Okinawa - American Dead
Okinawa - American Dead
Source: website bigpigeon.us, webpage WW II Dead > The Roster > Roster-WXYZ

Pottawattamie County, Iowa Area WW II Dead Roster - part 11/11, W-X-Y-Z
© 2020 by Robert A. Christiansen, last update 19 Sep 2020, 32 dead
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​† Waage, Paul Allen, SN 20-704-306, US Army, Pott. Co. & Douglas Co., NE
  • b. 17 Apr 1924 Omaha; s/o August Waage & Jean V. Eamer; raised in Omaha; entered service 10 Feb 1941 from National Guard Armory, Co. Bluffs; bur. North Africa American Cem., Carthage, Tunisia.
  • 168th Inf. Regt. Band drummer, 34th Inf. Div.; KIA 17 Feb 1943 Djebel Ksaira, SE of Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia, North Africa; Battle of Sidi Bou Zid, first stage of Battle of Kasserine Pass - North Africa & Sicily > Tunisia.
  • Notes: went on active duty at age 16, died at 17.

​† Wagner, Egbert Vernon, SN O-9476, USMC Aviation, Pott. Co.
  • b. 27 Sep 1918 Cowles, Webster Co., NE; s/o Rev. Robert Wagner & Florence A Schoop of Treynor, Pott. Co.; entered service 28 May 1941 from Treynor.
  • Marine Air Fighter Sqdn. VMF-112, Marine Air Group 11, based at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Is.; Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat BuNo 05087 pilot; KIA 26 Jan 1943 near Henderson Field, air collision on patrol over Ironbound Sound; South & Southwest Pacific > Solomon Islands; BNR.

​† Wagner, Richard Paul, SN O-30916, USMC Aviation, Pott. Co.
  • b. 29 Nov 1919 Bryon, Thayer Co., NE; s/o Rev. Robert Wagner & Florence A Schoop of Treynor, Pott. Co.; entered service 2 Jun 1942 from Treynor; m. Marion I. Roennau 1943; bur. St. Paul’s Luth. Cem., Treynor.
  • Hq. Sqdn., Marine Base Defense Air Group 41, El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, Santa Ana, Orange Co., CA; DNB 3 Mar 1944 E of San Juan Capistrano, Orange Co.; air accident while training.

​† Wall, Vernon Palmer, SN 648-07-99, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • b. 11 Sep 1922 Co. Bluffs; s/o Henry Wall (d. 1938) & Edna Niemoller; family moved to Taney Co., MO in late 1930s and returned to Co. Bluffs after father's death; entered service 2 Jan 1942 from Co. Bluffs.
  • Submarine USS Seawolf (SS-197); KIA 3 Oct 1944 off Morotai, Dutch Indies, S of the Philippines; Seawolf sunk by friendly fire, all 83 crew & 17 US Army passengers dead; North & Central Pacific > Towards the Philippines; BNR.

​† Walling, Garrett Alma, SN 20-743-538, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 14 Jun 1922 Co. Bluffs; s/o David S. Walling & Effie Sandage of Co. Bluffs; entered service 13 Jan 1941 from Co. Bluffs; bur. Henri-Chapelle American Cem., Verviers, Belgium.
  • 506th Parachute Inf. Regt., 101st Airborne Div.; KIA 14 Jan 1945 NE of Bastogne, Belgium; ETO > Battle of the Bulge.

​† Warren, Alfred Leroy, SN 37-470-626, USAAF, Mills Co.
  • b. 29 Mar 1923 California Jct., Harrison Co., s/o Frank A. Warren & Florence E. Hedlund; family lived in Mills & Pott. Cos.; entered service 19 Jan 1943 from Silver City, Mills Co.; bur. Glenwood Cem., Mills Co.
  • 79th Transport S-F-A-Base, Hamilton Field, Suisan City, Solano Co., CA; DNB 23 Jun 1943 Fairfield, Solano Co., CA, vehicle hit by a train.

​† Waters, James Martin, SN 37-445-422, US Army, Pott. & Harrison Cos.
  • b. 22 Feb 1922 Woodbine, Harrison Co.; s/o William H. Waters Jr. & Fannie Haner; family lived in different locations in Harrison Co.; entered service 20 Nov 1942 from rural Neola, Pott. Co., service credited to Pott. Co.; bur. Woodbine Cem.
  • 66th & 396th Armored FA Bns.; DNB 5 Oct 1945 Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany; head injury from jeep accident; The ETO > ETO Comm. Zone.

​† Weihs, Alfred Peter, SN 620-39-83, US Navy, Shelby Co.
  • ​b. 28 Sep 1917 Jacksonville, Shelby Co.; s/o Anton J. Weihs & Catherine M. Stinn; enlisted May 1942 from Des Moines, Polk Co.
  • Destroyer USS Aaron Ward (DD 483); KIA 7 Apr 1943 in Ironbound Sound near Tulagi, Solomon Is.; Aaron Ward sunk by Japanese bombs while escorting LST-449; 27 dead; South & SW Pacific > Solomons Sea War; BNR.
  • Note: LST-449 was also attacked but survived unscathed. Among its passengers that day was young John F. Kennedy, reporting for duty in the South Pacific.

Welbourn, Eldred Orville, SN 37-484-888, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 5 Jan 1923 rural Neola, Neola Twp., Pott. Co.; s/o Harvey L. Welbourn & Sadie M. Vallier; family moved  to SE Boomer Twp. in late 1920s and to rural Underwood, eastern Hazel Dell Twp. in early 1930s; entered service Sep 1943 from Rt. 1, Underwood.
  • 262nd Inf. Regt. 66th Inf. Div.; KIA 24 Dec 1944 on SS Leopoldville crossing English Channel from Southampton, England to Cherbourg, France; Leopoldville was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-486 five miles off Cherbourg; 763 US Army deaths; The ETO > ETO Sea War; BNR.​
  • Note: Eldred Welbourn's Boomer Twp. home was on a farm owned by my step-grandfather, Ralph Spencer. Eldred Welbourn graduated from Underwood High School in 1938 at the age of 15.

​† Wells, Lester Earl, SN 37-465-227, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 15 Jun 1921 Hardin Twp., Pott. Co.; s/o Earl S. Wells & Helen E. Grote of Hardin Twp.; entered service 27 Nov 1942 from Rt. 3, Co. Bluffs; bur. Cedar Lawn Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • 39th Inf. Regt., 9th Inf. Div.; KIA 13 Jul 1944 NW of St. Lo, Normandy, France; Normandy Campaign > Normandy after D-Day.

​† Welty, Robert L., SN O-407132, US Naval Aviation, Douglas Co., NE
  • b. 21 Jul 1923 Sioux Falls, Minnehaha Co., SD; s/o Harry L. Welty & Jane E. Jones of Co. Bluffs; entered service 18 Nov 1942 from Kansas City, MO; m. Nancy Langdon of Omaha 1944; one child; bur. Cedar Lawn Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • Naval Air Fighter Sqdn. VF-12, Carrier Air Group 12; carrier USS Randolph (CV-15); Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat BuNo 77880 pilot; KIA 14 May 1945 over Kyushu, Japan; Japan Overpowered > Japan under Attack.

​† Wentz, William Findley, SN 17-069-660, USAAF, Black Hawk Co.
  • b. 7 Apr 1916 Walnut, Pott. Co.; s/o Newton W. Wentz (d. 1931) & Genevieve Findley; family moved to Eldora, Hardin Co. in 1920s and to Waterloo, Black Hawk Co. in 1930s; m. Lalieth Protheroe, one child; entered service 19 Oct 1942 from Waterloo. 
  • 785th Bomber Sqdn., 466th Bomber Gp., 8th AF, based at Attlebridge, Norfolk, England; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-52555 Ol' Tom Cat flight engineer; KIA 9 May 1944 on mission to Tutow, E of Rostock, Germany, ditched in North Sea, no survivors; The ETO > ETO Air War; BNR.

† Widows, Harry James Jr., SN O-771857, USAAF, 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; group burial Jefferson Barracks Nat'l Cem., St. Louis, MO.
  • 873rd Bomb. Sqdn., 498th Bomb. Gp., based at Isley Field, Saipan, Mariana Is.; Boeing B-29 Superfortress #42-65295 co-pilot w/ pilot M. Geer; KIA 29 Apr 1945 Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Kyushu, Japan on a mission to bomb Nyakonojo Airfield, Kyushu; plane was attacked by fighters, hit, exploded, and crashed on land, no survivors from crew of eleven; Japan Overpowered > Japan under Attack.
 
​† Wigness, Kenneth Eugene, O-692842, USAAF, Shelby Co.
  • b. 25 Feb 1921 Harlan, Shelby Co.; s/o Cornelius R. Wigness & Sina Heggens, Norway natives; m. Jean M. Preston 1943, one child; entered service 1 Sep 1943 from Harlan. 
  • 804th Bomb. Sqdn., 741st Bomb. Gp., Combat Crew Training School, Westover AFB, 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; BNR.

† 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; bur. Brittany American Cem., St.-James, Normandy, France.
  • 2nd Inf. Regt., 5th Inf. Div.; KIA 15 Aug 1944 near Chartres, Eure-et-Loir, France; France Liberated > Northern France.

† Wilcox, Blaine Bertrand, O-772098, USAAF, Mills Co.
  • b. 7 Feb 1918 Glenwood, Mills Co.; s/o Henry B. Wilcox & Cecil E. Anderson; entered service 2 Feb 1943 from Pacific Jct., Mills Co.; group burial of seven Zachary Taylor Nat'l Cem., Louisville, KY.
  • 613th Bomb. Sqdn. 401st Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, 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.

† Wilcox, Stewart La Val, SN T-062027, USAAF, Mills Co.
  • b. 3 Apr 1923 Oak Twp., Mills Co.; s/o Henry B. Wilcox & Cecil E. Anderson; entered service 26 Jan 1943 from Glenwood, Mills Co.; service credited to Delaware.
  • 613 Bomb. Sqdn., 401 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Dennethorpe, Northhampshire, England; Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress #42-32005 co-pilot; KIA 24 Jul 1944 English Channel, plane caught fire returning from raid over St. Lo, France, all nine bailed out over English Channel, all rescued except for Flight Officer Stewart Wilcox; The ETO > ETO Air War; BNR.

† 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; m. Alice Wright; entered service 30 Jun 1942 at Ft. Crook, Bellevue, NE; bur. North Africa American Cem., Carthage, Tunisia.
  • 1st Armored Regt., 1st Armored Div.; DNB 2 May 1943 near Mateur, northern Tunisia, North Africa; North Africa & Sicily > 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 (div.); 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; bur. Walnut Hill Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • 101st Inf. Regt., 26th Inf. Div.; KIA 9 Nov 1944 S of Metz, Lorraine, France; The Allies Stymied > Lorraine Campaign.

† 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; bur. Nat'l 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 > Battle of Okinawa.

† Wilson, Douglas William, SN 316-42-33, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • b. 23 Dec 1917 Kansas City, MO; adopted s/o John O. Wilson & Dessa M. Knight of Co. Bluffs; m. Inez Irma Madison 1940 (div. 1943); entered service 14 Oct 1940 from Co. Bluffs (possible prior service); discharged 20 Dec 1943; bur. Fairview Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • served on USS Reuben James (DE-153) Jul 1943; d. 28 Dec 1943, Hines Veterans Hosp., Proviso, Cook Co., IL.
  • Note: The original Reuben James (DD-245) was sunk by the German submarine U-552 on 31 Oct 1941 before the United States entered WW II.

† Wilson, John Robert, SN 6-208-886, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • b. 12 Jul 1900 Omaha; s/o Charles J. Wilson (d. 1942) & Mary E. Quinn (d. 1945); family moved to Co. Bluffs ~ 1901; entered service ~ 1931; m. Opal L. Holeman 1939, one child; bur. Manila American Cem., 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 O-1692505, 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; probably entered service 1941; bur. Epinal American Cem., Dinozé, France.
  • Co. M, 30th Inf. Regt., 3rd Inf. Div., 7th Army; KIA 16 Dec 1944 near Kaysersburg, NW of Colmar, Alsace, France; ETO > Alsace Campaign.
  • Note: confirmed posthumous Distinguished Service Cross.

​† Wold, Leslie Wayne, SN 560533, USMC, 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; bur. 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; m. Eleanor B. Neve of Pott. Co. 1933, one child; entered service 9 May 1942 from Co. Bluffs; bur. 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 > New Guinea.

​† 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 (div. 1930s) of Co. Bluffs; moved to California in late 1930s; service credited to Los Angeles Co., CA; bur. Inglewood Park Cem., Inglewood, Los Angeles Co., CA.
  • 13th Inf. Regt., 8th Inf. Div.; KIA 31 Aug 1944 near Brest, Brittany, France; Battle of Brittany - France Liberated > Northern France.

​† 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.
  • Destroyer USS Laffey (DD-459); KIA 13 Nov 1942 in Ironbound Sound, N of Guadalcanal, Solomon Is.; Laffey hit by 14” shell from Japanese battleship Hiei & torpedo, then exploded & sank; 59 dead, 186 survivors; 1st phase of Naval Battle of Guadalcanal - South & SW Pacific > Solomons Sea War; BNR.

​† Wunder, Frank Grant Jr., SN O-729400, USAAF, 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.
  • 9th Fighter Sqdn., 49th Fighter Gp., 5th AF, based at Dobodura airfields, S of Buna, Papua, New Guinea, staging from Kiriwina Airfield, Trobriand Is., Papua; 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 - South & SW Pacific > New Guinea; BNR.
  • Notes: Dick Bong, the leading US ace in WW II, was also with the 9th Fighter Squadron in New Guinea in 1943.

​† Yergey, John Maurice Jr., SN 37-485-859, US Army, Woodbury Co.
  • b. 6 Nov 1907 Co. Bluffs; s/o John M. Yergey Sr. & Charlotte M. Smith; m. Marjorie L. Young 1929; entered service 9 Oct 1943 from Sioux City, Woodbury Co.; no overseas service, separated 24 Jan 1945; bur. Westlawn-Hillcrest Cem., Omaha.
  • Battery B, 618th Field Artillery Bn.; d. 28 Sep 1945 at Vermillion, SD, neck broken in 75 foot fall from grain elevator; salesman for Montgomery Ward estimating paint requirements.

​† Yergey, Stanley Allen, SN O-717010, USAAF, Douglas Co., NE
  • b. 23 Feb 1923 Omaha; s/o John M. Yergey Sr. & Charlotte M. Smith; m. Virginia Gantz; entered service Mar 1943 from Omaha; bur. Santa Fe Nat'l Cem., Santa Fe Co., NM w/ a fellow crewman.
  • 853th Bomb. Sqdn., 491th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Metfield, Suffolk, England; Consolidated B-24 Liberator #44-10485 Dorty Treek bombardier; KIA 26 Nov 1944, shot down between Sarstedt and Heisede, S of Hanover, Germany; four dead, Lt. Yergey's remains found in the plane; The ETO > ETO Air War.

​† Zangerle, John M., SN 37-146-204, US Army, Shelby & Dubuque Cos.
  • b. 26 May 1911 Dubuque, Dubuque Co.; s/o Frank Zangerle (d. 1942) & Crescentia Schuets/Schultz; family moved to rural Shelby Co. bef. 1920; lived in Dubuque Co. in 1935 and Omaha in 1940; service credited to Dubuque Co.; bur. St.. Marys Cem., Portsmouth, Shelby Co.
  • 129th Inf. Regt., 37th Inf. Div.; KIA 15 Feb 1945 Manila, Luzon Philippines; Battle of Manila - Philippines Liberated > Luzon. 
  • Note: posthumous Silver Star recipient.

​† Zentz, Ervin Emory, SN 37-699-101, US Army, Pott. Co. & Valley Co., NE
  • b. 25 Jun 1921 Ord, Valley Co., NE; s/o Emory W. Zentz & Eva E. Hoisington; family lived in Ord, then in Minden, Pott. Co. in the 1940s, returning to Ord in the late 1940s; m. Verna L. Stowell, three children; enlisted 26 Jun 1944 from Iowa; service credited to Douglas Co., NE; bur. Ord Cem.
  • Co. B, 756th Tank Bn., 3rd Inf. Div.; WIA 18 Apr 1945 Bavaria, Germany; DOW 21 Apr 1945 in hospital, France; Battle of Nuremberg - Central Europe > Central Germany.​