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                           bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Dead > Roster Hub > Roster Wf-Wi © 2025 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 18 May 2025
                       Part 44/46 of the Pottawattamie Area World War II Dead Roster, 17 "Wf-Wi" records
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† Widden, Leroy, SN 285,435, US Marine Corps, Lackawanna Co., PA & Cass Co.
  • b. 13 Jul 1919 Scranton, Lackawanna Co., PA; s/o Evan Widden (b. Wales) & Margaret Harris (b. England).
  • married Elsie M. (Paul) Cranston of Atlantic, Cass Co., IA.
  • entered service 14 Jun 1940 from Scranton, PA; next of kin wife, Mrs. Leroy Widden, 608? Chestnut St., Atlantic, IA; buried Long Island Natl. Cem., East Farmingdale, Suffolk Co., NY.
  • Battery A, 13th Marine Regt., 5th Marine Div.; DOW 20 Feb 1945 Iwo Jima, Japan.
  • Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Battle of Iwo Jima.

† Widows, Harry James Jr., SN 0-771-857, US Army Air Force, Mills Co.
  • b. 23 Nov 1923 Glenwood, Mills Co.; s/o Harry J. Widows Sr. (b. Harrison Co., MO) & Juanita Fern Jackson (b. Glenwood, Mills Co.).
  • entered service 2 Feb 1943 from Glenwood, Mills Co.; service credited to Mills Co.; group burial Jefferson Barracks Natl. Cem., St. Louis, MO.
  • 873rd Bomb. Sqdn., 498th Bomb. Gp., XXI Bomber Cmd., Twentieth Air Force based at Isley Field, Saipan, Mariana Is.; Boeing B-29 Superfortress #42-65295 co-pilot with pilot Marvel L. Geer; KIA 29 Apr 1945 Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Kyushu, Japan on a mission to bomb Nyakonojo Airfield, Kyushu; aircraft was attacked by fighters, hit, exploded, and crashed on land, crew of eleven all died.
  • US Air Force War with Japan > Twentieth Air Force.
 
​† Wigness, Kenneth Eugene, 0-692-842, US Army Air Force, Shelby Co.
  • b. 25 Feb 1921 Harlan, Shelby Co.; s/o Cornelius R. Wigness & Sina Heggens,  both b. Norway.
  •  married Jean M. Preston of Oelwein, Faytette Co. Apr 1943 in Oklahoma City, OK, one child.
  • entered service 1 Sep 1943 from Harlan, Shelby Co.; service credited to Shelby Co.; body not recovered; not found abmc.gov; cenotaph Harlan Cem.
  • 804th Bomb. Sqdn., 741st Bomb. Gp., Combat Crew Training School, Westover Army Air Field, near Springfield, MA; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-7525 pilot; d. 7/8 Apr 1944 off Montauk Pt., Long Island, NY; engine failure followed by crash at sea, all eleven died.

† Wilcken, Ono Ain, SN 37-472-752, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 25 Apr 1924 Itasca Co., MN; s/o Fred J. Wilcken (b. Brown Co., MN) & Alma R. Korff (b. Walsh Co., ND; d. 1931), family moved to Co. Bluffs in late 1930s.
  • entered service 9 Feb 1943 from Co. Bluffs; service credited to Pott. Co.; buried Brittany American Cem., St.-James, Manche Dept., Normandy, France.
  • 2nd Inf. Regt., 5th Inf. Div., XX Corps, Third Army; KIA 15 Aug 1944 near Chartres, Eure-et-Loir, France.
  • The ETO > Liberation > Northern France.

† Wilcox, Blaine Bertrand, 0-772-098, US Army Air Force, Mills Co.
  • b. 7 Feb 1918 Glenwood, Mills Co.
  • Married Wanda J. Durkee of Glenwood, Mills Co. Jun 1941 in Pacific Jct., Mills Co.
  • entered service 2 Feb 1943 from Pacific Jct., Mills Co.; service credited to Mills Co.; group burial of seven Zachary Taylor Natl. Cem., Louisville, KY.
  • 613th Bomb. Sqdn. 401st Bomb. Gp., Eighth Air Force, based at Dennethorpe, Northhampshire, England; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #42-31801 Son-of-a-Blitz bombardier; KIA 7 Oct 1944, over Politz, between Hamburg & Lubeck, Germany, destroyed by flak, all nine died.
  • The ETO > ETO Air War > Eighth Air Force.
++++++++++
† Wilcox, Stewart La Val, SN T-062-027, US Army Air Force, Mills Co. & Delaware
  • b. 3 Apr 1923 Oak Twp., Mills Co.
  • entered service 26 Jan 1943 from Glenwood, Mills Co.; service credited to Delaware; body not recovered; memorialized Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cem., Coton, Cambridgeshire, England.
  • 613 Bomb. Sqdn., 401 Bomb. Gp., Eighth Air Force, based at Dennethorpe, Northhampshire, England; Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress #42-32005 co-pilot; KIA 24 Jul 1944 English Channel; aircraft caught fire returning from raid over St. Lo, Normandy, France on the first day of carpet bombing preliminary to Operation Cobra; all nine bailed out over English Channel, all rescued except for Flight Officer Stewart Wilcox.
  • The ETO > ETO Air War > Eighth Air Force.
++++++++++
About Blaine and Stewart Wilcox:
  • sons of ​Henry B. Wilcox (b. Glenwood) & Cecil E. Anderson (b. Oak Twp., Mills Co.); family lived in Oak Twp.

† Williams, Dale Withers Jr., SN 17-078-051, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 22 Jan 1923 Co. Bluffs; s/o Dale W. Williams Sr. (b. Douglas Co., OR) & Caroline M. Sellars (b. Custer Co., NE).
  • married Marie Antoinette "Alice" Wright of Co. Bluffs.
  • entered service 30 Jun 1942 at Fort Crook, Bellevue, NE; service credited to Pott. Co.; buried  North Africa American Cem., Carthage, Tunisia.
  • 1st Armored Regt., 1st Armored Div., II Corps; DNB 2 May 1943 near Mateur, northern Tunisia.
  • The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Williams, Jerry Jerome, SN 37-470-962, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 9 Sep 1923 Co. Bluffs; s/o Glen T. Williams (b. Pott. Co.) & Edith Langstrom (b. Iowa); parents divorced in 1920s.
  • married Arlene P. Friedrichsen of Manning, Carroll Co. Feb 1944 in Missouri, one child.
  • entered service 15 Jan 1944 from Co. Bluffs; service credited to Logan Co., NE for unknown reason; buried  Walnut Hill Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • 101st Inf. Regt., 26th Inf. Div., XII Corps, Third Army; KIA 9 Nov 1944 east of Nancy, Hill 310, near Arracourt, Meurthe et Moselle Dept., Lorraine, France.
  • The ETO > War of Attrition > Lorraine/Third Army.

​† Wilson, Boyd Merrill, SN 37-675-900, US Army, Taylor Co.
  • b. 8 May 1925 Hastings, Mills Co.; s/o Clyde L. Wilson (b. Jefferson Co., NE) & Mabel A. Colwell (b. Carson, Pott. Co.).
  • entered service 13 Aug 1943 from Box 72, Conway, Taylor Co.; service credited to Taylor Co.; buried Ridgewood Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • 550th Airborne Infantry Bn., attached to 194th Glider Inf. Regt., 17th Airborne Div., VIII Corps, Third Army during Battle of the Bulge; probably captured 4/5 Jan 1945 near Houmont, west of Bastogne, Luxembourg; DNB 1 Mar 1945 Stalag 8A, on the Neisse River SE of Görlitz, east of Dresden, Saxony, Germany.
  • The ETO > Ardennes/The Bulge > The Bulge Eliminated.

† Wilson, Dallas Arnold, SN 37-699-245, US Army, Harrison Co.
  • b. 19 Nov 1923 rural Persia, Washington Twp., Harrison Co.; s/o William C. Wilson (b. Iowa Co.; d. 1935) & Hattie V. Champlin (b. Persia, Harrison Co.).
  • entered service 24 Jun 1944 from Persia, Harrison Co.; service credited to Harrison Co.; buried Natl. Cem. of the Pacific, Honolulu, Oahu, HI.
  • Co. K, 305th Inf. Regt., 77th Inf. Div.; KIA 13 May 1945 Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa.
  • Notes: Posthumous Silver Star recipient.

† Wilson, John Robert, SN 6-208-886, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • b. 12 Jul 1900 Omaha.
  • married Opal L. Holeman of Illinois Dec 1940 in Washoe Co., NV, one child.
  • entered service about 1931; service credited to Pott. Co.; buried Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines.
  • 34th Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp., Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 22 Jul 1942 Cabanatuan POW Camp, Nueva Ecija Prov., Luzon, Philippines; malaria.
  • Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.
++++++++++
† Wilson, Joseph Francis, served as Wilson Joseph L, SN 0-1-692-505, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 10 Feb 1915 Co. Bluffs.
  • entered service about 1941; service credited to Pott. Co.; buried Epinal American Cem., SE of Epinal, Lorraine, France.
  • Co. M, 30th Inf. Regt., 3rd Inf. Div., II French Corps, Seventh Army; KIA 16 Dec 1944 near Kaysersburg, NW of Colmar, Alsace, France.
  • The ETO > War of Attrition > Alsace/Seventh Army.
  • Note: posthumous Distinguished Service Cross.
++++++++++
about John and Joseph Wilson:
  • sons of Charles J. Wilson (b. Canada; d. 1942) & Mary E. Quinn (b. Co. Bluffs; d. 1945); family moved from Omaha to Co. Bluffs about 1901; the parents remained in Co. Bluffs until their deaths.

​† Windle, Fay Richard, SN 37-485-691, US Army Air Force, Fremont Co.
  • b. 21 Jul 1925 Omaha; s/o Walter W. Windle Sr. (b. Virginia) & Golda H. Stattler (b. Bartlett, Fremont Co.); family moved to Bartlett in late 1930s.
  • married Lyla Mae Timson of Tabor, Mills & Fremont Cos.
  • entered service 14 Sep 1943 from Tabor, Fremont Co.; service credited to Fremont Co.; buried Thurman Cem., Fremont Co.
  • unit unknown, stationed at Mountain Home Air Base, Elmore Co., ID; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #42-51482 crew member with pilot Marion Philip Guthrie Jr.; d. 18 Aug 1944 Elmore Co., ID; mid-air collision 10 miles SE of base with Martin AT-23A target tug #42-43356; seven B-24J crew and two AT-23A crew died.

† Winkel, Robert Leroy, SN 912,315, US Marine Corps, Audubon Co.
  • b. 22 Aug 1925 Audubon, Audubon Co.; s/o Samuel M. Winkel (b. Shelby Co.) & June E. Kelley (b. Audubon Co.).
  • entered service at an unknown date from Audubon, Audubon Co.; next of kin parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel M. Winkel, 504 1st Ave., Audubon, IA; buried Maple Grove Cem., Audubon.
  • Hq. & Service Battery, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regt., 1st Marine Division; KIA 16 Sep 1944 Peleliu Is., Palau Is.
  • Battle of Peleliu - Central Pacific > Palau Islands.
  • Notes: In WWII, each Marine Corps division included an artillery regiment. The 11th Marine Regiment was the artillery regiment for the 1st Marine Division.

​† Winslow, Fred Lute John, SN 37-693-036, US Army, Mills Co.
  • b. 15 Sep 1923 Omaha; s/o Truman Fred Winslow (b.  Rawles Twp., Mills Co.) & Bernice F. Stacy (b. Pacific Jct., Mills Co.); family lived in or near Glenwood, Mills Co.
  • married Betty J. Doan of Glenwood, Mills Co. Mar 1944 in Glenwood.
  • entered service 28 Mar 1944 from Rt. 2, Malvern, Mills Co.; buried Luxembourg American Cem., Hamm, Luxembourg.
  • Co. K, 318th Inf. Regt., 80th Inf. Div., XII Corps, Third Army; KIA 11 Feb 1945 near Sauer and Our River junction, Luxembourg.
  • The ETO > Siegfried Line 1945 > XII Corps to Bitburg.

​† Winther, Lawrence, SN 37-437-752, US Army, Cass & Audubon Cos.
  • b. 7 Jan 1909 Douglas Twp., Audubon Co.; s/o Jens J. Winther & Marie Jensen, both b. Denmark; family moved from Douglas Twp. to rural Griswold, Noble Twp., Cass Co. in late 1930s and to rural Anita, Benton Twp., Cass Co. in early 1940s.
  • living in parents' household in Noble Twp., Cass Co. in 1940; entered service 20 Oct 1942 from rural Anita, Cass Co.; service credited to Cass Co.; buried Ebenezer Cem., Audubon, Audubon Co.
  • Battery A., 362 Artillery Bn., 96th Inf. Div.; KIA 7 Apr 1945 near Ginowan, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan; observer killed by machine gun or mortar.
  • Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa.

​† Wiseman, Russell Forest, SN 20-706-850, US Army, Montgomery Co.
  • b. 3 Oct 1921 Marceline, Chariton Co., MO; s/o Tobe R. Wiseman (b. Chariton Co., MO) & Mabel B. Hayes (b. Marcelline, MO); family moved to rural Elliott, Pilot Grove Twp., Montgomery Co. in 1920s.
  • entered service with National Guard 10 Feb 1941 from Elliott, Montgomery Co.; service credited to Montgomery Co.; body not recovered; memorialized Tablets of the Missing, North Africa American Cem., Carthage, Tunisia; cenotaph in Peden Chapel Cem., Clark Twp., Chariton Co., MO.
  • Co. M. (Red Oak), 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 16 Feb 1943 SE of Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia.
  • Battle of Sidi Bou Zid - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.​
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