Norwich University - War Whoop Yearbook (Northfield, VT)

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ff xx ffffr,-, ,,- -xxxxqgggg., .f MELVIN S. HERSXHON Class of 1946 Lieutenant, 48 3rd Group, 15th Air Force Lieutenant Hershon was awarded the Air Medal with clusters for missions completed as a navigator on a B-17, Flying Fortress, over the Ploesti Oil Fields, southern France, Rome, Arno, and the Balkins. He was authorized to wear a silver star on his European Theater Ribbon for his participation in the North Apennines, North- ern France, Air Combat Balkans, Rome-Arno, and Southern France Campaigns. His airplane was badly hit over its target at Bleichammer, Ger- many. One member of the crew survived, the other members were reported as missing in action, but were assumed as killed in action by the War Department on September 13, 1944. His parents, Harry B. and Molly Hershon, survive him and make their home in Newton, Massachusetts. ARTHUR BERTRAND KNIGHT, 11 Class of 1946 Private First Class, 410th Infantry, 103rd Division A native of Littleton, New Hampshire, Private Knight grad- uated from the Littleton High School in 1942 prior to his entrance into Norwich. He left Norwich in April, 1943, to become suc- cessively a tank instructor in the Armored Force, an aviation cadet, and an infantryman. Private Knight was a Browning automatic rifleman with Com- pany L of the 410th Infantry in the Vosges Mountain region when he was killed on January 25, 1945, by a German sniper, and was buried in the United States Military Cemetery at Epinal, France. Arthur B. and Ruth F. Knight, his mother and father, live in Littleton, New Hampshire. DENNIS J. LACEY Class of 1946 Second Lieutenant, 3rd Fighter Squadron Command Lieutenant Lacey, the son of Martin T. Lacey of River Edge, , New Jersey, was ordered to the Southwest Pacific area after winning his wings and commission as a pilot. While flying from Australia to New Guinea, his fighter plane crashed at Queenstown, Australia, on November 7, 1944. Lieu- tenant Lacey lost his life in the crash. TWENTY-EIGHT

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14 ,bxxxxsxxx 'ff J., fffffff xx .4 ROBERT H. BUSCHEN C1,,,,,,f 1946 Private First Class, 271st Infantry, 69th Division Bob was described as popular, versatile, and modest by one of his teachers. He was the head of Arista of Richmond Hill High School of Ridgewood, New York, for two terms, in addition to being a Scout leader, active in dramatic productions, and graduated second in his class. He left Norwich to enter the Army in February of 1944. He turned down an opportunity to attend West Point, as he wanted to go overseas. Bob was a member of Company G of the 271st Infantry in their advance toward Dickershied, Germany, in the Siegfried Line. On February 28, 1945, after ten days of active combat in which he had earned the Combat Infantry Badge, he was killed by enemy machinegun fire after exposing himself so that he could deliver fire. Bob was buried in the Henri Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium. His grandparents, Edward and Mary I. Brown, of Ridgewood, New York, with whom Robert lived, survive him, as does his father, Mr. Henry A. Buschen, of Scarsdale, New York. RONALD AMES CARGILL Class of 1946 Second Lieutenant, 490th Bomb Group, Sth Air Force Ronald won his wings and was commissioned a Flight Officer in May of 1944. He was promoted to a Lieutenant prior to his departure for England in December with the 851st Bomb Squadron. On Sunday morning, February 25, 1945, after having been awarded the Air Medal for the completion of ten missions, nine of which had been flown in eleven days, Lieutenant Cargill and his crew were over Munich at 25,000 feet when his Fortress was hit by flak after releasing their bombs. Ronald was killed instantly when hit by shrapnel. The rest of the crew was uninjured and landed at Nancy, France. Ronald was buried in the cemetery at Limey, France. Mr. and Mrs. Julian Cargill of Larchmont, New York, two sisters, and his younger brother, john, who is attending Norwich at the present time, survive him. DAVID LESTER. GILLETT CMH of 1946 Private First Class, 361st Infantry, 91st Division At the age of twelve, David's parents moved from Englewood, New Jersey, to Alexandria, Virginia, where he attended school for two years. From 1939 to 1942, he attended the Loomis School, Windsor, Connecticut, before coming to Vermont to attend Nor- wich. He liked outdoor life, particularly hunting. ' In his capacity as squad leader, David was killed by machinegun ire on September 16, 1944, in the battle for Futa Pass 1n.Italy, part of the campaign to break the Gothic Line. It was his first engagement. Glenn D. and Dorothy W. Gillett, his mother and father, make theirhome at Belle Haven, Alexandria, Virginia. V TWENTY-SEVEN

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ff Xxxxxxxxx fffzr m, , 1 1111, - xxgg ARNOLD WILLIAM MACKERER, JR. C1455 gf 1946 Second Lieutenant, Company E, 39th Infantry, 9th Division Lieutenant MacKerer was awarded the Silver Star Medal for gallantry in action on December 11, 1944, near Schlick, Germany. He crawled forward, under enemy ire and observation, to within twenty-Hve yards of a machine gun. With complete disregard for personal safety, he threw two grenades, destroying the gun and killing the entire crew in the emplacement. Arnold took part in the Normandy, Cherbourg, France, Belgian, and The Bulgen Campaigns. Ten days after the action for which he was posthumously decorated, he was hit by machine gun fire while on a reconnaissance patrol near Monschau, died as a result of the wounds, and was buried in the Henry-Chapple Cemetery near Leige, Belgium. His twin brother, Donald, who had been with Arnold since leaving Norwich to go into the Army, took over his brother's platoon until hc, Donald, was wounded on February 2, 1945. Besides his twin brother, Arnold is survived by his father and mother of Algonac, Michigan. JAMES REEVES PANNER Class of 1946 Private, Company B, 179th Infantry, Sth Army Jim Panner was not only active in New Brighton High School where he was a class officer for each of his four years, a member of the basketball and football team, but was active in the First Pres- byterian Church of New Brighton, Pennsylvania. In his senior year of high school, he was awarded the American Legion Medal for scholarship, leadership, Americanism, and popularity. Before enter- ing Norwich, he attended Geneva College for a short time. Jim', was wounded in action on November 30, 1943.' He suffered gun-shot wounds in the chest. On December 1 he died as a result of his wounds in the 33rd Field Hospital in Italy. TWENTY-NINE ,-, 5- JAMES C. MUIR Class of 1946 Sergeant, 85th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division Having been an ardent skier while only a youngster, the ski training of the mountain troops came easy to Sergeant Muir. In the Appennines in Italy, he participated in the action on Mt. Belve- dere and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his heroic action on Mt. Della Torraccia in the placement of his section's remaining machine gun, and then directing the fire of that gun. Two days later, his unit was again held up by artillery fire, again under a heavy barrage he inspired his men to go forward to a position he had chosen. It was while observing the fire of the guns of his section on February 23, 1945, that he was instantly killed by an enemy artillery shell which burst near his position. James was born in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, where his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Muir, make their home.