Pacific War Memorial
Pacific War Memorial
bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Roster > Roster Records > Roster N-O, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, last update 1 Oct 2023.
​Part 16/24 of Big Pigeon's Pottawattamie Area World War II Dead Roster, 29 "N-O" names.
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† Napier, LaVerne Floyd, SN 37-262-712, US Army, Pott. Co. & Pennington Co., SD
  • b. 19 Aug 1921 Rapid City, Pennington Co., SD; s/o Thomas Napier & Bernice N. Davidson, family lived in Rapid City bef. WW II; LaVerne lived in Co. Bluffs in 1942; service credited to Pennington Co.; bur. Mountain View Cem., Rapid City.
  • Troop B, 8th Engineering Sqdn., 1st Cavalry Div.; KIA 6 Feb 1945 Manila, Luzon, Philippines; Battle of Manila - Philippines Liberated > Luzon.

​† Napier, Roy Hugh, SN 0-769-905, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • b. 20 Sep 1923 New York, NY; s/o Roy E. Foley & Lucille Miller; ss/o Joe N. Napier of Co. Bluffs; entered service 1 Feb 1943 from Co. Bluffs; bur. Henri-Chapelle American Cem., Verviers, Belgium.
  • 485th Fighter Sqdn., 370th Fighter Gp., Ninth Air Force, based at Florennes-Juzaine, Belgium, ~70 miles S of Brussels; Lockheed P-38J Lightning #42-67822 pilot; KIA 3 Jan 1945; aircraft crash; The ETO > ETO Air War.

​† Narvis, Charles William, SN 0-698-999, US Army Air Force, Muscatine Co.
  • b. 9 Feb 1922 Muscatine, Muscatine Co.; s/o Charles W. Narvis (Co. Bluffs resident after WW II) & Mae L. Mater (d. 1933); entered service 25 Jan 1943 from Muscatine; bur. Ardennes American Cem., Liege, Belgium.
  • 375th Fighter Sqdn., 361th Fighter Gp., Eighth Air Force, based at Bottisham, Cambridgeshire, England; North American P-51 Mustang #44-14226 Babe pilot; KIA 2 Nov 1944 10 miles E of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany; The ETO > ETO Air War.

​† Nelson, Chester Raymond, SN 17-040-689, US Army, Burt & Washington Cos., NE
  • b. 5 Apr 1912 Norwalk T., rural Underwood, Pott. Co.; s/o Frank Nelson & Mary Christensen; raised in Tripp Co., SD & Burt Co., NE; service credited to Washington Co., NE; bur. Brittany American Cem., St.-James, Normandy, France.
  • 759th Tank Bn. (light), 4th Cavalry Gp., VII Corps ; DNB 20 Aug 1944 Orne, Normandy; accident during battalion's 48-mile eastward night march; The ETO > Liberation > Northern France & Belgium.
  • Note: grandson of Swen Nelson, who lived in Boomer Twp. east of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in the early 20th century.
  • Note: Previously had been attached to the 2nd Inf. Div., which was then sent to Brittany while the 759th Tank Bn. joined the 4th Cavalry Gp.
​
​† Nelson, Herbert Sidney, SN 821-82-95, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • b. 28 May 1925 Co. Bluffs; s/o John H. Nelson & Eva C. Gilliland of Co. Bluffs; entered service 7 Feb 1943 from Co. Bluffs.
  • Escort Carrier USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56), Task Force 52; KIA 24 Nov 1943 near Makin Atoll, Gilbert Is.; Japanese submarine I-175 sank Liscome Bay during the US Tarawa/Makin invasion; 702 dead, 272 survivors; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.

† Nelson, Leonard Mortensen, SN 17-043-992, US Army, Audubon Co. (WWII-NelsonLeonardM)
  • b. 24 Jun 1910 Kimballton, Audubon Co.; s/o Jorgen M. "Mike" Nelson & Marie M. "Greta" Mortensen; family lived in Viola & Sharon Twps. before moving to Audubon in the 1930s; m. Ansena C. Larsen 1933, one child, div.; m. Gladys E. Miller 1943; entered service 11 Mar 1942 from Audubon; bur. Luxembourg American Cem., Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
  • first overseas tour Jun-Dec 1943; departed US for second tour Nov 1944; 304th Inf. Regt., 76th Inf. Div., XII Corps, Third Army; WIA Feb 1944 near Irrel, N of Trier, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany; DOW 28 Feb 1945; Siegfried Line 1945 > XII Corps to Bitburg.

† ​Nelson, Leonard Peter, SN 34-208-331, US Army, Audubon & Dade Co., FL Cos. (WWII-NelsonLeonardP)
  • b. 27 Sep 1912 Oakfield Twp., Audubon Co.; s/o John F. Nelson & Elvera M. Johansen; living in Hialeah, Dade Co., FL in 1940; service credited to Dade Co.; bur. Lorraine American Cem., St. Avold, Lorraine, France.
  • 158th Field Artillery Bn., 45th Inf. Div., XV Corps, Seventh Army; KIA 30 Apr 1945 near Munich, Bavaria, Germany; Central Europe > Southern Germany.

​† Nelson, Merrill Marvin, SN 620-69-02, US Navy, Audubon Co. (St. Paul's)
  • b. 2 Sep 1915 Benton Twp., Cass Co.; s/o Lars B. Nelson & Eunice M. Cooley; family moved to Audubon Twp. in SE Audubon Co. in 1920s; m. Rose Pine of Exira Aug 1941, one child; entered service 27 Jun 1942 from Rt. 3, Exira.
  • Destroyer USS Buck (DD-420); KIA 9 Oct 1943 off Capri, Naples Bay, Italy; Buck torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-616; 168 dead, 94 survivors; Salerno-Naples-Foggia - The MTO > MTO Sea War; BNR.

​​† Nelson, Robert Johns, SN O-14768, US Marine Corps Aviation, Montgomery Co. (WWII-NelsonRobertJ)
  • b. 24 Aug 1916 Pontiac, Oakland Co., MI; s/o Lawrence A. Nelson & Gladys Johns; family moved to southwest Iowa in 1920s; entered service 12 Mar 1942 from Rt. 2, Red Oak, Montgomery Co.; bur. Evergreen Cem., Red Oak.
  • OT Sqdn. 8, US Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Pt., Havelock, Craven Co., NC; instructor; d. 1 Nov 1943 at Cherry Point; one of six killed when plane exploded while preparing for takeoff. 

† Newman, Shelby Fearn, SN 0-351-381, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 20 Aug 1915 Birmingham, Jefferson & Shelby Cos., AL; s/o Robert E. Newman of Birmingham (d. 1921) & Emma L. Meier of Avoca, Pott. Co.; raised in Avoca; entered service 29 Jul 1939 from Des Moines; m. Doris Irene Dahlberg of Mapleton, Monona Co. 1940.
  • Assigned to 11th Inf. Regt., Philippines Commonwealth Army; POW Philippines; KIA 15 Dec 1944, Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippines; escape attempt from grounded Japanese Hell Ship Oryoku Maru; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.

​† Nielsen, Carl Edvan, SN 39-705-841, US Army, Los Angeles Co., CA
  • b. 13 May 1913 Lyngby, Denmark; s/o Hans P. Nielsen & Anne M. Nielsen (d. bef 1940), Danish immigrants who lived in King Co., WA; m. Sylvia J. Munchrath of Co. Bluffs 1941 in Los Angeles Co., CA; service credited to Los Angeles Co.; bur. Netherlands American Cem., Margraten, Netherlands.
  • Co. C, 743rd Tank Bn., attached to 30th Inf. Div., Ninth Army; KIA 22 Nov 1944 Fronhoven, NE of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; M4A3 Sherman tank asst. driver; tank lost to German anti-tank gun; Operation Queen - The ETO > War of Attrition > Rhineland 1944 > Queen/Hürtgen.

​† Nielsen, Nis, SN 37-197-752, US Army, Shelby Co.
  • b. 7 Oct 1906 Rødding, Haderslev, Denmark; s/o Jens C. Nielsen & Anne H. L. Petersen; immi. Mar 1929 on the SS Frederik VIII ; heavy equipment operator in 1940; date of service entry unknown; bur. Epinal American Cem., Lorraine, France.
  • Co. A, 111th Engineer Combat Bn., 36th Inf. Div., VI Corps, Seventh Army; KIA 14 Dec 1944 from artillery shrapnel during German counterattack one mile S of Riquewihr, Alsace, France; The ETO > War of Attrition > Lorraine & Alsace 1944 > Alsace/Seventh Army.
  • Notes: Silver Star recipient.

​† Noehren, Edward Henry, SN 37-074-575, US Army, Shelby Co.
  • b. 4 Dec 1916 Valley Twp., Pott. Co.; s/o Henry E. Noehren (d. 1928) & Helen M. Hipner; entered service 2 Oct 1941 from Coon Rapids, Guthrie Co.; m. Mary Moylan 1942; bur. Harlan Cem., Shelby Co.
  • Co. H, 90th Inf. Regt. (a non-divisional training regiment), Camp Carson, El Paso Co., CO; DNB 26 Sep 1944 in Camp Carson hospital, injured in explosion of dud bazooka round.

† Nord, Carl Arthur, SN 0-694-473, US Army Air Force, Cass Co.
  • b. 30 Nov 1920 Corning, Adams Co.; s/o Oscar F. Nord & Lola M. John; family moved to Atlantic, Cass Co. in late 1920s; entered service 9 Feb 1943 from Atlantic.
  • 852nd Bomb. Sqdn., 493rd Bomb. Gp., Eighth Air Force; based at Debach, NE of Ipswich, Suffolk, England ; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #44-40471 No Love, No Nothing bombardier w/ pilot Jack G.  W. Cooper; d. 6 Jun 1944 over the English Channel; group was returning from an aborted mission to Lisieux, France; Cooper's aircraft collided with Consolidated/Ford B-24H Liberator #42-94789 Moby Dick; no survivors from combined crews of 20; The ETO > ETO Air War; BNR.
  • Notes: This D-Day mission, the first mission of the 493rd Bomb. Gp., was aborted due to bad weather over the target. Bombers were returning to their base without jettisoning their bombs.

​† Nugent, Donald Thomas, SN 17-018-650, US Army, Pott. Co. & Douglas Co., NE 
  • b. 18 Feb 1922 Omaha; s/o Fred A. Nugent & Theodosia Clatterbuck (div.); lived in Omaha & Co. Bluffs; entered service 15 Feb 1940 from Co. Bluffs; service credited to Douglas Co., NE.
  • 75th Ordnance Co. (Depot), Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; KIA 7 Sep 1944, Sulu Sea, off Sindangen Bay, NW Mindanao, Philippines, torpedoing of Japanese Hell Ship Shinyo Maru by USS Paddle (SS 263), ~668 US POWs died, ~82 survived; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.

​† Nuzum, Roy Edward, SN 6-939-625, US Army, Harrison Co.
  • b. 4 May 1913 Magnolia, Harrison Co.; s/o Walter F. Nuzum & Dora E. McGee; family lived in various Harrison County locations moving to Pisgah area in late 1920s; m. Viola H. Oviatt 1938, one child, div.; entered service 10 Jan 1940  from rural Pisgah, Harrison Co.;  bur. Spring Valley Cem., Moorhead, Monona Co.
  • HQ Troop, 6th Cavalry Regt., Ft. Jackson, Richland Co., SC; DNB 19 Aug 1943, vehicle accident.

​​† Ocean, Jerry Floyd, SN 37-660-643, US Army Air Force --> US Army, Shelby Co.
  • b. 5 Nov 1921 White Lake, Aurora Co., SD; s/o Ellis B. Ocean & Oda B. Voorhees; family moved from rural Wessington, Jerauld Co., SD to Washington T., Shelby Co. in late 1920s; entered service 10 Feb 1943 from Harlan, Shelby Co.; bur. Harlan Cem.
  • Served with 496th Air Service Sqdn. near Foggia, Italy; after WW II ended in Europe, reassigned to 2750 Engineer Light Equipment Co.; left Leghorn, Italy 1 Jul 1945 on USS General William Mitchell; arrived San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines 11 Aug 1945; drowned in Marikina River, near San Mateo, SE of Manila, Philippines 17 Oct 1945; WWII-Japan > The Pacific Base Areas.

​† O'Connell, John Francis, SN 20-706-814, US Army, Cass Co.
  • b. 3 Jun 1920 Griswold, Cass Co.; s/o John M. O'Connell & Frances L. Casey (d. 1920); raised in Griswold by uncle and aunt Francis W. & Gertrude T. (O'Connell) Hanton using the name Bill Hanton; entered service 10 Feb 1941 from Griswold; bur. Florence American Cem., Florence, Italy.
  • first served w/ Co. M. (Red Oak), 168th Inf. Regt.; in 1944 transferred to Co. L, 133rd Inf. Regt., also in 34th Inf. Div., II Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 9 Jul 1944 near Castellina, S of Florence, Tuscany, Italy; The MTO > Italy > Rome to Florence.

​† O’Connor, William Edward “Bucky”, SN 648-60-76, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • b. 24 Mar 1921 Dunlap, Harrison Co.; s/o John M. O’Connor & Mary M. Hawn; family moved to Co. Bluffs 1930; entered service 27 Sep 1942 from Co. Bluffs; bur. Pleasant Hill Cem., Dunlap.
  • unit unknown; DNB 25 Feb 1945, San Bruno, San Mateo Co., CA, hit by automobile while walking on highway during an overnight leave.

​† O’Dell, Charles Henry, SN 316-78-35, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • b. 5 May 1922 Cresco, Howard Co; s/o Jesse E. O’Dell & Mabel L. Craft of Co. Bluffs; entered service 17 Apr 1941 from Co. Bluffs.
  • Aircraft Carrier USS Lexington (CV-2); KIA 8 May 1942, Coral Sea, South Pacific, ~ 500 miles E of Cairns, Australia; Lexington sunk by Japanese planes, 216 dead; Japan Overreaches > Battle of the Coral Sea; BNR.

​† Odem, Dale Raymond, SN 37-691-916, US Army, Cass Co.
  • b. 3 Jan 1926 Grove T., Cass Co.; s/o Ralph R. Odem & Zola M. Smith; entered service 11 Mar 1944 from Star Rt., Atlantic; bur. Manila American Cem., Manila, Luzon, Philippines.
  • 511th Parachute Inf. Regt., 11th Airborne Div.; d. Genko Line, 6 Feb 1945, S of Manila, Luzon; Battle of Manila - Philippines Liberated > Luzon.

​† Olsen, Clarence Harley, served as Olson, Clarence H, SN T-004-068, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • b. 17 Mar 1925 Co. Bluffs; s/o Elias W. Olsen & Dorothy H. Felt of Co. Bluffs; entered service 30 Mar 1943 from Co. Bluffs; bur. Walnut Hill Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • pilot training school, probably 351st Base Unit, Myrtle Beach Army Air Field, SC; Douglas A-20G Havoc #43-9343 pilot; DNB 22 Jan 1945 four miles S of Carolina Beach, Brunswick Co., NC, aircraft crash; four dead.

​† Olsen, Eli, SN 321-40-00, US Navy, Audubon Co. (St. Paul's)
  • b. 26 Feb 1918 rural Audubon, Melville Twp.; s/o Nels C. "Chris" Olsen & Inger A. Madsen, both Danish immigrants; family moved to rural Exira, Audubon Twp. in 1930s; entered service 13 Mar 1940 from Exira; bur. Exira Cem.
  • battleship USS Oklahoma (BB-37); KIA 7 May 1941 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory; Oklahoma was hit by three Japanese aerial torpedoes and capsized leaving 429 dead; in 1943, the Oklahoma was righted and unidentified dead interred in mass graves; in 2021 Eli Olsen's body, having been identified, was returned to Audubon County and reinterred; Japan Lashes Out > Pearl Harbor.

† Olsen, Iver O., SN 6-933-625, US Army, Buena Vista Co. (WWII-OlsenIverO)
  • b. 2 Jun 1919 Audubon, Audubon Co.; s/o George Olsen & Bodil M. Rasmussen; family moved to Alta, Buena Vista Co. in the early 1920s & to Illinois in the late 1930s; entered service 15 Aug 1939 from Alta; service credited to Cook Co., IL; bur. Henri-Chapelle American Cem., Belgium.
  • 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance Sqdn., V Corps, First Army; KIA 6 Sep 1944 Belgium; The ETO > Liberation > Northern France & Belgium.

† Oltmans, Merle W., SN 37-445-352, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 14 Jun 1921 Garner T., Pott. Co.; s/o Hardy R. Oltmans & Frieda T. Oltmanns of Rt. 3, Co. Bluffs; entered service 27 Nov 1942 from Rt. 3, Co. Bluffs; bur. Memorial Park Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • Co. D, 35th Inf. Regt., 25th Inf. Div.; KIA 22 May 1945 ~ 200 miles N of Manila, Luzon, Philippines; Battle of Balete Pass - Philippines Liberated > Luzon.
  • Family History Note: cousin of my uncle, Oscar Torneten.

​† Orr, Bertis Stanley, SN 37-118-280, US Army, Pott. Co. & Adams Co., IL
  • b. 22 Apr 1912 near Quincy, Adams Co., IL; s/o Jeremiah J. Orr & Abbie E. Booker (div.); moved to Co. Bluffs w/ mother bef. 1930; entered service 21 Mar 1942 from Co. Bluffs, service credited to Adams Co., IL; bur. Cedar Lawn Cem. Co. Bluffs.
  • Co. F, 319th Inf. Regt., 80th Inf. Div., XII Corps, Third Army; KIA 7 Feb 1945 Luxembourg, near German Border, at Sauer River NW of Wallendorf, Eifel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany; The ETO > Siegfried Line 1945 > XII Corps to Bitburg.

​​† Orstad, Melvin T., SN 37-447-884, US Army, Adams & Scott Cos. (WWII-OrstadMelvinT)
  • b. 28 Nov 1910 rural Villisca, Douglas Twp., Adams Co.; s/o Thaulow Orstad (d. 1931) & Mary Hakenson (d. 1927); m. Helen D. English 1942, one child; entered service 7 Dec 1942 from Davenport, Scott Co.; bur. Epinal American Cem., Epinal, Lorraine, France.
  • 10th Inf. Regt., 3rd Inf. Div., VI Corps, Seventh Army; KIA 10 Oct 1944 near Le Tholy, SE of Epinal, France; The ETO > War of Attrition > Lorraine/Alsace 1944 > Lorraine/Seventh Army.

† Osler, Floyd Wayne, SN 37-476-459, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 12 Jun 1924 Blythedale, Harrison Co., MO; s/o Berkeley K. Osler & Anna C. Sasse (div.); family lived in rural Griswold, Waveland T., Pott. Co.; entered service 17 Mar 1943 from Waveland Twp.; bur. Old Sunnyside Cem., Yakima Co., WA.
  • Co. A, 357th Inf. Regt., 90th Inf. Div., III Corps, Third Army; KIA 9 Jan 1945 in Luxembourg SE of Bastogne, Belgium; The ETO >  Ardennes/The Bulge > The Bulge Eliminated.​

† Overgaard, Andrew Bager, SN 37-045-092, US Army, Audubon Co. & Greeley Co., NE (St. Paul's)
  • b. 18 Apr 1918 near Grandin, Carter Co., MO; s/o Martin K. Overgaard & Mariane B. Bager, both Danish immigrants; family moved to central Nebraska ~ 1919 & from Greeley Co., NE to Audubon Co. in 1938; entered service 22 May 1941 from Gray, Audubon Co.; bur. Exira Cem., Audubon Co.
  • Co. B, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div.; KIA 30 Jan 1944 N of Cassino, Lazio, Italy; First Battle of Monte Cassino - Italy > Cassino/the Gustav Line.