West Point ’41: The Class That Went to War and Shaped America

Title Page, Copyright Page, Dedication

West Point ’41 Kazel-Wilcox - West Point.indb 1 3/19/2014 5:40:08 PM Kazel-Wilcox - West Point.indb 2 3/19/2014 5:40:08 PM WEST POINT ’41 THE CLASS THAT WENT TO WAR AND SHAPED AMERICA ANNE KAZEL-WILCOX AND PJ WILCOX With Lt. Gen. (ret.) Edward L. Rowny, U.S. Army Foreword by Michael J. Meese, Brig. Gen. (ret.), U.S. Army FORE EDGE Kazel-Wilcox - West Point.indb 3 3/19/2014 5:40:08 PM ForeEdge An imprint of University Press of New England www.upne.com© 2014 Anne Kazel-Wilcox and PJ Wilcox All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America Typeset in Charter and Geogrotesque by Passumpsic Publishing University Press of New England is a member of the Green Press Initiative. The paper used in this book meets their minimum requirement for recycled paper. For permission to reproduce any of the material in this book, contact Permissions, University Press of New England, One Court Street, Suite 250, Lebanon NH 03766; or visit www.upne.com Cloth isbn: 978-1-61168-469-8 Ebook isbn: 978-1-61168-572-5 Library of Congress Control Number: 2013956151 5 4 3 2 1 Kazel-Wilcox - West Point.indb 4 3/19/2014 5:40:08 PM The authors, and the surviving members of West Point ’41 who graciously contributed to this book, dedicate it to class members that made the ultimate sacrifice—killed in action in defense of freedom. Noted is each officer’s branch, and place and date where each was killed in action. In the words of the corps, “our hearts are standing at attention.” Capt. Howard F. Adams—Air Corps, over Germany, February 26, 1943 Capt. Emory A. Austin Jr.—Calvary, on Attu, May 15, 1943 Capt. Henry N. Blanchard Jr.—Signal Corps, in Normandy, June 17, 1944 Capt. Edgar C. Boggs—Infantry, on Luzon, February 5, 1945 Capt. Marshall W. Carney—Air Corps, over Italy, October 20, 1943 1st Lt. Ira B. Cheaney Jr.—Infantry, on Bataan, January 30, 1942 Lt. Col. Wadsworth P. Clapp—Combat engineer, in Germany, February 22, 1945 Capt. Lanham C. Connally—Air Corps, over Japan, July 4, 1945 Maj. Thomas R. Cramer—Air Corps, over Italy, July 3, 1943 Capt. Robert L. Cummings—Infantry, over Leyte, November 30, 1944 Capt. James H. Dienelt—Air Corps, over Timor, June 11, 1943 Maj. Donald L. Driscoll—Infantry, in Korea, December 31, 1953 Maj. Paul D. Duke—Combat engineer, in France, August 4, 1944 Maj. Ernest Durr Jr.—Combat engineer, in Northern Italy, April 26, 1945 Maj. Horace G. Foster Jr.—Air Corps, over Hankow, August 24, 1943 Capt. Elkin L. Franklin—Air Corps, over Italy, April 20, 1944 2nd Lt. Herbert W. Frawley Jr.—Air Corps, on subpatrol, May 18, 1942 1st Lt. William Gardner—Infantry, in Normandy, June 6, 1944 Maj. William G. Gillis Jr.—Infantry, in France, October 1, 1944 Lt. Col. Ralph R. Hetherington—Field artillery, in France, December 1, 1944 Maj. Frank B. Howze—Artillery, in Korea, September 15, 1950 Maj. Thomas A. Hume—Field artillery, in Korean prison camp, July 31, 1951 Capt. Harry L. Jarvis Jr.—Air Corps, over Ploesti, August 1, 1943 Capt. Charles E. Jones—Air Corps, over New Guinea, March 16, 1943 Capt. Perry T. Jones—Field artillery, on Luzon, April 12, 1945 Capt. William A. Kromer—Infantry, in the Bulge, December 30, 1944 1st Lt. Paul R. Larson—Air Corps, in the Southwest Pacific, November 17, 1942 Kazel-Wilcox - West Point.indb 5 3/19/2014 5:40:08 PM Lt. Col. Clarence J. Lokker—Air Corps, over Germany, November 21, 1944 Maj. William T. McDaniel—Infantry, in Korea, June 20, 1950 1st Lt. Alexander R. Nininger Jr.—Infantry, on Bataan, January 12, 1942 Maj. Paul J. O’Brien—Air Corps over Rangoon, December 1, 1943 Capt. Hume Peabody Jr.—Air Corps, over Gibraltar, October 27, 1942 Lt. Col. Charles L. Peirce—Air Corps, over Balikpapan, September 30, 1944 1st Lt. Robert P. Pierpoint—Combat engineer, Japanese POW ship, October 22, 1944 1st Lt. Hector J. Polla—Infantry, Japanese POW ship, January 21, 1945 Capt. Thomas E. Reagan—Infantry, in Normandy, August 1, 1944 Capt. Robert H. Rosen—Infantry, in Holland, September 20, 1944 1st Lt. Maxwell W. Sullivan Jr.—Air Corps, over Holland, January 27, 1943 Capt. David B...