War Memorial Committee

On four marble monuments, the Palmyra War Memorial honors the 32 men from the Borough of Palmyra who died in service of their country between 1918 and 2010.  Brass plates list the names of 1,196 men and women from Palmyra who served in the armed forces in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, the Persian Gulf, Bosnia, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom.

Stories in Stone:  Each of the 32 names carved in stone represents a family member or friend who died far from Palmyra defending our country and its values.

 

WORLD WAR I   

Fred M. Rodgers, Pvt, US Army, was killed on 10 October 1918 in action at age 27 while serving in France with C Co, 148th Regiment, 48th Infantry Division. He resided at 441 Horace Avenue and is buried in Morgan Cemetery, Cinnaminson, NJ

WORLD WAR II

	Evert W. Abdill, Capt, US Navy, was killed on 13 December 1944 at age 42 while serving on the USS Nashville, CL-43, off Leyte Gulf.  He resided at 809 Garfield Avenue and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
John E. Bronson, Sgt, US Army, age 22, died in an automobile accident in Pennsauken, NJ on 13 December 1942 while home on leave.  He resided at 327 Garfield Avenue.
	Stanley A. Daugherty, Pvt, US Army, was killed in Italy on 14 March 1944 at age 20.  He resided at 801 Highland Avenue and is buried in the national cemetery in Beverly, NJ.
James T. Dougherty, Pvt, US Army, was killed at age 30 in a torpedo attack on a troopship in the North Atlantic on 7 Feb 1943.  He resided at 322 Cinnaminson Avenue and is buried at sea.
	John H. Eck, Pfc, US Army, was killed at age 18 on 16 December 1944 in France while serving with the 346th Regiment, 87th Division.  He resided at 916 Columbia Avenue and is buried in France.
	William W. Graham, Jr, Lt Cmdr, US Navy, was killed at age 39 while in command of the USS Jarvis, DD-393, in the Pacific off Guadalcanal on 9 August 1942.  He is buried at sea, memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
Harry Horn, Jr, GM 1/c, US Navy, was killed at age 27 while serving on the USS Callaghan, DD-792, off Okinawa on 29 July 1945.  He is buried at sea, memorialized in Honolulu, Hawaii.
	Walter W. Kriger, T/5, US Army died from burns on 4 August 1944 at age 33 while on Noemfoor Island, New Guinea with the 543rd Engineer Shore Battalion.  He resided at 618 Pennsylvania Avenue and is buried in Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
John F. McAnulty, Jr, Pfc, US Army, was killed on 18 April 1945 at age 25 while serving with the 15th Regiment, 3rd Division in Germany.  He resided at 208 Horace Avenue and is buried in France.
	Phillip E. Riddle, Sgt, US Army Air Force, died at age 23 in a crash of a B-25 bomber assigned to the 470th Bomb Group in Great Fall, NC on 26 Feb 1944.  He resided at 115 Leconey Circle and is buried at St Mary’s Cemetery, Gloucester, NJ.
	Emmanuel W. Rothbaum, Pfc, US Army, was killed on 7 January 1945 at age 19 while serving with the 314th Regiment, 79th Division, 7th Army in Germany.  He resided at 529 Cinnaminson Avenue and is buried in France
	Kenneth R. Schwarz, Pvt, US Army, was killed on 30 December 1944 at age 20 while serving with the 104th Division, 3rd Army in Germany.  He resided at 801 Highland Avenue.
John Silvers, GM 3/c, US Navy, died at age 28 while serving on the USS Gilligan, DE-508 in the South Pacific on 12 June 1945.  He resided at 212 Broad Street and is buried at sea, memorialized at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
	William N. Ulrich, S 1/c, US Navy, died at age 20 probably while serving on the USS South Dakota, BB-57, in the  Pacific on 9 March 1945.  He resided at 312 Leconey Avenue and is buried at sea, memorialized at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
	William M. VanSant, 2 Lt, US Army Air Force died at age 22 while flying with the 3rd Squadron, 1st Transport Group in Asia on 18 August 1943.  He resided at 417 Garfield Avenue.
	George K. Villinger, 1 Lt, US Army Air Force, died at age 23 while on a mission with the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group over Germany on 2 March 1944.  He resided at 20 Rowland Street and is buried in the Netherlands.
	Frank B. Weigand, Pfc, US Army, killed on 24 December 1944 at age 23 while serving with the 290th Regiment, 75th Division, 1st Army in Belgium.  He resided at 823 Columbia Avenue and is buried in the national cemetery in Beverly, NJ.
	John A. Windsor, Pvt, US Army, was killed on 20 August 1944 at age 33 while serving with the 359th Regiment, 90th Division in France.  He resided at 611 Washington Avenue and is buried in France.
	George Zink, Jr, OS, US Merchant Marine was about 36 when his ship, the J. N. Pew, was sunk by a German submarine in the Caribbean on 21 February 1942.  He resided at 432 Horace Avenue and is buried at sea.
	Henry Zygadlo, Pvt, US Army, was killed on 3 August 1943 at age 22 while serving with Company F, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division in Sicily.  He resided at 514 Race Street and is buried in the national cemetery in Beverly, NJ.

KOREA

 

	Arthur B. Faunce, Major, US Air Force, was flying with the 80th Fighter Bomb Squadron, 8th Fighter Bomb Group, over Suan, North Korea on 8 May 1952 when he was shot down and reported missing.  He was 35 years old.
	Harry A. Hubbs, Sgt, US Army, was 23 when, on 21 April 1952, he died of wounds received while in action with the 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division in Korea.  He is buried in the national cemetery in Beverly, NJ.
	David E. Leyshon, 1 Lt, US Air Force, died on 23 June 1953 in an accident in Korea. He lived at 1000 Garfield Avenue.
	John J. Posch, Pfc, US Army, died on 23 May 1952 in Japan while being treated for hemorrhagic fever.  He had served with the 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division in Korea.  He had resided at 1002 Parry Avenue and is buried at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA.

 

 

VIETNAM

	Walter J. Chrupcala, SK, 3/c, US Navy, was 20 and assigned to the Supply Ops, Navsupact Danang, USNavForV when he died on 15 April 1968 in Quang Nam Province.
	Thomas M. Hoffmann, LCpl, US Marine Corps, was 20 when he was killed in action on 19 May 1969.  He was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd MarDiv, III MAF in Quang Tri Province.
	Donald R. Hubbs, Commander, US Navy, was 42 when his plane crashed in the Gulf of Tonkin on 17 April 1968.  He was assigned to VS-23, CVSG-55, USS Yorktown, TF 77, 7th Fleet.
	George L. McWilliams, Pfc, US Army, was 21 when he was killed in action on 23 June 1963.  He was assigned to C Co, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, USARV in Phu Yen Province. He is buried at Plumbline Holy Church Cemetery, Enfield, NC.
	Richard C. Schoenberg, Capt, US Army, was 23 when he was killed in action on 21 November 1970.  He was assigned to D Company, 4th Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade, USARV in Quang Ngai Province.
	Bruce H. Heil, Sgt, US Army, was 22 and assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, USARV in Binh Thuy Province when he died on 10 March 1971.  (He is listed as Neil on the Palmyra monument.) He resided at 717 Garfield Avenue and is buried at Ft Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, CA.”

IRAQ

Jamal Rhett, Spc, US Army, was 24 and assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Division in Ba`Qubah Province when he was killed in a vehicle attack on 15 August 2010.  He is buried in Chelten Hills Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA.

Photos: Palmyra News and Tri-Boro Advertiser, Palmyra High School Tillicum, Villinger: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/15373, Rhett: http://freedomremembered.com/index.php/spc-jamal-m-rhett/                                                     

The Palmyra War Memorial Committee, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation formed to promote and maintain the war memorial in the Borough of Palmyra in honor of veterans and members of the United States Armed Forces who enlisted from Palmyra and served on active duty during time of war.

Board of Trustees

Tom McElwee – President (contact at tommce@comcast.net)

Adam Nowicki – Vice President

Steve Schwering – Treasurer

Sandra Veitenheimer – Secretary

Bill Crowther

Bryan Norcross

Howard Norcross

 

Those Who Served – An Album of Palmyra’s World War II & Korea War Veterans

 

MILITARY SERVICE MEDAL
FOR HONORABLE SERVICE