Tag: Scranton Pennsylvania

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Eppley, Albert Marshel
Army Corporal

Albert Marshel Eppley, age 20, from Lackawanna County Scranton, Pennsylvania .

Parents: George H. Eppley

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 30, 1950
Death details: By mid-November 1950, U.S. and Allied forces had advanced to within approximately sixty miles of the Yalu River, the border between North Korea and China. On November 25, approximately 300,000 Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) “volunteers” suddenly and fiercely counterattacked after crossing the Yalu. The 2nd Infantry Division, located the farthest north of units at the Chongchon River, could not halt the CCF advance and was ordered to withdraw to defensive positions at Sunchon in the South Pyongan province of North Korea. As the division pulled back from Kunu-ri toward Sunchon, it conducted an intense rearguard action while fighting to break through well-defended roadblocks set up by CCF infiltrators. The withdrawal was not complete until December 1, and the 2nd Infantry Division suffered extremely heavy casualties in the process. Sergeant Albert Marshel Eppley, who joined the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania, served with the Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on November 30, 1950, during his unit’s withdrawal to Sunchon. There is no record of him as a prisoner of war, and his remains were never recovered at the time or identified among those returned by North Korea after the war. Today, Sergeant Eppley is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, The Tribune (1954)

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Maroni, John
Army Private 1st class

John Maroni, age 30, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna county.

Parents: Margaret Maroni

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Corporal John Maroni joined the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania and was a member of Battery C of the 99th Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 2, 1950, Battery C was near Unsan, supporting the 8th Cavalry Regiment when it joined with elements of the 3rd Battalion at its Command Post for a movement out of the area. It became surrounded with the 3rd Battalion by the enemy and cut off from other units. Corporal Maroni went missing during this action, either while attempting to make it to Ipsok on foot or possibly while trapped behind the lines in 3rd Battalion’s Command Post. He was not reported as a prisoner of war and his remains have not been identified among any returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Corporal Maroni is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Scranton Tribune (1950)

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Hannon, Harold Patrick
Marines Private 1st class

Harold Patrick Hannon, age 28, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna county.

Parents: Albert Hannon

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Saturday, November 20, 1943
Death details: On September 21, 2017, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the remains of Private First Class Harold Patrick Hannon, missing from World War II. Private First Class Hannon, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps in Pennsylvania, served with Company E, 2nd Marine Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. He was killed in action on Betio Island on November 20, 1943, during the Battle of Tarawa. His remains were buried in one of the temporary cemeteries on Betio, but they were not recovered in post-war investigations on the island. In 2017, the non-profit organization History Flight recovered remains from a site associated with one of the temporary cemeteries on Betio. The remains were turned over to DPAA, and PFC Hannon was identified from among them.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Harris, Thomas Robert
Marines Private 1st class

Thomas Robert Harris, age 28, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna county.

Parents: Helen Sweetser

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 Robert Thomas Harris, entered the U.S. Marine Corps from Pennsylvania, served with Company D, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which took part in the Battle of Tarawa. On November 20, he was killed in action against Japanese forces on Tarawa. He was buried in Cemetery #33, Main Marine Cemetery, but after the war his remains could not be located. Today, Private First Class Harris is memorialized in the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Fisch, Frank J.
Private

Frank J. Fisch, age 30, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna county.

Parents: Anton Fisch
Spouse: Mae (Geising)

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Wednesday, January 1, 1919
Death details: Died of disease, Germany
Cemetery: Saint Mary’s, Scranton

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com

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Geiles, Charles
Private

Charles Geiles from Lackawanna County Scranton, Pennsylvania .

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Thursday, October 31, 1918
Death details: Killed in action

Source: Soldiers of the Great War

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Fickus, Carl C.
Private

Carl C. Fickus, age 24, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna county.

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Wednesday, October 16, 1918
Death details: Died of wounds
Cemetery: Arlington National

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com, findagrave.com

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Fielding, Donald
Lieutenant

Donald Fielding, age 23, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna county.

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Wednesday, October 9, 1918
Death details: Died of wounds
Cemetery: maa

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com, findagrave.com

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Farrell, Joseph J.
Sergeant

Joseph J. Farrell, age 29, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna county.

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Saturday, October 5, 1918
Death details: Killed in action
Cemetery: Meuse Argonne American

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com, findagrave.com

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Fiore, Frank G.
Private

Frank G. Fiore, age 24, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna county.

Service era: World War I

Date of death: Saturday, August 17, 1918
Death details: Died of wounds
Cemetery: Oise Aisne American

Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com