Henry county Ohio

Sonnenberg, Kevin Henry
Air Force Lieutenant colonel

Kevin Henry Sonnenberg, age 42, from Mcclure, Ohio, Henry county.

Parents: Marvin Sonnenberg and Jean (Godeke) Sonnenberg
Spouse: Lorin (Smith) Sonnenberg (married August 12, 2006)
Children: Step son Carson Orr

Service era: Iraq
Schools: Napoleon High (1983) and Bowling Green State University (1987)
Military history: 112Th Fighter Squadron, Toledo Express Airport, Ohio

Date of death: Friday, June 15, 2007
Death details: Died when his jet crashed near Balad Air Base, Iraq.
Cemetery: Hockman Cemetery, McClure

Source: Department of Defense, Toledo Blade, Sonny Smiles Foundation

Kigar, Virgil Junior
Army Private 1st class

Virgil Junior Kigar, age 21, from Ohio, Henry county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, July 8, 1953
Death details: On July 6, 1953, a large Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) unit attacked and overran the U.S. Army outposts on Pork Chop Hill in an attempt to seize whatever territory possible before the impending armistice agreement. After fighting for the position for four days, on July 10, the 7th Infantry Division Commander determined that the CCF disregard for casualties and desire to hold the outpost outweighed the position’s tactical value, and ordered a withdrawal that was eventually completed on July 11. The U.S. never again controlled Pork Chop Hill, preventing thorough recovery efforts for those who were killed or went missing during the fighting. Private First Class Virgil Junior Kigar entered the U.S. Army from Ohio and was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was killed in action on July 8, 1950, during the fighting at Pork Chop Hill, though exact circumstances surrounding his loss are unknown. His remains were not recovered, and he remains unaccounted for. Today, Private First Class Kigar is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Quillman, Robert Howard
Army Private 1st class

Robert Howard Quillman, age 23, from Napoleon, Ohio, Henry county.

Parents: Nellie Quillman
Spouse: Married
Children: Brenda Joyce

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, November 29, 1950
Death details: On November 29, 1950, men from Company G of the U.S. 1st Marine Regiment, MP Company and Tank Company, 1st Marine Division, Company B and elements of Company D of the 31st Infantry Regiment, Headquarters Company of the X Corps, and Royal Marines from Number 41 Independent Commando Battalion were sent north from Koto-ri to open the main supply route to Hagaru-ri and resupply and reinforce Allied troops that had been surrounded near the Chosin Reservoir. The group, known as Task Force Drysdale, set out with tanks and other vehicles in the lead and rear, and initially only met light resistance from Chinese Communist Forces (CCF). As attacks increased in ferocity, the group became fragmented as the CCF managed to establish road blocks that further split the task force. Soon, the CCF blew a bridge and halted the convoy altogether. The Royal Marines and most of Company G were north of the bridge at this time and were able to continue to Hagaru-ri. Near the south end of the convoy, a destroyed truck blocked the road. The tanks and troops south of the destroyed truck fought as long as possible before ultimately returning to Koto-ri on November 30. The men between the blown bridge and the destroyed truck, however, were trapped, and subjected to several mortar barrages before CCF moved into hand-to-hand combat range. Fighting raged there until the morning of November 30, when the survivors were forced to surrender. Over 300 troops were wounded, captured, or died during the action. Private First Class Robert Howard Quillman, who joined the U.S. Army from Ohio, was a member of B Company, 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was killed in action on November 29, 1950, during Task Force Drysdale?s advance to Hagaru-ri. His remains have not been recovered or identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. The family had sa picture of POWs and they believed one of them was Private First Class Quillman; a review of the photo identified all of those pictures and Private First Class Quillman was not one of them. Today, Private First Class Quillman is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Fulton County Explorer (1951)

Burill, Russell M.
Marines Corporal

Russell M. Burill, age 27, from New Bavaria, Ohio, Henry county.

Parents: William Burill

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Saturday, November 20, 1943
Death details: From November 20 through 23, 1943, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy conducted a large-scale amphibious assault on the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa as part of Operation Galvanic, the Allied capture of the Gilbert Islands. Located 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, Tarawa was a crucial stepping stone in the planned U.S. offensive across the central Pacific toward Japan. The Japanese garrison on Tarawa’s main island of Betio was well-entrenched with hundreds of bunkers and gun positions behind formidable beach obstacles. The first wave of Marines approaching the shore encountered lower-than-expected tides, forcing them to leave their landing craft on the reef and wade the hundreds of yards to the beach under intense enemy fire. The heaviest number of U.S. casualties were suffered during this phase of the landing. Eventually, rising tides allowed U.S. warships to maneuver closer to shore and support the troops with effective naval gunfire. More Marines landed on the second day, launching attacks inland from the beaches and seizing the Japanese airfield on the island. However, the enemy launched vicious counterattacks and two more days of intense fighting were needed to secure Betio. The last enemy strongpoints were taken on the morning of November 23. The fighting on Betio cost the Marines nearly 3,000 casualties but enabled U.S. forces to press further across the Pacific and yielded valuable tactical lessons that reduced U.S. losses in future amphibious landings. Private First Class Harold Richard Burch, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps from Missouri, served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. On November 20, 1943, he was killed in action in the Battle of Tarawa and buried on Betio Island. His remains were not recovered following the war. Today, Private First Class Burch is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Cemetery: Honolulu Memorial

Source: National Archives, American Battle Monuments Commission, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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