SBTS Special Projects - Update

HELP WANTED to write stories!!

Arisan Maru –1,645 casualties from 47 states, 684 stories/41.66% completed. These were American POW’s aboard this Japanese hell ship, sunk 10/24/1944. Contact Rona Simmons at rona_simmons@bellsouth.net

Battle of Tarawa from 11/20 thru 11/23/1943 – 1,019 casualties, submitted by John Haskins stories completed for 944 or 92.5%. A google sheet was started in June. Need help to identify if stories were completed and/or help to finish stories for the following states –IL, KY, LA, OH and VA.

Typhoon Cobra, 3 ships lost in a storm on 12/18/1944 – USS Hull, USS Monaghan and the USS Spence. 772 total casualties from all ships, 217 or 28% completed stories, stories from 11 states are complete. Submitted by Wilma Dempsey and Sheree Dowdle. Donna Fluegel has taken the lead. A google sheet is available with all men and their home states identified. Contact Donna at donnabf@aol.com

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Women casualties to include all women lost in the wartime – 571 casualties, stories completed for 527, 92% complete. Research and fact checking help needed to wrap up the Women’s Project by fact checking the database to the fallen’s page and filling in or find missing information. In addition, help us find those photos that are missing! Need help to finish these states – AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, MN, MO, NJ, JY, UT, VA & WA. Contact Lea Schneider at leacschneider@gmail.com

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HELP WANTED to lead a project and/or write stories!!

503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment – this includes the 503 PIR, 161 Parachute Engineering Co and the 462 Parachute Artillery Battalion. 407 losses, stories completed for 13. Submitted by Cindy Cicco. This was her father’s unit. A google sheet is available.

Kassel Mission on 9/27/1944 – about 117 casualties aboard 27 planes and from 34 states, submitted by Katie Rasdorf. Stories are completed for 25 of the planes, with just 2 planes remaining. Total of 106 stories completed or 91%. Just 11 stories to complete!

Merchant Mariners, all mariners, 448 ships identified as lost – about 10,000, sheet is available, states are identified for 6,5542, 504 stories completed or 75%. Losses from every state. Submitted by Kathy Harmon.

USS Savannah CL-42, ship was attacked 9/11/1943 that caused damage – 205 casualties from 36 states, 33 stories completed. A sheet has been created & verified using the Report of Changes for this ship on 9/30/1943 that lists each person that was missing and/or died.

If you can help with these projects, please reach out to Kathy Harmon at kharmon@storiesbehindthestars.org .

IN PROCESS – Recently updated

70th Infantry Division “Trailblazers” – 887 casualties from 48 states, 134 completed stories. 3 states completed – AK, PA & RI. Submitted by Betsy Brannon Mills.

82nd Airborne, 507 PIR, 2nd Battalion, Co F – 41 casualties from 23 states, stories completed for 40. Submitted by Eric Malinowski. This unit was selected for family connections.

743rd Tank Battalion – about 201 casualties from this unit. Submitted by Steve Booth. This unit was chosen to honor Steve’s uncle. He wants to do all stories as a promise to his uncle and has completed about 188 stories, 93.5%.

Clark Air Field, Luzon – 12/8/1941, described as the “Other Pearl Harbor”. 75 casualties, stories completed for 68. Submitted and being led by Kevin Harrington.

Exercise Tiger – live dress rehearsal for D-Day on 4/28/1944, 4 damaged and/or sunk ships, 643 losses from 43 states, 58.9% complete. Submitted by Jack Oberholtzer. Google sheet is available. Paul Albert has taken the lead on this project!

Grafton National Cemetery in West Virginia – 283 burials from 15 states, 23 completed stories. Submitted by Jessica Batten.

FOH isolated graves in multiple countries – 32 burials, not maintained by the ABMC, submitted by Sheree Dowdle. Linda Simpson is leading and stories are completed for 25.

P-38 aircrafts - new project being started by John & Keene Melde. No counts available yet.

P-47 Thunderbolts - focus on pilots killed or missing, 1,325 casualties, at least 1,103 or 83.25% stories complete. Submitted by John & Keene Melde. These 2 brothers are writing these stories in honor of a family cousin.

Pharmacists – focus on those men that were pharmacists or student pharmacists before entering the service. Note, most were assigned other duties in the service. 172 identified, 44 stories or 25.6% complete. Submitted by Dennis Worthen. Dennis is working on all stories.

US Submarine Crews – 52 subs lost, 48 subs with casualties. Total 3,698 casualties and stories completed for 2,363 men. A google sheet is available for these subs, men lost and home states. Submitted by Loren Plisco, Susan Gould and Bob Joice.

USS Indianapolis – ship torpedoed by enemy 7/30/1945 - 858 losses identified, 2 writers are currently working on this project by state with 645 stories completed for multiple states.

IN PROCESS – please provide updates

3rd Marine Division – about 2,500 casualties, submitted by Gene Major. This unit was selected because Gene’s uncle was a veteran of this unit which mainly fought at Bougainville, Guam & Iwo Jima. Need a sheet started. Does anyone have any idea how to pull information on this unit?

103rd Infantry Division – 857 casualties, main focus is on Company B, 411th Infantry Regiment. Submitted by Terry Toohig. He has a spreadsheet showing various regiments in this division, as well as the 614th Tank Destroyers (an African-American unit).

442nd Infantry in which Japanese-American soldiers were enlisted – about 600 casualties, submitted by Dana Harrison. She is starting on those men from Washington state.

82nd Airborne, 505 PIR – 316 casualties, 90 completed stories. Submitted by Joanne King. This unit was selected for family connections.

Air Force Squadron 96, focusing on 7/28/1943 only – about 60 casualties. Submitted by Steven Lake. His cousin was killed in this squad on this date, 6 planes lost, stories are completed for 4 of the planes.

American Brewing Industry – about 75 casualties, last count was 57 completed stories for members of this industry whose deaths were noted in the industry trade journals, submitted by Greg Casey.

Federal Cemetery, Louisville, KY – about 16 bodies returned from overseas in 1950 and think these are not KY men. Submitted by Sally Drummond.

MA Nautical School/MA Maritime Academy with focus on the casualties from these locations, submitted by Matthew Sargent. Number of casualties unknown.

Marietta National Cemetery, Georgia – 362 casualties from 21 states, at least 179 completed stories, submitted by Loren Pilsco. Loren has an excel list with states identified.

Marines lost in the sinking of the USS McKean – mostly Company I & M from the 21st/3rd Marines, 38 casualties, 11/17/1943. About 58% of stories are completed. Submitted by Gene Major.

Merchant Marine Reserve Officers in the Navy that died either mobilized or while serving in the Merchant Marines, submitted by Matthew Sargent. Number of casualties unknown.

Okinawa Marines with the focus on Company C, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division – unknown quantity of casualties, 32 completed stories. Submitted by Cara Clark. Her grandfather fought in this unit.

Taffy 3 – during the Battle off Samar, 13 US ships involved. Of those, 5 were sunk and 4 had damages with casualties. 1,161 total losses. Submitted by Jeff Vessenmeyer. Jeff is working on Wisconsin names. Scott Cole has taken the lead on this.

USS Franklin – attacked by a Japanese dive bomber on 3/19/1945. The ship survived, but about 800 crew members were killed. Submitted and led by John Avis, started in Feb 2025. A google sheet has been started. Last update was about 100 stories complete

USS Reuben James – was the 1st ship sunk on 10/31/1941 before the US entered into the war, 99 losses from 27 states, about 8% complete. Submitted and being led by Bob Fuerst.

HELP WANTED for European Cemeteries (listed in order by # of WWII burials)

Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan, France – 1,090 WWII burials/memorials. 122 stories completed for states CO, DE & MT. PA state has 1 left and is assigned.

Brittany American Cemetery in St James, France, has 4,811 burials, stories completed for at least 295.

Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium, with 4,997 burials, stories completed for at least 200. FOH Cemetery Submitted and being led by Sheree Dowdle. If you would like to help with this cemetery, please contact her at sdowdle@storiesbehindthestars.org.

Luxembourg Cemetery in Luxembourg with 5,341 burials. This is an FOH cemetery.

Florence American Cemetery in Florence, Italy with 5,592 burials, stories completed for at least 98.

Epinal Cemetery in France with 5,676 burials, stories completed for at least 82. FOH cemetery

Cambridge American Cemetery – 8,887 burials, stories completed for at least 546. Amanda Cockcroft has taken the lead on this project.

Henri-Chapelle in Belgium with 8,437 burials, stories completed for at least 265 – FOH Cemetery Submitted and being led by Sheree Dowdle. If you would like to help with this cemetery, please contact her at sdowdle@storiesbehindthestars.org

Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands – total 9,919 burials/cenotaphs, stories completed for 2,448 or 24.7%. FOH Cemetery Submitted and being led by Sheree Dowdle. If you would like to help with this cemetery, please contact her at sdowdle@storiesbehindthestars.org

Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy with 10,452 burials, stories completed for at least 169.

Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France with 10,631 burials, stories completed for at least 147.

Lorraine American Cemetery in St Avold, France with 10,767 burials, stories completed for at least 255. FOH Cemetery.

Note -

Google sheets have been started for each cemetery that includes service info and home states.

Need help to review, help to review sheets, write stories or lead many of these cemetery projects. Contact Kathy Harmon at kharmon@storiesbehindthestars.org for more information.

RECENTLY COMPLETED –

Jellico Troop Train Wreck, accident near Jellico, TN with enlistees coming from Ft Benjamin Harris, IN and headed for training in Camp Croft, SC – 33 casualties. Submitted and led by Linda Simpson. All have been completed.

IDEAS FOR FUTURE PROJECTS –

180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division – google sheet has been started with 1,260 names/ranks only. Stories completed for 18. Submitted by Pam Broviak.

SS Elihu Thomson – ship struck a mine 9/26/1944, killing 32 men. Of those 32, 20 were from the 133 Military Police Platoon. Submitted by John Turanin.

USS Juneau – torpedoed by enemy 11/13/1942, 683 casualties, including the 5 Sullivan brothers. A google sheet has been started with just a list of names.

USS Leary DD-158 – 97 men lost after U-boat attack on 12/24/1943. A google sheet has been started with names, states, rank. Stories completed for at least 19. Submitted by Sheree Dowdle.

USS Mount Hood – ammunition explosion 11/10/1944 resulting in losses of 58. Submitted by Kim Hardaway. No list has been started.

USS Turner DD-648 – 138 men lost 1/3/1944 after internal explosions on the ship. A google sheet has been started with names, states, rank. Stories completed for at least 21. Submitted by Sheree Dowdle.

USS Utah (BB-31) – sunk 12/7/1941 at Pearl Harbor, 58 losses. Submitted by Donna Fluegel.

USS Whitehurst – ship attacked by suicide bomber on 4/2/1945. 42 losses out of the crew of 213, ship survived. No list has been started. Submitted by Connie Breckenridge.

West Loch Disaster – 6 LST ships loading/unloading at Pearl Harbor 5/21/1944, sparked an explosion causing a fire that lasted 24 hours. Death toll was 163, we have identified 97 of those, stories are completed to 14. Submitted by Sheree Dowdle. A google sheet is available to include name, branch, SN, rank, state and ship.

Request/Notes–

If you are spearheading a project, please consider setting up a Google Sheet, if you haven’t already. Share that sheet with Kathy Harmon, then maintain those sheets as stories are completed. Why are we asking for this?

It is especially helpful when Kathy is working to provide updates on projects. She can quickly look on each of the existing google sheets to pull the numbers.

As each project is completed, information is shared with state directors. They can mark off the completed ones which not only increases the completed per state, but also prevents them from reassigning to another person.

If you don’t have a google sheet already set up for your project, Kathy can help to get you started. Please reach out to her at kharmon@storiesbehindthestars.org

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