Norwich University - War Whoop Yearbook (Northfield, VT)

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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.

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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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47 xg fffffr,,, I ff- xxgggff' gg .- EDWIN INGERSOLL SEEGER Class of 1946 Sergeant Technician, 18th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron Sergeant Seeger's squadron was providing reconnaissance for the 106th Division on the opening day of the battle of The Bulge, December 16, 1944. The Sergeant with three other men were occupying the most advance post of their squadron when the Ger- mans overran their position. I-Ie was fatally wounded while de- fending his position against overwhelming odds near Winterschied, Germany in the St. Vith sector on the first day of the battle of The Bulge. Mr. Frederic and Mrs. Dorothy Seeger, his mother and father, who survive him, make their home in Lincoln, Massachusetts. BURLEIGI-I ADAMS SMITH Class of 1946 Sergeant, Company I, 346th Infantry Regiment, 87th Division The Somerville Chapter of American Unitarian Youth have named their chapter The Burleigh Adams Smith Chapter in memory of Sergeant Smith, one of their more active members before he left to enter the Army. The Sergeant participated in the battle for Metz, Saar Basin, Ardennes, the Defense of Luxembourg, and the Siegfried Line. On january 30, 1945, he volunteered to lead a rescue party over exposed terrain, which was under artillery fire, to rescue a wounded com- panion. His party reached the wounded man, but while loading him on to the stretcher, Sergeant Smith was mortally wounded. The Silver Star Medal which was posthumously awarded to the Sergeant for his heroic action was presented to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Burleigh Smith, of Somerville, Massachusetts. DONALD D. VIALL Class of 1946 Private First Class, 328th Field Artillery, 85th Division Donald went into action on April 10, 1944, on the Garigliano River above Minturno., In the advance north through Italy, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal for gallantry in action. On October 9, 1944, after having volunteered to ascend a hill to make observa- tions for his battery, he lost his life when hit by enemy machinegun fire at Maleto near Monterenzio, Italy. Mr. Wendell P. Viall, his father, who survives him, makes his home in Waterbury, Connecticut. THIRTY