Myers, Joseph F.
Army 1st lieutenant

Joseph F. Myers, age 31, from Kent County Frederica, Delaware .

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Saturday, September 30, 1944
Death details: On September 17, 1944, elements of the newly formed First Allied Airborne Army (the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, the British 1st Airborne Division, and the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade Group) launched the first phase of Operation MARKET GARDEN. This operation was an effort to bypass the Siegfried Line defenses along Germany’s western border by seizing bridges in the Netherlands, by which heavier forces could then advance across the Rhine River. The landings employed a mix of glider infantry and paratroopers; the 101st Airborne was tasked with taking the bridges at Son and Veghel, while the 82nd would take the bridges at Grave and Nijmegen. However, Allied troops faced unexpectedly well-organized German resistance and experienced difficulty linking up with the friendly forces that were supposed to join them at the bridgeheads. Poor weather also limited the effectiveness of Allied air support. After several days of fierce fighting, the opposing lines stabilized with Allied forces holding south of the Rhine in what became known as the Nijmegen Salient. The operation’s ultimate objective, which was entering Germany in the north by crossing the Rhine, was not fulfilled until early 1945.
First Lieutenant Joseph F. Myers entered the U.S. Army from Delaware and served with Company G, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Battalion. He was reported missing on September 30, 1944, during the fierce offensive to capture the lands between Kiekberg Woods and the Maas River, known as the Mook Plain, during Operation MARKET GARDEN. Specific information regarding his loss is unavailable. He could not be located after the battle, and attempts to recover his remains following the war were unsuccessful. Today, First Lieutenant Myers is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Morning News (1945)