Loss of War: World War II

In going through records, it always makes me pause when I run across a young man who died during years of war. World War II seems to have taken the most young male relatives. It's difficult to run across a man from that era who did not serve, though most of them returned home. I'd like to tell the stories of some of those who didn't return, to keep their names alive in our memories for their valor in a dark time in our history.

Lt (JG) Melvin Laverne Butler, US Navy Reserve, was the son of Thomas Jefferson Butler and Grace Brown (who is related on the Monteith side of the family). Melvin was born in Chadron, Nebraska in 1917.

Melvin entered the Naval Reserve when the war broke out and was trained as a pilot. He was sent to the Pacific Theatre. He flew the PBY Catalina, a patrol bomber with long-range capabilities that served the Navy well in a number of capacities the makers of the craft never imagined, including sea rescue of downed pilots. Melvin survived a shoot down earlier in 1942 when he was able to land his aircraft, hide out until dark, and be rescued. On October 14, 1942, his luck would run out. While flying a mission to locate a Japanese fleet, he and another pilot spotted the fleet east of the Solomon islands and north of the Santa Cruz islands. Both pilots were shot down. Butler was able to transmit a brief tactical message prior to crashing. He was declared missing at that time and declared dead in December 1945. In 1946, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

(based on information provided by his great niece, S. Teddei in a copyrighted 2011 article on Ancestry.com)

Harry Frederick Bradshaw, Seaman 1st Class, US Navy

Harry was the son of Raymond and Macie Bradshaw of Belle Plaine,
Benton County, Iowa. He was born 15 Oct 1921 in Charles City, Iowa and died in the Coral Sea on 08 May 1942. He was buried in the cemetery at Fort William McKinley, in Manila, Phillipines. To learn about the battle which took Harry's life, visit this earlier post.

PFC Robert "Bob"L Opperman, US Army, was the son of Harold Opperman and Wilma Barr, who at the time, resided in Bremer County, Iowa. He was born on 25 Jun 1923. Bob was a nose gunner stationed in the 422nd Base Unit at Tonopah Army Airfield in Nye County Nevada. The base had recently started running training flights for the larger bomber aircraft. On 19 May 1944, the B-24D Liberator on which he was flying crashed shortly after takeoff due to engine failure. Seven other aviators lost their lives on this flight. Though there were several accidents at the base, there is very little information regarding this flight and its crew.

Private Robert Harold Arthur, US Army, was born in Maynard, Fayette County, Iowa on December 15, 1917 as the oldest child of Herald Arthur and Laura "Ranney" Arthur. He married the former Evelyn Simpson. He entered the service as a draftee on November 18, 1943 at Camp Dodge, Herrold, Iowa. Robert received his basic training at Camp Blanding, Florida before he was sent overseas in June, 1944, as a Private in the 83rd Infantry Division, 330th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, C Company.

From Into the Hornet's Nest: 

By the beginning of August, the 83rd was part of Patton's 3rd Army, and while most of the 3rd Army turned east out of the Cotentin Peninsula toward Paris, the 83rd Division turned west into Brittany through Coutances and Avranches. The coastal towns of St. Malo and Dinard belonged to them alone.

Strategically, the battle for St. Malo may not have been one of the "big battles," but that does not detract from the monumental campaign that it was. It is an incredible tale about an American commander with the improbable name of Major Speedie (329th Infantry) and a "mad" German Colonel (von Aulock)--complete with monacle, flapping coat, German Police dog, and a mysterious mistress having a "past" with Russian royalty. He said he would hold out to the last man in an ancient fortress that had been heavily reinforced with concrete and contained underground tunnels, storage areas, power plants, ammo dumps, living quarters, and even a hospital. Read More...

Robert died the day before the first US troops arrived in Brest, their ultimate destination. He left a wife and four children. He received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for bravery under fire.

PFC Leo I Gulick, US Army, was the son of Herman Gulick and Edna Thomsen born on 25 Apr 1912 in Clarksville, Iowa. He married Eunice Clark and had two daughters before he left to serve his country. Gulick was assigned to the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division died during battle after the Battle of Aachen. At the time, Nazi defenders were fiercely attempting to keep their hold on whatever they could as the Allies closed in on them from all fronts. No details are available on the battle in which he died, but he received a Purple Heart for his service. He was buried in Henri-Chappelle American Cemetery in Belgium. His parents, wife, and two daughters survived him.

2Lt John William Padget, US Army Air Corps, was the son of Charles
"Ernest" Padget and Hazel Barr. He was born in 1921 in Bremer County, Iowa. He enlisted 01 Dec 1942 and received his basic training at Kelly Field, Texas. He left for overseas in  October 1942.

John was a 2Lt in the 331 Bomb Squadron, 94th Bomb Gp (H) stationed in Bury St Edmunds, England.  John was flying as a bombardier in a B-17 "Bouncin' Annie" tail number 42102577, over Germany on 02 Nov 1944 when his aircraft was presumably struck and went into a tailspin and crashed at Merseburg, Germany. Merseburg was a major target for the Allies due to the oil refinery and other manufacturing in the city. He, along with the crew, were lost and listed as MIA on 02 Nov 1944, then KIA. He is buried in St Avold Cemetery, Lorraine, France, 3503, Block A, Row 19, Grave 37. He received the Purple Heart and the Air Medal.

Tech5 Charles E Sperbeck, US Army, was the son of Ernest Sperbeck, Jr. and Ola Clark of Hillsdale, Michigan. He was born 07 Apr 1923 in Frontier, Michigan. Sperbeck attended Western Michigan for one year in 1942 before being drafted into the Army. He was assigned to the 26th Infantry Division, 101st Infantry Regiment and was killed on 14 Mar 1945 during the "Push to the Rhine" near the end of the war:

The first week in March saw the Regiment outposting the Serrig area
and that area east of Saarburg. It was evident that something of importance was in the wind. On the 12th of March an order was given calling for an attack on the 13th of March in conjunction with the XX Corps attack. Our mission was to clear the area south of the Moselle. Initially, the 101st Infantry was in reserve. At 0300 on the 13th of March the attack began, preceded by a tremendous softening up barrage by the 101st Field Artillery. While the 3rd Battalion was attached to the 328th Infantry, the remainder of the Regiment bivouaced east of Serrig. The 3rd Battalion spearheaded the attack of the 328th Infantry Regiment at Serrig; an attack that broke organized German resistance at that part of the Siegfried Line. On the 15th of March the entire 101st jumped off in a column of battalions. Progress in rugged terrain dotted with pillboxes, was slow but steady. On the 17th of March, "C" Company took the town of Bratdorf.