pacific, Honolulu, Oahu, HI.
- Co. C, 384th Inf. Regt., 96th Inf. Div.; KIA 10 Jun 1945, enemy machine gun fire, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
- Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa.
† Bernhardt, Paul Richard, SN 620-27-93, US Navy, Union Co.
- b. 7 Aug 1920 Hamburg, Fremont Co.; adopted s/o George W. Bernhardt & Wilhelmina M. Kerkmann; family lived in Cass & Adams Co. before moving to Grant Twp., Union Co. in early 1930s.
- entered service 1 Feb 1942 from Rt. 1A, Afton, Union Co; next of kin foster father, Mr. George William Bernhardt, RFD 1A, Afton, IA; body not recovered; memorialized Tablets of the Missing, North Africa American Cem., Carthage, Tunisia.
- Destroyer USS Leary (DD-158); KIA 24 Dec 1943 north of the Azores, North Atlantic; Leary sunk by submarine U-275 torpedo; 98 died.
- WWII Germany > Battle of the Atlantic.
† Berringer, Merroll Jackson, SN 0-735-025, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Page Cos.
- b. 4 Mar 1921 Co. Bluffs; s/o Vern L. Berringer & Lula D. Jackson; parents divorced; moved to Clarinda, Page Co. in early 1930s; ss/o of Ernest E. Baggs of Co. Bluffs; married Mary Alice Larkins of Villisca, Montgomery Co. in Pierce Co., WA 1943.
- entered service 26 Mar 1942 from Clarinda, Montgomery Co. via Omaha; body not recovered; memorialized Walls of the Missing, North Africa American Cem., Carthage, Tunisia; cenotaph Clarinda Cem.
- Flight H, 35th Photo Reconnaisance Sqdn., Fourteenth Air Force; Lockheed F-5E Photo Lightning #44-23237 pilot; KIA 21 Nov 1944 over South China Sea; disappeared on triangular flight Suichuan-Nimrod Sound-Batanes Is., Suichuan, China.
- China-Burma-India Theater > China, 1941-45.
† Berry, Kenneth Coit, SN 648-12-71, US Navy, Pott. Co.
- b. 8 May 1919 Co. Bluffs; s/o Edwin C. Berry & Meta M. Cox of Co. Bluffs.
- entered service 2 Feb 1942 from Co. Bluffs; next of kin parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin C. Berry, 2319 Avenue C, Council Bluffs, IA; body not recovered; memorialized Tablets of the Missing, Sicily-Rome American Cem., Nettano, Lazio, Italy.
- Destroyer USS Buck (DD-420); KIA 9 Oct 1943 off Capri, Naples Bay, Italy; Buck torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-616; 168 died, 94 survived.
- Salerno-Naples-Foggia - The MTO > MTO Sea War.