Recently our volunteers shared some of the stories of the WWII fallen buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Anyone visiting their gravesites can read their stories via the free FindAGrave smartphone app.
Marine PFC Allen F. Chapman saw action in four Pacific battles. He was wounded at Saipan and killed at Iwo Jima. He is buried in Section 12. His brother Merrill (see below) was killed in Normandy on D-Day.
Story by Gary Smith from Colorado
CPL Merrill E. Chapman was one of the amphibious tank crewmen meant to be part of the initial D-Day landing on Omaha Beach. Most of the tanks sank before reaching the beach, drowning the crews. He is buried in Section 12. His widow lived to 100 years.
Story written by Gary Smith from Colorado
CPL Townsend W. Crittenberger was part of a tank crew from Normandy to Remagen where he died from wounds. His brother was killed in the Vietnam War. Ten members of his family are buried at Arlington. He is buried in Section 2.
Story by Steve Booth from Utah
CPT Paul E. Davison, Jr. was a C-47 pilot lost on a secret mission in Yugoslavia. He is buried in Section 2.
Story by Bob Joyce from Florida
CPT Herbert F Good was a C-47 co-pilot based in New Guinea. His last mission, in which he died, became the subject of the best selling book Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff. He is buried in Section 11.
Story by Melodye Whatley from Connecticut
LCDR Hubert M. Hayter was an Annapolis grad who was at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack and served on destroyers and cruisers throughout 1942 until the Battle of Tassafaronga where he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for saving lives when the USS New Orleans was heavily damaged. He is buried in Section 12.
Story written by Carl Sander from Washington
COL Jarrett M. Huddleston was a US Army surgeon, and a World War I veteran, who was killed at the Battle of Anzio, where he was awarded the Silver Star. A hospital ship was named after him. He is buried in Section 4 in the same grave as his son (see below).
Story written by Laura Hanaford from California
1LT Jarrett M. Huddleston, Jr. was a West Point graduate who served in the 106th Infantry Division and was killed during the Battle of the Bulge. He is buried in Section 4 in the same grave as his father.
Story written by Laura Hanaford from California
2LT Edwin M Ward, Jr. was a B-24 co-pilot who stayed on target during his final mission even after enemy fighters took out an engine.
He is buried in Section 8.
Story written by Tom LaPadula from New York
When this project is completed early next year, it will be possible to visit the graves of all 8,100 WWII fallen buried at Arlington and read each hero's story.
Although we have around 200 people who have volunteered to help with this, we always welcome more people to join us in writing the stories of WWII fallen. To learn about volunteering, click here.
Questions? Email don@storiesbehindthestars.org.
Donate to support the first-ever project to tell the stories of every US WWII fallen: