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                    bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Dead > Roster Hub > Roster O, © 2025 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 10 May 2025
​                     Part 26/38 of the Pottawattamie Area World War II Dead Roster, 13 "O" records
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† 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 (b. Shelby Co.) & Oda B. Voorhees (b. Jerauld Co., SD); family moved from rural Wessington, Jerauld Co. to Washington Twp., Shelby Co. in late 1920s.
  • entered service 10 Feb 1943 from Harlan, Shelby Co.; buried Harlan Cem., Shelby Co.
  • 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; d. 17 Oct 1945; drowned in Marikina River, near San Mateo, SE of Manila, Philippines.
  • 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 (b. Red Oak, Montgomery Co.) & Frances L. Casey (b. Cass Co.; d. 1920); raised in Griswold by uncle and aunt Francis W. & Gertrude T. (O'Connell) Hanton using the names John and Bill Hanton but reverting to John F. O'Connell in the 1940 census.
  • entered service with National Guard 10 Feb 1941 from Griswold, Cass Co.; service credited to Cass Co.; ​buried Florence American Cem., Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
  • first served with Co. M (Red Oak), 168th Inf. Regt.; in 1944 transferred to Co. L (Sioux City), 133rd Inf. Regt., also in 34th Inf. Div., II Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 9 Jul 1944 near Castellina, south 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 (b. Neola, Pott. Co.) & Mary M. Hawn (b. Washington Twp., Shelby Co.); family moved to Co. Bluffs 1930.
  • entered service 27 Sep 1942 from Co. Bluffs; buried Pleasant Hill Cem., Dunlap, Harrison Co.
  • unit unknown; d. 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, both b. Adams Co.; family moved to Co. Bluffs in 1926.
  • entered service 17 Apr 1941 from Co. Bluffs; next of kin father, Mr. Jesse O’Dell, 2226 W. Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA; body not recovered; memorialized Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines.
  • Aircraft Carrier USS Lexington (CV-2); KIA 8 May 1942, Coral Sea, South Pacific, about 500 miles east of Cairns, Australia; Lexington sunk by Japanese aircraft, 216 died.
  • Japan Overreaches > Battle of the Coral Sea.

​† 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, both b. Cass Co.
  • entered service 11 Mar 1944 from Star Rt., Atlantic, Cass Co.; service credited to Cass Co.; buried Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines.
  • 511th Parachute Inf. Regt., 11th Airborne Div.; d. Genko Line, 6 Feb 1945, south of Manila, Luzon, Philippines.
  • 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 (b. Co. Bluffs) & Dorothy H. Felt (b. Sweden).
  • entered service 30 Mar 1943 from Co. Bluffs; service credited to Pott. Co.; buried 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; d. 22 Jan 1945 four miles south of Carolina Beach, Brunswick Co., NC, aircraft crash; four died.

​† Olsen, Eli, SN 321-40-00, US Navy, Audubon Co.
  • b. 26 Feb 1918 rural Audubon, Melville Twp., Audubon Co.; s/o Nels C. "Chris" Olsen & Inger A. Madsen, both b. Denmark; family moved to rural Exira, Audubon Twp. in 1930s.
  • entered service 13 Mar 1940 from Exira, Audubon Co.; next of kin father, Mr. Chris Olsen, Exria (sic, Exira), IA. initially part of mass burial, body later identified and returned to Iowa for reinterment; buried Exira Cem. 2021.
  • battleship USS Oklahoma (BB-37); KIA 7 May 1941 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory; Oklahoma was hit by three Japanese aerial torpedoes and capsized;  Oklahoma capsized, 429 died; Oklahoma later righted but sank while being towed to California.
  • Japan Lashes Out > Pearl Harbor.

† Olsen, Iver O., SN 6-933-625, US Army, Buena Vista Co.
  • b. 2 Jun 1919 Audubon, Audubon Co.; s/o George H. Olsen (b. Norway) & Bodil M. Rasmussen (b. Denmark); family moved to rural Alta, Buena Vista Co. in the early 1920s & to Chicago, IL area in the late 1930s.
  • entered service 15 Aug 1939 from Alta, Buena Vista Co.; service credited to Cook Co., IL; buried Henri-Chapelle American Cem., Verviers, SE of Liege, Belgium.
  • in 4th Cavalry Regt. at Camp Robinson, AR Apr 1940; in ETO with 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance Sqdn., V or VII 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, both b. rural Co. Bluffs.
  • entered service 27 Nov 1942 from Rt. 3, Co. Bluffs; service credited to Pott. Co.; buried Memorial Park Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • Co. D, 35th Inf. Regt., 25th Inf. Div.; KIA 22 May 1945 Balete Pass area about 200 miles north 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, both b. Pike Co., IL; parents divorced before 1920; mother moved to Co. Bluffs before 1930.
  • in Quincy, Adams Co., IL in 1940; entered service 21 Mar 1942 from Co. Bluffs, service credited to Adams Co., IL; buried 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.
  • b. 28 Nov 1910 rural Villisca, Douglas Twp., Adams Co.; s/o Thaulow Orstad (b. Norway; d. 1931) & Mary Hakenson (b. Sweden; d. 1927).
  • married Marjorie V. Sanders of Montgomery Co. Apr 1932 in Nodaway Co., MO, divorce; lived in Davenport, Scott Co. in 1942; married Helen D. English of Villisca, Montgomery Co. Jun 1942 in Davenport, one child.
  • entered service 7 Dec 1942 from Davenport, Scott Co.; service credited to Scott Co.; buried Epinal American Cem., SE of Epinal, Lorraine, France.
  • 10th Inf. Regt., 3rd Inf. Div., VI Corps, Seventh Army; KIA 10 Oct 1944 near Le Tholy, SE of Epinal, Vosges Dept., Lorraine, France.
  • The ETO > War of Attrition > 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 (b. Grove Twp., Pott. Co.) & Anna C. Benert (b. Missouri); by 1930 the family lived in rural Griswold, Waveland T., Pott. Co.; parents divorced after 1940.
  • entered service 17 Mar 1943 from Waveland Twp., Pott. Co.; service credited to Pott. Co.; buried 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, Greeley Co., NE & Audubon Co.
  • b. 18 Apr 1918 near Grandin, Carter Co., MO; s/o Martin K. Overgaard & Mariane B. Bager, both b. Denmark; family moved to central Nebraska about 1919 & from Greeley Co., NE to Audubon Twp. in SE Audubon Co. in 1938.
  • entered service 22 May 1941 from Gray, Audubon Co.; service credited to Audubon Co.; buried Exira Cem., Audubon Co.
  • Co. B, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div.; KIA 30 Jan 1944, north of Cassino, Lazio, Italy.
  • First Battle of Monte Cassino - Italy > Cassino/The Gustav Line.
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