Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
Robert Joe Jr Montgomery, age 29, from Scottsburg, Indiana, Scott county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Troop C, 1St Squadron, 40Th Cavalry, Fort Richardson, Alaska
Date of death: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Death details: Hostile; North Al Jabour, Iraq
Cemetery: Scottsburg
Source: Department of Defense, findagrave
Peter Paul Jr. Fluhr, age 18, from Indiana, Scott county.
Service era: Korea
Date of death: Sunday, September 3, 1950
Death details: On September 3, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Engineer Battalion, both elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, were holding a defensive line between Tabu-dong and Taegu at the upper end of the Naktong Perimeter. Company F of the 8th Cavalry, defending Hill 448, was attacked by elements of North Korea’s 13th Infantry Division and forced to retreat to Hill 449, defended by Company G of the 8th Cavalry. The 8th Cavalry Regiment found itself cut off from its supply train and withdrew from the area to keep from being surrounded by the enemy. Upon reaching the village of Tabu-dong, members of Companies D and E of the 8th Cavalry became involved in hut-to-hut fighting before they could retreat. Meanwhile, elements of the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which had been ordered to take and hold Hill 755, were also forced to withdraw. United States forces did not re-take this territory until September 21, 1950. Corporal Peter Paul Fluhr Jr., who joined the U.S. Army from Indiana, served with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He went missing in action on September 3, near Kushwa-Dong, approximately eleven miles north of Taegu. He was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Corporal Fluhr is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
James E. Thompson, age 19, from Austin, Indiana, Scott county.
Parents: Lena M. Haskett
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Tuesday, November 21, 1944
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 James E. Thompson, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps from Indiana, was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. On November 20, 1943, PFC Thompson was wounded by enemy fire during the amphibious assault on Tarawa. After being hit, he was seen approaching an amphibious tractor that was picking up casualties. Following the battle, he was declared missing in action, and searches of the atoll failed to locate his remains. Today, Private First Class Thompson is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Orville Law, age 25, from Indiana, Scott county.
Service era: World War II
Military history: 1st Armored Regiment
Date of death: Saturday, July 1, 1944
Death details: Died of wounds
Cemetery: New Albany National
Source: National Archives, grave marker