C. Bruce Dunthorn

Informed of Son's Death In Action In South Pacific 

C. Bruce Dunthorn, Marine Killed In Cape Gloucester Invasion Mission 

(March 3, 1944) - In a telegram received Wednesday from Lt. General A. A. Vandergriff of the U.S. Marine Corps, Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus W. Dunthorn of High Street were informed of the death in action Jan. 15, of their son, Pfc. Cecil Bruce Dunthorn, 22, of the celebrated Fifth Marines.

Two days before they had received a letter from Pfc. Jon La Barbera, one of Bruce's buddies telling them of their son's death while on a mission early in February during the invasion of Cape Gloucester, New Guinea.

Lt. Gen. Vandergriff's wire stated that Bruce was "killed in action in the performance of duty and service of his country."

Pfc. La Barbera wrote: "Before he passed away, Bruce asked me to write home for him. I have known Bruce for two years and we've been through thick and thin. When we lost Bruce, we lost the squad. He was undoubtedly the best. Two boys attempted to bring him to safety but did not succeed. One of the boys was wounded, the other was not hurt." When he returned he would be able to tell the story in detail.

Mr. and Mrs. Dunthorn last heard from their son in a letter written Jan. 24, in which he had asked that some toothpaste be sent to him. Earlier, in reply to a letter from his parents in which they had asked what he would like to have for Christmas, he had written that he wanted "only a handful of snow."

Pfc. Dunthorn, who was a sniper scout, had also taken part in most of the battle of Guadalcanal. He had been left behind in New Caledonia because of a broken wrist, but a few days later managed to stow away on a bomber and joined his unit at Guadalcanal.

He entered into the Marines the day after Pearl Harbor, and trained at Parris Island, S.C., and New River, N.C. His unit left New River in May 1942 for New Zealand where they went through an earthquake a day or two after arrival.

After Guadalcanal, Pfc. Dunthorn was evacuated to Brisbane, Australia, going from there to a town near Melbourne for a short rest. He later went to New Guinea for several months duty there.

On Feb. 4, Mr. and Mrs. Dunthorn had received word that their son had been recommended for the Navy V-12 training program in this country.

He is a graduate of Nutley high school.

A brother, Lt. Cyrus Dunthorn Jr., 25, is serving with an ordnance ammunition company in the Aleutians. He was graduated from Nutley high school and won a scholarship to Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken. He later attended Rutgers university.

Another brother, Gunners Mate s/c Byron Dunthorn, is in the Navy armed guard and is captain of a gun crew on a merchant ship. When he last wrote to his family, he was in Scotland. He is also a graduate of Nutley high school and enlisted on Navy Day.

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Charles Katt

(April 7, 1944) -- Sgt. Charles W. Katt, U. S. Army, died Nov. 27, 1943.

The War department notified Mrs. Aileen Katt of Conover avenue that her husband had gone down on an Allied troop ship -- likely HMT Rohna --  sunk as the direct result of enemy action.

The soldier, who was graduated from Nutley High School, married Eileen Rulison on July 10, 1941, his 20th birthday and they have a year old son, Charles Richard.
He is also survived by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Katt, and three sisters, the Eleanor, Dorothea and Joan.

Read more about Charles W. Katt and Frederick Comer. 

His son Charles Richard Katt Guttilla was killed in action in Vietnam on Feb. 20, 1967.

Frederick Comer

(January 7, 1944) - Frederick Comer, 38, a private in the 31st Signal Construction Battalion was reported missing in action since Nov. 26.

Pvt. Comer is married to the former Miss Gertrude Miller, daughter of John Miller of 27 Princeton Street. They have a 17-month old son, David.

Pfc. Frederic W. Comer was in the 31st Signal Construction Battalion. He is listed on the Tablets of the Missing, at North Africa American Cemetery, Carthage, Tunisia.

From The Nutley Sun
January 7, 1944
In Different Divisions, Both
Are Casualties On Same Day

See also Charles Katt. 

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John Del Grosso

(Nov. 12, 1943) -- Marine Master Tech. Sgt. John Del Grosso, of Cleveland Street, U.S.M.S.R., died Nov. 8 in the Naval hospital at Corona, Calif. 

He had been under treatment for pernicious anemia - a blood disease, and in spite of several blood transfusions, succumbed suddenly after a short illness.

With him in California, were his wife, the former Blanche Orlando of Race Street, Nutley, and his sons Jack, 11, and Bob, 9. He is also survived by his mother, Mrs. Minnie Del Grosso of Newark.

A Marine for four years before the war, and honorably discharged, Del Grosso re-enlisted shortly after Pearl Harbor.

He had learned to fly in Nutley, and hoped for overseas service.

He was stationed, however, at the Naval Air Base at Santiago, Calif., as a technical instructor where he was joined by his family about a year ago.
There was plenty of action even in California, for Sgt. Del Grosso was on flight duty, making repairs and testing planes.

Nutley residents remember John as the Scoutmaster of Troop 7 and a member of the Franklin Reformed church. He was a watchmaker by trade, and for several years had his own business here.

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Stanley Hand

2^nd Lt. Stanley S. Hand, U. S. Army Air Forces, 96th Fighter Squadron, 82^nd Fighter Group, was killed in action on August 13, 1945.

Lt. Hand was awarded the Air Medal, Purple Heart Medal, WWII Service Lapel Button, WWII Victory Medal.

According to the 82nd Fighter Group history, 2nd Lt. Hand was reported missing in action on Oct. 4, 1943.

He entered the service from New Jersey. His service number is 0-792830.

Lt. Hand is listed as Missing in Action or Buried at Sea on the Tablets of the Missing at North Africa American Cemetery, Carthage, Tunisia.

Richard Van Divort

(Dec. 21, 1945) -- Posthumous awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with one silver cluster and one bronze oak leaf cluster, was made yesterday to Capt. Richard Van Divort, son of Mr. and Mrs. S.E. Van Divort, of Oak Ridge Avenue, who was killed on a routine flight over Forestell, Mo., in October 1943.

The captain was a graduate of Nutley High school and Dartmouth college where he was president of his fraternity, Gamma Delta Phi.

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Charles Braun

Charles Braun Was gunner on Bomber Flying from Barksdale Field 

(Sept. 3, 1943) - Mrs. Willis C. Breyfolgle of 134 Rutgers Place, Nutley, was notified yesterday by the War Department her son, Sgt. Charles A. Braun, 19, had died as result of an Army bomber crash Wednesday near Belcher, La.

Sgt. Brawn was stationed at Barksdale Field, Shreveport, La. The Nutley youth enlisted in the Army Air Forced in March 1942. He was born in Newark and had lived in East Orange and Arlington before his family moved to Nutley three years ago.

At Nutley High he played football. Sgt. Braun leaves also a brother William; a sister Marilyn, both of the Nutley address; his step-father, Willis C. Breyfogle, and a half-brother, Cpl. Millard Breyfogle, an Army Air Forces instructor at Orlando, Fla.

His father, William Braun, veteran of World War I, died nine years ago.

Newark News, Sept. 3, 1943
Blue Star Mothers clippings, Nutley Historical Society.

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James Murren

(Jan. 14, 1944) - Sgt. James P. Murren Jr., 19, son of James P. Murren of Woodland Avenue, was killed on Aug. 31 in an aerial collision over the Straights of Dover.

Murren was aboard B-17 named Snooks when it was returning from a mission at Romilly Sur Siene, France, and collided with another B-17.
Sgt. Murren served in the 8th Air Force, 323rd Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, Heavy. 

 He attended St. Mary's Parochial school. Surviving besides his parents are sisters, Patricia and Carol.

From The Nutley Sun, Jan. 14, 1944

MASS OF REQUIEM
FOR TAIL GUNNER

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Allen Duke

(September 10, 1943) -- Flying Officer Allen T. Duke, Jr., a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, was killed in action overseas on August 17.

He was buried in an Air Force Cemetery in Oxford, England, on Aug. 21.

Duke was born in London, March 3, 1929, and came to this country as a youth and later lived in Nutley.

From The Nutley Sun
September 10, 1943
MEMORIAL FOR ALLEN DUKE JR.
Killed In Action Overseas,
Rites Sunday For Former Resident

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Warren Marks

(September 3, 1943) -- Midshipman Warren Prime Marks, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Marks of St. Mary's Place, has been killed in action somewhere in the Mediterranean.

Engine cadet Marks and 11 others were killed aboard the Liberty ship Timothy Pickering on July 13, according to the U.S. Merchant Marines.

The  vessel was bombed and sunk by aircraft while anchored at Avola, Sicily.

Warren Marks was born in Nutley on Sept. 20, 1923, attended Nutley schools, graduating from Nutley high school in January 1941. He was a member of the high school dramatic club and took part in the senior play. He was a member of Vincent Methodist church.

Marks has a sister, Annis Jean, and a brother Roger Dow, both living at home.

In a letter sent Aug. 31, 1943, to his surviving sons Pete & Dave serving in the war, Mr. Lyman reports of the death of his son William "Boots" Lyman aboard the Pickering as told to him by survivor Chris Breman:

"... To save you all the time of reading this in order to get to the point, I will tell you now that three of the four are lost and Bill is no doubt one of them ... They were blown to bits in the Port of Siracusa in Sicily taking in troops and supplies to back up our men who had already been landed ... they were put into the Sicily job with plenty of other ships and sailed to their end as I have told you. They had gasoline and TNT in their holds waiting to be unloaded when at about 11:30 a.m., on July 13, two dive bombers came over the high hills with motors shut off and were not seen in time for the ships to open up on them and they planted a good fair sized on the deck and in a second the Pickering blew to bits and there was nothing where she had been ... Bill was on deck getting washed to get on his deck watch at noon and ... he was not seen again. Warren was in the engine room on watch and was never seen again. ... The two planes were knocked down by the other ships a second after ..."

Letter courtesy: Ellen Dester Hayes

More information.

From The Nutley Sun: September 3, 1943- Midshipman Reported Killed In Action In Mediterranean

Percy Shuart

(October 8, 1943) -- A paratrooper in the opening invasion of Sicily, Cpl. Percy W. Shuart, 23, was killed in action there on July 11, his mother, Mrs. Patrick O'Neill, of 154 Whitford Avenue, has learned through the war department.

A subsequent letter from Gen. Marshall informed Mrs. O'Neill that her son had died ''gallantly in action,'' and that she had every reason to be proud of him.

He is also survived by Mrs. Thomas Murin, who resides at the Ambassador apartments on Park avenue.

More information.

From The Nutley Sun

October 8, 1943

CPL P.W.SHUART  
KILLED IN ACTION
Member Of Paratroop Invasion
Of Sicily, There Only A Month

Thomas Ashton, Jr.

(July 23, 1943) -- Petty Officer Thomas Edward Ashton Jr., electrician’s mate 3/c, on submarine duty was reported missing in action April 22, 1943.

The young sailor was known by his parents,  Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ashton Sr., who formerly lived on Cathedral Avenue, to have been aboard the submarine Triton, which was reported by the Navy on July 22 as having been sunk in the Pacific with 11 Jap ships to its credit.

He attended St. Mary's elementary school. He was an assistant scout master of troop 12 at St. Mary's Church.

Tom has been engaged to Miss Olive Shaefer for the past year. He has three sisters, Alice and Melina who live in Nutley, and Mrs. Eileen Rudowsky.

(April 30, 1943) -- The parents of Thomas Edward Ashton Jr., were notified Thursday that their son, an electrician's mate 3c, on submarine duty was missing at sea. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ashton Sr., who formerly lived on Cathedral avenue, have recently moved to E. Glen Avenue in Ridgewood.
 
Tom Ashton enlisted in the Navy in February 1942. After two and a half months of preliminary training at New London, he was sent to the Navy Electrical Engineering School.

His military education included Submarine; Battery & Gyro; Electrical Theory; Electrical Laboratory; Mathematics; tool instruction; General Instruction; Wiring Shop.

His assignments and geographical locations included: N.R.S., N.Y.; NavTraSta - Newport, R.I.; US Nav Tra Sch - Detroit, Mich.; Submarine Sch - New London, Conn.; USS Guardfish (Flag CSD 82); USS Triton.

Upon completion of his training he was assigned to a submarine as an electrician's mate.

Tom was working for the plant department of the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company at the time of his enlistment in the Navy. He attended St. Mary's elementary school, and St. Peter's and St. Mary's Rutherford high schools, where he played football and basketball.

A fine athlete, Tom also played golf, went bowling, and belonged to the Nutley Chess Club. He was an assistant scout master of troop 12 at St. Mary's Church.

Tom has been engaged to Miss Olive Shaefer for the past year. He has three sisters, Alice and Melina who live in Nutley, and Mrs. Eileen Ruowsky.

More information.

Carlyle Hayden Malmstrom

(April 23, 1943) -- Mrs. Hilda Malmstrom, a war bride, was notified by the War Department Wednesday morning that her husband Staff Sgt. Carlyle Hayden Malmstrom had been killed in action in North Africa on April 6. The Malmstroms were married in July 1941, at Florence, S.C.

His parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. P. Malmstrom, of Cathedral avenue, are of the opinion he was killed in reconnaissance work.

His wife, a Nutley girl, is the former Miss Hilda Fillipone.

He attended Rutgers University for two years, where he studied business administration.

The Malmstroms have another son, George, 17, who is a student at Clifton High school. 

More information.

From The Nutley Sun

April 23, 1943: Reconnaissance Man Killed
In Action In North Africa

Dominic Anthony Cassera

(April 30, 1943) -- A solemn mass of requiem will be held tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock at the Holy Family Church for Dominic Anthony Cassera who was killed in an airplane crash last Tuesday (April 20) near Benton, Missouri. An aviation cadet also died in the crash.

Dominic, the son of Anthony Cassera of Glendale street, was a civilian instructor of army aviators at Harris Field, Mo. He had been promised a job as an airline pilot at the end of the war.

Aviation had always been Dominic's avocation. He had flown many planes of his own, most of which he had bought as wrecks and converted into workable mechanisms. His family said that he had never been in an accident before.

Dominic, who was 20 years old, had had 700 hours in the air up to the time of his death. He was the youngest instructor at Harris Field where he had been stationed for the past four months. He had previously taken a refresher course in New York.

Prior to entering army employ, he had been a mechanic at Lincoln Airport. He attended Nutley High school and Essex County Vocational where he first took up the study of aviation. As a boy he constructed many types of model planes.

More information.

From The Nutley Sun
April 30, 1943
KILLED IN CRASH
Local Youth Was Civilian Flying
Instructor At Army Air Base

George Stanford

George J. Stanford died of a heart attack on April 1, 1943, while on a short leave at home. He was the athletic director at the Nutley High School for 23 years before entering the army as a 2nd lieutenant. A memorial plaque in his honor is located at the Park Oval beneath the flag stand.

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William Nutzel

(April 30, 1943) -- William C. Nutzel, of Glendale street, received word last Tuesday that his son, 1st Lt. William C. Nutzel Jr., an officer with the Reconnaissance Division of the U.S. Army Air Corps., had been missing since March 22nd. The last letter he wrote home was dated March 19.

1st Lt. William G. Nutzel Jr., was a member of the 154th Observation Squadron, 68th Observation Group.

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Robert Turchette

(March 19, 1943) – 2nd Lt. Robert Turchette was killed aboard a bomber that crashed Friday afternoon in Little Rock, Ark.

His family was notified Saturday morning.

On Sunday they received a telegram from Robert’s commanding officer stating that he had been among those definitely killed in the crash.

The flier’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Turchette of Nutley Avenue and his sister Jacqueline, who was 18 last Saturday, expected him home shortly for a visit, but the pressure of Army duties had delayed his furlough.

It would have been his first since joining the Air Force shortly after the attack onPearl Harbor.

His mother remarked that he was strongly incensed over the Japanese attack. Although she was reluctant to see him go, she couldn’t stand in his way. “You wouldn’t want me to stay home, mother,” he said, “you wouldn’t want that kind of a son.”

Robert, the eighth local war casualty, always liked planes and made many model planes as a youngster.

When the Turchettes moved to Nutley nine months ago, Robert’s mother wrote him asking what she should do with his large supply of model airplanes. He wrote back to give them to other boys who were interested in them.

Aside from airplanes, Robert’s other great love was music. He was an accomplished pianist, and he practiced incessantly. He loved classical music, and he regularly attended concerts at Carnegie Hall.

He was such an enthusiastic admirer of Horowitz, the gifted pianist, that he sometimes followed him out of New York to attend his recitals.

“Music to him was like another life,” his mother said. “Once he took me to Carnegie Hall and I saw him trembling all over as he listened to the music. And I could understand his great love for it. It lifted him to a life above our own.”

Robert developed not only his own interest in music but encouraged his sister, Jacqueline, of whom he was very fond, to develop her talents as a pianist and accordionist. He often wrote her urging her to practice as much as she could. Once he wrote: “I’m dying to hear you play.”

His interest in music created a conflict as to his future life work owing to his equally great enthusiasm for airplanes.

He finally decided to earn a livelihood in the latter field, and in 1939, following his graduation from Barringer High in Newark, he entered Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to study plane designing.

He was in the middle of his sophomore year when he decided to enlist in the Army.

His letters home, his mother said, were masterpieces of prose. He would write not only of his work, but also of the cloud formations, the canyons and the mountains over which he flew.

Lt. Turchette was very fond of dogs and his particular favorite was Tipple, a scion of a line of police dogs and Boston bulls.

With the current goings on, Tipple seems to sense that something is wrong. But like the little toy dog in Eugene Field’s “Little Boy Blue,” he patiently sits back and awaits his master’s return.

        

Mrs. Turchette said that she has received letters and visits from hundreds of people, many of whom she never knew before now. “They have all be very kind,” she added, “wonderfully kind.”

The Turchettes have another son, Ernest, who is married and lives in Belleville. Like the rest of the family, he is broken over the news concerning his brother, and keeps repeating to himself, “Why didn’t you bail out, Bob, why didn’t you bail out?”

Services were conducted Monday at Stirratt Funeral Home followed by interment at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Montclair.

From The Nutley Sun

A memorial ceremony was held March 12, 2013, at the exact site of the crash. The memorial park dedication will be held on November 12, 2013.

Samuel Powers

(March 5, 1943) -- Cpl. Samuel S. Powers, 24, formerly of Yale street, was killed last Friday when his four-motor army transport crashed in Homestead, Fla. 

He is survived by sisters, Mrs. Frederick Klein, and Mrs. Frederick Steengaard, Mrs. Frederick Whitman of Waukesha, Wis., and a brother George.

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World War II Chronology

World War II Chronology

1941

William Donohue was killed on Dec. 2, 1941.

1942

Preston Hastings** was killed on Jan. 23.

Samuel Cobb died on April 16.

Herbert Maxwell was reported MIA over the North Atlantic on June 8.

Joseph Kirwelewicz died July 12 near Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.

Arthur Garrett was KIA Oct. 8 in the Pacific.

Francis Schwarzenbek was MIA since Oct. 21.

Herbert Washburne was KIA Nov. 13 at Guadalcanal.

James Hare died Nov. 27 in a Japanese prison camp.

1943

Souren Avedisian died in January in Cold Springs, Texas.

Samuel Powers was killed in February near Morrison Field, Tenn.

Robert Turchette was killed in March in Little Rock, Ark.

William Nutzel Jr. was reported MIA March 22.

George Stanforddied April 1.

C. Hayden Malmstrom was KIA April 6 in North Africa.

 Thomas Ashton Jr. was reported aboard a submarine missing at sea in April.

Dominick Cassera was killed near Benton, Mo., in April.

Percy Shuart was KIA July 11 in Sicily.

Warren Marks was KIA July 13 in the Mediterranean.

James Murren was killed Aug. 31 over the Straights of Dover.

Allen Thomas Duke, a Royal Canadian Air Force flyer, was KIA Aug. 17 overseas.

Charles A. Braun

Stanley Hand was KIA Oct. 4 in North Africa.

Richard Van Divort was killed over Forestell, Mo., in October.

John Del Grosso died Nov. 10 in Santiago, Calif.

Frederick Comer was reported MIA Nov. 26.

Charles Katt was KIA Nov. 26 in Europe.

1944

Cecil Dunthorn was KIA Jan. 15 in the South Pacific.

Charles Haney died Jan. 19 near Cherry Point, N.C.

Robert Cary was reported MIA March 19, in Italy.

John Peter Canis was KIA April 2 at Anzio.

Charles Coburn died April 22 in Woodbury.

Richard E. Teeple was MIA over Greece April 25.

Gordon Tasney was MIA over Italy since early April.

Daniel Antonacci was KIA May 14 at Anzio.

Donald Wood was KIA in France on June 7.

Lee White died in the ETO on June 8.

Stanley Szczyrek was KIA in France on June 8.

Ronald McCormack was MIA on June 9, after the invasion of Normandy.

William G. Pearson was KIA in the invasion of Fortress Europe on June 6.

Theodore Cassera was KIA in June in France.

Howard Lemperle was KIA June 24 in Italy.

Walter Mihalchuk was KIA July 3 in France.

John Gervan was KIA over France July 4.

Charles O’Neill was killed July 14 in France.

Wilbur Westfall was KIA July 20 in France.

James Pierce died July 30 in England.

Wallace Reed was KIA Aug. 6 in France.

Anthony Di Petta was lost at sea Sept. 10 in the South Pacific.

Robert Dickert was KIA Sept. 15 in France.

Charles Liebau was KIA Sept. 16 in France.

Robert Clendinning Jr. was KIA Sept. 27 over England.

Walter Stecewicz died Oct. 24 in Italy.

Arthur Leithauser was killed Nov. 2 in France.

Anthony Impellizzeri was killed Nov. 2 in Germany.

Joseph Des Jardins was killed Nov. 5 in France.

Thurston F. Woodford was killed Nov. 10 in the South Pacific.

William Louden was MIA Nov. 13 in the Pacific.

 Lt. John M. Hanley was killed Nov. 21 in Burma.

Sydney Butcher was KIA Nov. 24 in France.

Frank Stangota was KIA Nov. 25 in France.

Maro Jahr was KIA Dec. 15 in Germany.

Halsey Miller was killed Dec. 17 in, Malmedy, Belgium.

Eugene Bellene was KIA Dec. 17 near Berdorf, Luxembourg.

Charles Smith was KIA Dec. 23 in Belgium.

Thomas Maxham was killed Dec. 24 at Dudhkund, India.

Malcolm Christopher was KIA Dec 25 in the English Channel.

William Deighan was KIA Dec. 30 in the ETO.

  

1945

Frederick Kurz was KIA on Jan. 16

Frank Burak was KIA Feb. 2 in Germany.

Norman Bell was KIA Feb. 20 in the Pacific.

E. David Kurz was KIA in Germany on Feb. 26.

Emil M. Liloia was KIA March 1 on Iwo Jima.

Arthur Abbott Jr. was KIA March 4 on Iwo Jima.

Vincent Fields was KIA March 6 on Iwo Jima.

Howard Harle Jr. died in Europe on March 6.

Walter J. Kotwica was KIA in Germany.

Russell W. Wester was KIA April 11 in the Netherlands.

Gilbert Davies was KIA April 17 in Italy.

Frank Garruto was KIA in April.

Lothrop F. Ellis was killed July 17, at Salina, Kan.

Robert M. Gray, a prisoner of war of the Germans, was believed killed April 19 near Stalag 1X-B at Bad Orb, Germany.

John Windheim Jr. was killed Sept. 18 at Corpus Christi, Texas.

William Frost died Nov. 8 in Atlanta, Ga.

Thomas Smithwas killed Nov. 30.

  

1946

John Mutch died in Michigan in January.

Werner Holzhauer Jr.

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Copyright © 2002-2012 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved. Photos and content may not be used for commercial purposes without written permission.
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About the author: Anthony Buccino has written several collections about life and growing up in and around Nutley, New Jersey. He also created Old Nutley, a web site of local history.