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bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Dead > Roster Records > Roster Wf-Wz, © 2024 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 23 Oct 2024
​Part 26/27 of the Pottawattamie Area World War II Dead Roster, 28 Wf-Wz 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. & Juanita Fern Jackson.
• entered service 2 Feb 1943 from Glenwood, 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, Norway natives; marrked Jean M. Preston 1943, one child.
• entered service 1 Sep 1943 from Harlan, 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 & Alma R. Korff (d. 1931), family moved to Co. Bluffs in late 1930s.
• entered service 9 Feb 1943 from Co. Bluffs; 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.; s/o Henry B. Wilcox & Cecil E. Anderson, long-term Oak Twp. residents. 
• entered service 2 Feb 1943 from Pacific Jct., 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.; s/o Henry B. Wilcox & Cecil E. Anderson, long-term Oak Twp. residents.
• 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.

† Williams, Dale Withers Jr., SN 17-078-051, US Army, Pott. Co.

• b. 22 Jan 1923 Co. Bluffs; s/o Dale W. Williams Sr. & Caroline M. Sellars of Co. Bluffs; married Alice Wright.
• entered service 30 Jun 1942 at Ft. Crook, Bellevue, NE; 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 & Edith Langstrom, parents divorced; m. Arlene P. Friedrichsen of Manning, Carroll Co. 1944, 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 & Mabel A. Colwell.
• entered service 13 Aug 1943 from Box 72, Conway, 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 (d. 1935) & Hattie V. Champlin.
• entered service 24 Jun 1944 from Persia, 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; s/o Charles J. Wilson (d. 1942) & Mary E. Quinn (d. 1945); family moved to Co. Bluffs about 1901; married Opal L. Holeman 1939, one child.
• entered service about 1931; 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; s/o Charles J. Wilson (d. 1942) & Mary E. Quinn; family remained in Co. Bluffs.
• entered service about 1941; 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.

​† 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. VA) & Golda H. Stattler (b. Bartlett, Fremont Co.); family moved to Bartlett in late 1930s.
• entered service 14 Sep 1943 from Tabor, 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 & June E. Kelley.
• entered service at an unknown date from Audubon; 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 & Bernice F. Stacy, Mills Co. natives; family lived in Mills Co.; married Betty J. Doan of Mills Co. 1944
• 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. late 1930s.
• entered service 20 Oct 1942 from rural Anita, 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 & Mabel B. Hayes; family moved to rural Elliott, Pilot Grove Twp., Montgomery Co. in 1920s.
• entered service 10 Feb 1941 from Elliott, 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.

​† Wold, Leslie Wayne, SN 560,533, US Marine Corps, Pott. Co.

• b. 2 Aug 1926 Omaha; s/o Ludwig C. Wold (d. 1937) & Irenia J. Huckert; ss/o William A. Wingate; family moved to Co. Bluffs in early 1930s.
• entered service 14 Jun 1944 from Co. Bluffs; next of kin mother, Mrs. Irenia J. Wingate, 2528 W. Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA; buried Westlawn-Hillcrest Cem., Omaha.
• 26th Marine Regt., 5th Marine Div.; KIA 3 Mar 1945 Iwo Jima, Japan.
• Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Battle of Iwo Jima.

​† Wood, Charles Emmett Jr., SN 17-041-753, US Army, Pott. Co.

• b. 21 Dec 1913 Co. Bluffs; s/o Charles E. & Hattie B. Druen (d. 1918) of Co. Bluffs; married Eleanor B. Neve of Pott. Co. 1933, one child.
• entered service 9 May 1942 from Co. Bluffs; buried Walnut Hill Cem., Co. Bluffs.
• Hq. & Hq. Co., 836 Engineering Aviation Bn.; KIA 30 Oct 1943 Lae, Huon Gulf, New Guinea.
• Operation Cartwheel - South & SW Pacific > NE New Guinea, Lae to Madang.

† Wood, Edgar George, SN 37-548-106, US Army, Harrison Co. & Renville Co., MN

• b. 2 Feb 1920 Woodbine, Harrison Co.; s/o Elmer J. Wood & Anna S. Carr (d. 1937); moved to Minnesota about 1940;
• unknown service entry data; service credited to Renville Co., MN; buried Sicily-Rome American Cem., Nettuno, Lazio, Italy.
• 349th Inf. Regt., 88th Inf. Div., Fifth Army; KIA 8 Oct 1944 Italy.
• The MTO > Italy > Northern Apennines.

† Wood, Fred Joseph, SN 37-428-828, US Army, Harrison Co. & Valley Co., ID

• b. 8 Apr 1910 Mondamin, Harrison Co.; s/o Elmer J. Wood & Anna S. Carr (d. 1937).
• entered service Sep 1942 from Rt. 1, Pisgah, Harrison Co.; serviced credited to Valley Co., ID; buried Sicily-Rome American Cem., Nettuno, Lazio, Italy.
• First Special Services Force; KIA 23 May 1944 Anzio Beachhead, Lazio, Italy.
• The MTO > Italy > Battle of Anzio.

† Woods, Duane Lavern, SN 989,388, US Marine Corps, Montgomery Co.

• b. 15 Mar 1924 rural Henderson, Lincoln Twp., Montgomery Co.; s/o William E. Woods (d. 1927) & Dorothy J. Jones; m. Dorothy D. Warren Sep 1944.
• entered service 7 Jul 1944 from Rt. 1, Henderson, Montgomery Co.; next of kin wife, Mrs. Duane L. Woods, Box 168, Red Oak, IA; buried Gomer Cem., Wales, Montgomery Co.
• Co. K, 9th Marine Regt., 3rd Marine Div.; wounded on Iwo Jima; DOW early 11 Mar 1945 on Hospital Ship USS Solace (AK-5) en route from Iwo Jima to Guam, Mariana Is.
• Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Battle of Iwo Jima.

​† Wooten, Harry Thomas, SN 37-241-056, US Army, Atchison Co., MO

• b. 29 Jul 1923 Atchison Co., MO; s/o Charles W. Wooten & Sadie M. Kingery of Atchison Co.
• entered service 16 Nov 1942 from Atchison Co., MO; buried Mt. Olive Cem., Fremont Co., IA.
• Co. B., 50th Armored Inf. Bn., 6th Armored Div., III Corps, Third Army; KIA ~ 26 Jan 1945 (official date 27 Jan)  serving with Task Force Root near Weiswambach, extreme northern Luxembourg; head wound.
• The ETO > Ardennes/The Bulge > The Bulge Eliminated.

​† Wright, Arlos Edward, SN 37-697-737, US Army, Mills Co.

• b. 24 Feb 1918 at Correctionville, Woodbury Co., IA; s/o Edward W. Wright & Bernice M. Holcomb; married Frances L. (Dunn) Dixon of Mills Co. 1939, one step-child.
• entered service 30 May 1944 from Malvern, Mills Co.; buried Cushing Cem., Woodbury Co.
• Co. K, 399th Inf. Regt., 100th Inf. Div., VI Corps, Seventh Army; KIA 21 Apr 1945 Waldenbronn, near Stuttgart, Germany.
• Central Europe > Southern Germany.

​† Wright, Bruce Ware, SN 39-161-053, US Army, Pott. Co. & Los Angeles Co., CA

• b. 11 Nov 1916 Co. Bluffs; s/o Pearl O. Wright & Myrtle C. Carey of Co. Bluffs; parents divorced 1930s; moved to California in late 1930s.
  
• unknown service entry data; service credited to Los Angeles Co., CA; buried Inglewood Park Cem., Inglewood, Los Angeles Co., CA.
• 13th Inf. Regt., 8th Inf. Div., VIII Corps, Third Army; KIA 31 Aug 1944 near Brest, Brittany, France.
• The ETO > Liberation > Brittany.

† Wright, David Frederick, SN 37-036-584, US Army, Crawford Co.

• b. 12 Oct 1917 Dow City, Crawford Co.; s/o Glenn B. Wright & Agnes E. Malone, both b. Crawford Co.; family moved from Crawford Co. to rural Dunlap, Harrison Co. in late 1930s; m. Ruby M. Ferguson 1944, one child.
• entered service 29 Mar 1941 from Rt. 1, Dunlap, Harrison Co., service credited to unknown Iowa county; body not recovered; memorialized Tablets of the Missing, Henri-Chapelle American Cem., Verviers, SE of Liege, Belgium.
• 14th Tank Bn., Combat Command B, 9th Armored Div., III Corps, First Army; KIA 1 Mar 1945 in Sievernich-Mülheim area SE of Düren, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany; tank hit by anti-tank shell, three crew died immediately, the two captured included David F. Wright who died of wounds soon after capture.
• The ETO > To the Rhine > Operation Lumberjack.

​ 
​† Wunder, Edmund Earl, SN 321-17-95, US Navy, Shelby Co.

• b. 2 Oct 1916 Harlan, Shelby Co.; s/o Herman W. Wunder Sr. & Alvena Meves of Harlan.
• entered service 6 Sep 1941 from Harlan, Shelby Co.; next of kin parents, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Wunder, 111 Court St., Harlan, IA; body not recovered; memorialized Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines.
• Destroyer USS Laffey (DD-459); KIA 13 Nov 1942 in 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.

​† Wunder, Frank Grant Jr., SN 0-729-400, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.

• b. 14 May 1921 Co. Bluffs; s/o Frank A. Wunder & Eola G. Borland of rural Minden, Minden Twp., Pott. Co.
• entered service 26 Jan 1942 from rural Minden, Pott. Co.; body not recovered; memorialized Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines.
• 9th Fighter Sqdn., 49th Fighter Gp., Fifth Air Force, based at Dobodura airfields, S of Buna, Papua, New Guinea, staging from Kiriwina Airfield, Trobriand Is.; Lockheed P-38G Lightning #42-12856 pilot; KIA 13 Oct 1943; part of flight of P-38s escorting B-24 bombers for a raid on Rabaul; three P-38s lost, possible collision in cloud bank over Solomon Sea.
• Operation Cartwheel - Air Force War with Japan > Fifth Air Force.
• Notes: Dick Bong, the leading US ace in WW II, was also with the 9th Fighter Squadron in New Guinea in 1943.​

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