Based on the letters of Earl Philip Reinhalter (1922-1953) and the squadron newsletters that he sent home. Edited by his son, Earl Philip Reinhalter (1950-).
A Roster of the 3rd Airdrome Squadron (1945)
It is probably impossible, at this late date, to locate a roster of all the personnel who served in the 3rd Airdrome Squadron during World War II. However, many of their names appeared in The Squadron Pulse newsletter that was published weekly in 1945. Also, newsletter editor Leonard Stringfield mentioned many soldiers by name in the captions of his personal photo album, which his grandson Erich Stegmaier showed me. Additional names were found online in obituaries and news articles. More recently, C.D. Horn’s son Timothy sent me a copy of the October 3, 1945, orders which listed some 150 soldiers set for return to the U.S., plus dozens of names from a list that his father had typed up. (See the October 7, 1945 letter page for a scan of the orders.) Further names were found in wartime documents made available from the Air Force Historical Research Agency and the National Archives. I did not list each man’s rank because occasionally people got promoted, so the ranks were not the same throughout the war. For some names, I have added links for obituaries and other relevant material I have been able to find online.
It is unknown how many men served in this unit. My father’s letter of March 7, 1943, when the squadron was in training at Savannah, Georgia, said there were 270 men. The Squadron Pulse newsletter of March 10, 1945, mentions “more than 200 men.” His April 8, 1943, letter says “240 or so.” And once the squadron reached Japan after the war ended, his September 9, 1945, letter says “250 men.” The monthly “history” reports that squadron officers filed throughout the war gave manpower totals that ranged from 222 to 280. In his letter of February 10, 1945, he said that a little over half the men who originally came overseas were still with the squadron, so there was turnover. The list below has just over 375 names, likely the grand total for the war. There are 136 men in this group photo, date unknown. |
Alegria, John J. Allen, Benjamin W. Anderson, John M. Annerino, John S. (“Jack”) Appicello, Joseph (“Joe”) Arbeeny, Joseph S. Argondizza Armbrester Arnold, James W. (“Jim”) Badal, Michale J. Bahn, Gilbert Schuyler Baird, Milton I. Barney, Richard A. Basso, Henry J. Baylor, “Pop” Beaubien, Armond (“Beau”) Beck, Norman M. Bender, John H. Bender, Pete (“PeeWee” or “Peanut”) Bennett, Ernest R. (“Ernie”) Bennett, Frank R. Bensi Bentley, James Benton, James E. Berenger, Peter F. (“Frenchy” or “French”) Berning, Harry J. ("Bones") Bircher, John G. Bland, John J. Blankenship, Ervin T. (“Blank”) Bosse Bowerman Boyll, Lawrence R. Bradford, Roy Brentano, Robert W. (“Dutch”) Briggs, Charles S. Brooks, Elijah F. Brown, John T. (“Brownie”) Buck, Ralph H. Bulger, James R. (“Jim”) Bull, Dwight M. Butler, Clifford E. Butto, William A. (“Bill”) Calkins, Richard Veryl (“Dick”) Callahan, Clarence Herman (“Cal”) Callaway, Orlando P. Cantor, Leon L. Cantrell, Travis D. Caplan, Lester E. Carlson, Carl A. Carroll, Paul T. Carter, Louis C. (“Lew”) Carter, Stanton (“Stan”) Catalano, Joseph J. Cathcart, Arthur H. (“Pinky”) Caverly, Lawrence B. Cecchi, Rudolph Cellery, Thomas P. Cheney, Myron L. Clark, August R. Clark, George H. Coffman, Clarence E. (“Mickey”) Coleman, Thomas J. (“Tom”) Cooper, Edward B. Corder, Owen B. Corveleyn, William Cox, Melvin R. Craig, Archie Wayne Crane, Edward H. Crawford, William T. (“Chick”) Cummings, Howard J. “Beast” Curry, Homer R. Davenport, James W. Davis, Cecil G. Davis, Sam L. Jr. Decker, Kenneth M. DeFosche, Alfred DeMay, Robert L. Dempsky, Clarence H. Denman, George W. DeVore, Lowell I. (“Strum”) Diaz, Marcelino M. Diglewicz, Stanley P. Donges, William C. Donovan, Daniel E. (“Dan”) D'Ottavio, John Louis Drecoll, Herman Driggers, Fred Drummond, Gordon Dunbar, William J. (“Bill” or “Red”) Dye, Kermit A. Dyer, Eugene E. Eastland, Charles A. (“Charlie”) Eaton, Clinton W. Eckles, Charles E. (“Charlie”) Engerbretsen |
Erickson, Walter S. Feiser, William R. Felsen, Marcus M. Fessenden, Doane L. (“Fez”) Filippini, Edwin T. Fleshman, Robert H. Foster, Gilbert (“G.I.”) Fountain, Ezess F. Fowler, James N. Fowler, William A. (“Big Bill”) Frye, William F. (“Ducko”) Gaglio, Charles J. Galiano, Guy M. Garra, Glenn D. Gensheimer, Joseph George Goelzer, Robert F. (“Bob”) Goodman, Jerome (“Jerry”) Goodman, John T. Goodson, Carl A. Greenwell, Warren G. Grether, Walter C. Griffin, Joseph G. Griggs, John J. Grove, James M. Halferty, John T. Hall, David Charles Hall, David E. Hamer, Arthur J. Harrell, Jack P. Hayes, Edgar Hayes, Richard E. (“Dick”) Hayward, Winston G. Hedrick, Mark T. Henderson, Marvis G. (“Rebel”) Henry, Douglas A. (“Doug”) Herr, Charles Hill, Herbert L. Hofer, Martin C. Hoffstead, George E. Holthaus, John J. (“Joe”) Hoover, Ivan E. Horn, Charles D. (“Charlie” or “C.D.”) Horne, Albert A. Hornung, Warren W. Hotchkiss, Wilson Houghton, Thomas Howe, Fred J. Hritsko, William Hunt, Clifford A. Hutchins, John (“Hutch”) Ivanick, John (“Johnny”) Jackson, James L. Jackson, Kenneth E. Jacobs, Robert L. James, Alton E. James, Christy A. (“Chris”) John Johnson, James V. Jolly, Harold L. Jones, Billy B. Kadingo Kamm, Maurice H. Kanorr, Leland R. Karageorge, Alexander J. Kashuba, Edmund G. Kassonof [Kasanof?] Kaufman, Adolf Kean, Sidney (“Sid”) Keeler, Donald S. Keister, Arthur W. (“Art”) Kelly, Edward C. Kelsey, Carl D. Kendrick, John F. Kilberg, Albert King, William G. Klein, John E. Klinzing, Edward C. Knisely, Homer E. (“Sam”) Kolley, John W. (“Jack”) Kornosky, George Korson, Joseph H. Kraft Krueger, Charles E. Krumbholz, Ferdinand W. LaBarre, Jarvis B. LaMont, Everett E. Landrum, Ben A. Jr. Lanigan, Edward W. Lary, Sherburne Launi, Mario Lavett, Edwin H. Layser, Curtis R. Leibovitz Lhota, Charles J. |
Lind, Frank B. Lindsey, George M. Lindsey, Woodrow W. (“Lind”) Little, Robert W. Logan, Malcolm H. LoMagro, Charles J. (“Charlie”) Long, John B. (“Shorty”) Longenecker, Walter M. Longhi, Angelo C. Lopez, Senen Lott, Edgar Low, Elliot W. Lueker, Edward H. Mace, William C. MacKeil, John Majewski, John J. Martin, James E. Martin, Rueul P. Martucci, James L. Mascolina, Anthony J. (“Andy”) Mazzalla, Dominick J. McCallum, John F. McCoy, Earl T. McDonald, James J. McDonald, Richard J. (“Mac”) McQueen, Harry H. McReynolds, J.C. (“Tex”) Meirte, Albert Meyer, George O. Meyers, Roger S. Michod, John M. Mill, Herbert L. Miller, Bernard C. Miller, Everett E. Miller, Percy Miller, Robert J. Miller, Walter C. Miracle, Virgil Misner, Arthur A. Mitchell, Robert W. Monson, Clifford M. Montgomery, Arthur E. Moore, Harley W. Mosher, Howard V. Mosley, William J. Mulkearn, Martin J. Mullins, George W. Jr. (“Moon”) Mullins, Jesse E. Myers, Roger Napier, James P. Neale, Jack Nelson, Gene F. Nevels, James Norton, Gilbert O’Neal, Walter V. (“Bull”) Obrasajko, Richard (“Obersaki”) Odom, David J. Onoprienko, John Orr, Curtis C. ("Curt") Ory, Elden J. Ouellette, Roger J. Owen, Jim R. Pardoe, Glen H. Peach, Truman B. Pendergraft Penn, Houston O. Peterson, Robert E. Petruzelli, Vito Phipps, Albert Piszczek, John Podvojski, John J. Poe, Willie J. Pollock, Robert W. (“Doc”) Porter, Paul H. Radler, Albert T. (“Al”) Ralston, Harold W. (“Fox”) Ramsey, William J. Jr. Ranta, Glenn E. Ray Redmond, Joseph P. Reese, Bruce W. Reinhalter, Earl Philip Reyes, Richard H. (“Chili”) Roahl, William Robles, Adolph G. Rohal, William Romalin, Gerard T. (“Jerry”) Rose, William Rosenblum, Sam (“Rosy”) Rotberg, Solomon Roush, William P. Rowlinson Rubarts, LeLand G. Rule, Charles F. Rusniak, Michael |
Russell, William T. Ryan, William Joseph Saldukas Sanderson, Hayes D. Santorsa, Gerard V. Sargent, Earl Scaglione, Louis A. (“Scag”) Scher, Louis I. (“Lew”) Schmitz, Irvin T. Schwartz, Sid Scurich, Ambrose G. Selander, Wilbur M. Jr. Sewerynczyk, Vasily B. Shclick, Otto F. Shearer, Samuel W. (“Cat”) Shelly, Kenneth J. Shouman, William E. Skinner, Glenn Slater, Murice Jr. [Maurice?] Smith, John E. Smith, R.E. (“Smitty”) Smith, Robert T. (“Bob”) Smith, Raymond E. (“Ray”) Smith, Theron E. Smith, Willie Jo Soper Sopkovich, Joseph J. Sorgen Steele, Arthur C. Steen, George H. Stengel, Harry C. Stenger, Ralph J. Stouch, John W. (“Johnny”) Stringfield, Leonard H. (“String”) Stuart, “Ace” [same as below?] Stuart, Leslie W. Summer, Issac Swanson, Roy C. Taylor, Francis H. Taylor, “Pop” [same as above?] Tendill, Eddie M. Theobald, Larry J. Theriot, Numa Thomas, Thomas J. Thomas, William R. Tierney, Joseph T. Tighlman, Alvin C. (“Al” or “Tilly”) Tindell, Eddie M. Tlamka, Jerry J. Tobahe, Jack Treffler, Jacob J. Tremblay, Hubert Trudeau, Charles H. Tuckett, Thomas Tudor, Aubrey J. Turpin, Luther Ullman, Arthur I. Vaden, Ralph R. Vincente Volce, Edward F. Votto, Anthony F. Vucetich, John L. (“Tex”) Wallace, Worth A. Waltner, Michael Warner, Robert W. Wathman, John J. Watson, John M. Weinstein, Benjamin Weissman, Harry Wheelock, Allan Whitman, Neal S. Whittemore, Herbert H.P. Wiggins, Barry Wilbur, Lyle G. Williams, Anuerin J. Williams, Leonard L. (“Ted”) Wilson, Owen J. Jr. Woehler, Orville R. Wooden, James H. Wrathmall, Scotty Yanke, Eugene R. Yeager, Raymond H. Yendell, Edward K. Youkin, Chester R. Young, Gillous Zakskorn, Charles B. Zalucki, Charles P. Zimpelmann, Everett C. Zulkowski, Joseph Zvanovec, Eugene C. Legal name unknown: “S/Sgt Cappie” [Lester E. Caplan?] “Swede” “X-2” |
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