Remembering Michigan's WWII Fallen

01/04/2026

LT Lenard Oyen Reichel
Cruiser Scouting Squadron Detachment (Tulagi), Guadalcanal

Lieutenant Lenard Oyen Reichel made a decision as a youth to become a devoted Naval Air Serviceman that he accomplished with Honors. Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Paw Paw, Michigan, and onto the Navy.

Read his story recently posted by Michigan Volunteer Dolly 👇

Memorial for Reichel, Lenard Oyen at Fold3

31/03/2026

Sgt. Erwin Guy Huggett
508th Bomb Squadron 351st Bomb Group, MACR 42-39905

Meet Sgt. Erwin Guy Huggett — a hero from Battle Creek, Michigan, whose story deserves to be remembered. Born in 1922, Erwin lost his mother just three weeks after birth and was raised by his father alongside four siblings — three of whom also served. He married Dorothy in 1943, flew nine courageous missions over N**i Germany as a ball turret and waist gunner aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress, and on January 10, 1944, his plane was shot down over Oschersleben, Germany. He died the next day after sustaining serious wounds, never knowing Dorothy was expecting their child. He was 21 years old. Sgt. Huggett rests today at the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium, Plot A-43-2 — far from the cereal city that raised him, but never forgotten. Read his full story recently posted by Michigan Volunteer "Mary", and honor his memory 👇 https://www.fold3.com/memorial/664332918

Memorial for SGT. ERWIN GUY HUGGETT at Fold3

24/03/2026

Sergeant George Charles Petrack
Battery C, 373rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Searchlight Battalion
808th Replacement Unit
Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations

From the crowded immigrant streets of Chicago to the dangerous jungles of the South Pacific, Sergeant George Charles Petrack lived a story defined by grit, sacrifice, and quiet courage.

The son of Lithuanian immigrants, George grew up in a hardworking community where resilience was a way of life. When his country called during World War II, he answered—serving in the Pacific under some of the harshest conditions imaginable. He endured relentless heat, enemy air attacks, and even malaria… yet he kept going.

After more than three years of service, George was finally headed home—having survived the war itself.

But fate had other plans.
In a heartbreaking twist, just one day after peace was declared, George lost his life in a tragic accident on American soil—so close to the home and family he fought to return to.
His story is one of courage, sacrifice, and the enduring legacy of immigrant families who helped shape America.

👉 Read the full story and honor his memory https://www.fold3.com/memorial/664332285

Photo Source: May 12, 1945 - Crew of the 227th Searchlight Battalion attached to the 43rd Infantry Division. (NARA)

23/03/2026

Sergeant Greydon Malcolm "Jack" Tabor
"The Bombing Banshees" VMSB-244

He was just 19 years old—a small-town athlete, a son, a kid known as “Jack” to his friends.

Greydon Malcolm Tabor left behind the basketball courts and quiet streets of Indiana to become a Marine Corps radio-gunner in the Pacific during World War II. Flying in the rear seat of a dive bomber, he faced some of the most dangerous skies of the war.

On February 13, 1944, during a massive strike over the heavily defended Japanese base at Rabaul, his aircraft came under intense attack. As enemy fighters closed in, Greydon kept firing—and then, in his final moments, spoke a simple, selfless prayer over the radio:

He didn’t ask to be saved. He asked that his pilot make it home.

The pilot survived. Greydon did not.

His story—of courage, sacrifice, and an unforgettable final act of humanity—has echoed for generations.

Read the full story and remember a young man who gave everything. 🇺🇸

Memorial for Greydon Malcolm Tabor at Fold3 - * VMSB-244 SB2C Helldiver, Radio Gunner

22/03/2026

PFC Edward Van Cura
507th Parachute Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division HQ CO 2nd BN

He was 33 years old. The son of immigrant factory workers from Chicago’s South Side. A farm laborer in Michigan. An ordinary man who chose to do something extraordinary.
After being turned away from the Army for a medical issue, Edward Van Cura didn’t give up—he fixed the problem himself and enlisted anyway. He went on to volunteer for one of the most dangerous assignments of World War II: the paratroopers.
On D-Day, he jumped into the darkness over Normandy with the 82nd Airborne, landing far from his unit in chaos and enemy fire. For days, he and his fellow soldiers fought against overwhelming odds, helping stop German forces from reaching the beaches—actions that helped ensure the success of the Allied invasion.
Less than a month later, he was killed in action.
His story is one of grit, sacrifice, and quiet determination—a reminder that history is shaped by everyday people who refuse to stand aside.
👇Read his full story and honor his legacy.

Memorial for Edward Van Cura at Fold3 - * 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division

20/03/2026

F1C Sigmund Julius Wlodarczyk
USS Robalo (SS-273)

Two Brothers. One Family’s Ultimate Sacrifice.

Sigmund Wlodarczyk grew up in Chicago’s industrial South Side, the son of Polish immigrants chasing the American dream. In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became a submariner aboard the USS Robalo.

In July 1944, during a dangerous patrol in the Pacific, his submarine struck a mine and was lost with nearly all hands.

Sigmund was just 21 years old.

Just months later, his brother was killed fighting in France.

One family. Two sons. Both gone in the same war.

👉 Read their full story here: https://www.fold3.com/memorial/664331845

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Memorial for Sigmund Julius Wlodarczyk at Fold3 - * USS Robalo (SS-273) - Lost on Eternal Patrol - Balabac Strait

20/03/2026

PVT. George William Nicholson
121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division
KIA - Périers, Normandy, France

A Grandmother’s Boy Who Gave Everything on D-Day’s Battlefield
George William Nicholson grew up in Paw Paw, Michigan, raised by his grandmother, who meant everything to him. Just weeks after her death in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was only 18.
By the summer of 1944, George was in France with the 121st Infantry Regiment, fighting through the brutal hedgerows of Normandy after D-Day.
On July 28, 1944, during the breakout that would help turn the tide of the war, George was killed in action.
He was just 19 years old.
Today, he rests among thousands of heroes at the Normandy American Cemetery, far from the small town he called home.
👉 Read his full story here: https://www.fold3.com/memorial/664331977

Memorial for George William Nicholson at Fold3 - * 121 Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division - KIA France

20/03/2026

TM2C Robert Emmerson Dibble
USS Meredith (DD-726) - Utah Beach

From Small-Town America to the Shores of D-Day
Robert Emmerson Dibble grew up moving across Indiana, North Carolina, and Michigan, the son of a railroad telegrapher. In 1940, before the U.S. entered World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became a skilled Torpedoman’s Mate.
By June 1944, he was aboard the destroyer USS Meredith, part of the massive fleet supporting the invasion of Normandy.
On D-Day, his ship helped provide critical gunfire support to troops landing at Utah Beach.
Just two days later, disaster struck.
On June 8, 1944, the Meredith was hit by a devastating explosion and later sank — taking Robert Dibble with her. He was just 25 years old.
👉 Read his full story here: https://www.fold3.com/memorial/664331895

Memorial for Robert Emmerson Dibble at Fold3 - * USS Meredith DD-726

20/03/2026

MOMM1C Gerald S. Doubblestein
USS Mount Hood (AE-11)
Seeadler Harbor, Manus Island
A Survivor of Pearl Harbor… Lost in One of WWII’s Largest Explosions
Gerald S. Doubblestein grew up in Otsego, Michigan, the son of a millwright, learning the mechanical skills that would carry him into the U.S. Navy in 1940.
He survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, served across the globe, married during the war, and was preparing for the fight to retake the Philippines.
But on November 10, 1944, while serving aboard the ammunition ship USS Mount Hood, disaster struck.
In a single massive explosion, the ship — loaded with thousands of tons of ordnance — was completely obliterated in seconds, killing over 300 men. No remains were ever recovered.
Gerald was just 22 years old.
👉 Read his full story here: https://www.fold3.com/memorial/664331896
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Memorial for Gerald S Doubblestein at Fold3 - * USS Mount Hood (AE-11)

16/03/2026

SEA1c George Robert Sheffer
USS Arizona (BB-39)

One Sailor. One Ship. One Day That Changed History.

George Robert Sheffer grew up in Goshen, Indiana, the son of a small-town grocer and farmer. One of seven children, he joined the U.S. Navy before World War II and was serving as a Seaman First Class aboard the battleship USS Arizona.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Arizona was struck by multiple bombs during the attack on Pearl Harbor. A massive explosion tore the ship apart, killing 1,177 sailors and Marines — nearly half of all American lives lost that day.

George Sheffer was among those who never returned home.

Today, he is remembered on the USS Arizona Memorial and the Honolulu Memorial, resting with his shipmates beneath the waters of Pearl Harbor.

👉 Read his full story here: https://www.fold3.com/memorial/657787316

🇺🇸

Memorial for Sheffer, George Robert, S1c at Fold3

16/03/2026

1stSgt Richard "Bozo" Duncan
Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, in Shanghai, China

A Marine’s Journey: From Minnesota to the South China Sea

Richard Duncan grew up in Minnesota, working hard as a young laborer before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1920. Over the next two decades he rose through the ranks to First Sergeant, serving around the world — from Guantanamo Bay to Shanghai, China, where he was among the legendary “China Marines.”

An athlete as well as a Marine, Duncan even played football and baseball for the Quantico Marines Devil Dogs, one of the most prominent service teams of the era.
When war came to the Pacific, he fought in the desperate defense of the Philippines and Corregidor. In April 1942, under heavy Japanese artillery fire, First Sergeant Duncan voluntarily entered collapsing tunnels to rescue trapped soldiers and treat the wounded — an act of heroism that earned him the Silver Star Medal.

After the fall of Corregidor, Duncan became a prisoner of war. In October 1944, he was among nearly 1,800 Allied POWs forced aboard the Japanese transport Arisan Maru. When the unmarked ship was torpedoed in the South China Sea, almost all aboard were lost — the greatest loss of American lives at sea in history.
First Sergeant Richard Duncan never returned home.
His story — from humble beginnings in Minnesota to courage under fire and ultimate sacrifice — is one worth remembering.

👉 Read his full story here: https://www.fold3.com/memorial/529953777

Memorial for Richard Duncan at Fold3

08/03/2026

PFC Vernon James Dick
82 ABN Div, PARCH Inf, Glider Troop

A Christmas Eve Baby Who Gave His Life in Normandy

Vernon James Dick was born on Christmas Eve, 1923, in Muskegon County, Michigan, into a deeply patriotic family. His father had served in World War I, and his brothers would also wear the uniform in later conflicts. Growing up in Muskegon, Vernon was known as a talented young guitarist, a Boy Scout, and a student with perfect school attendance.

On his 18th birthday—December 24, 1941, just weeks after the United States entered World War II—Vernon registered for the draft. Within days, he was in the Army. Determined to serve on the front lines, he volunteered for airborne training and eventually joined the legendary 82nd Airborne Division.

By June 1944, Vernon was among the thousands of paratroopers and glider troops sent into France during the Normandy Invasion. Their mission: secure key towns and bridges behind enemy lines to support the Allied landings.

Just days after the invasion, as fighting raged around Carentan, PFC Vernon J. Dick was killed in action on June 14, 1944. He was only 20 years old.

Today, he rests with full military honors at Rock Island National Cemetery—a young man remembered by family, community, and the nation he served.

👉 Click the Fallen’s link to read Vernon’s full story, recently posted by Michigan Volunteer Joy, and remember the young airborne soldier who never made it home.

Memorial for Dick, Vernon James at Fold3