1 20 32 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/317/Dibble_Text0094.pdf a8720fc2e34f42eadc961bdd69022fce PDF Text Text SEPTEMBER 9, 1943 September 9th, six days after Montgomery and the British forces landed in extreme southern Italy, the U.S. 5th Army under General Mark Clark staged an assault landing on the beaches near Salerno, 25 miles southeast of Naples. Gathering in Sicily were the main units of the Allied Air-Forces which would be needed to support the invasion. The main U.S. convoy had sailed from Oran on September 5th. The British troops landed at the southern end of Italy on September 3rd, and resistance to the landings was slight. Both German and Italian forces evaded major engagements and fell back rapidly after carrying out extensive demolition. By September 8th, British advance units were already halfway up the toe of the Italian boot. With the announcement that evening of the unconditional surrender of the Italian government, hostile action by the Italian Army in the south ceased, and the Italian fleet sailed for allied ports to surrender. However, it was anticipated that the landing of the 5th Army at Salerno would cause an immediate and strong reaction from the Germans. It was expected that they would fight hard to prevent, or at least delay a penetration inland that would trap their forces moving up from the south. Late on September 8th, at their temporary base at Catania, Sicily, the word was passed around the First Fighter Group; "We're landing at Salerno tomorrow." During the briefing that followed, the 94th Fighter Squadron learned that it had been assigned the "Pears" beach area to patrol during the invasion. The mission was to prevent the German Air Force from attacking the invasion forces on the beachhead. During the first three missions the 94th flew on the 9th, only 4 enemy aircraft were seen and they fled at the sight of the P-38s. Jim would lead the fourth and largest mission of the day. The flight of twelve planes was separated into three flights of four planes each designated “Red, White and Blue” respectively. Having received advance permission to strafe behind the German lines, Jim was jubilant. "We get to strafe," he proclaimed to fellow pilots. The briefing was short and to the point. Jim told the pilots that they would be given a target to strafe following their patrol of the beach. He told the pilots to kick hard on their rudders while strafing to keep from getting hit. This mission, Jim's 49th, was to be his last. The planes took off at 3:00 PM reaching the beach �area at 4:10. Flying on Jim's wing was a new pilot, Lt. Stan Wojcik. Stan had trained to be a P-40 pilot. He had been assigned to the 5th Air Force and was traveling across North Africa to reach his new base when his orders were suddenly changed. Stan was reassigned to the First Fighter Group while it was on stand down following the August 30th mission. Due to the upcoming invasion, the Group needed pilots in a hurry. When he arrived at his new squadron, Stan got in about five hours of transitional flying before going with the Group to Sicily for the invasion. After Jim’s flight had patrolled the beach area for one hour, "Changer," the aircraft controller on the USS Ancon, ordered Jim's flight to attack a convoy of over 400 enemy vehicles 30 miles east of Agropoli, Italy. The German convoy was traveling north along National Highway 19 near the small town of Padula. The flight turned south and followed the coast to Agropoli where it turned east to find the convoy. As the flight passed over the town of Monte San Giacomo the valley with the German convoy appeared before them. Jim, with Red Flight, initiated the attack out of the sun at over 300 mph. The remaining two flights of four planes loitered at altitude until ordered in. As the Red Flight attacked, the Germans threw up a wall of anti-aircraft fire, above them as well as below, from the sides of the mountains as well as from the valley. "Red" flight had just pulled around in the valley following the initial attack when White and Blue flight were ordered to attack. Just then, Jim’s wingman, Stan Wojcik noticed smoke coming from Jim's plane. Stan pulled up above Jim's plane so he could look into the cockpit. By now the cockpit of Jim's plane was engulfed in smoke and flames. Unable to detect any movement by Jim, Stan shoved the throttles to the firewall to try to get away. Having been close to Jim's plane, the anti-aircraft guns were already trained in Stan's direction. He felt a couple of thuds. The area in front of his cockpit erupted in smoke and flames which then extending into the cockpit. He immediately pulled the escape ring above the windshield and the slipstream blew the top canopy off. After gaining enough altitude, and knowing he was vulnerable to being hit by the horizontal stabilizer, Stan pushed himself backward out of the cockpit. Stan waited to pull the ripcord. Fortunately, he missed the tail, his chute opened and he had to turn his chute to miss some high-tension wires near the road. Seeing the first two planes in Red Flight shot down, White flight and Blue flight immediately broke of the attack continuing east taking the remaining P-38’s up and over the East Mountain ridge to escape the intense anti-aircraft fire and to locate additional targets to attack. Lt. Cy Nolen part of White flight flew under Stan as he was coming down in his parachute and saw his plane crash on the east ridge. �Being low when he bailed out, Stan hit the ground almost immediately. He was immediately captured by German troops from the convoy and though severely burned would eventually survive the war in Stalag Luft 1. With both engines on fire Jim’s plane was gliding south when it crash landed in a farm field just East of the National Highway. He was able to get out of his plane but it appeared that among other injuries he had a broken leg. Soon German troops arrived and a firefight broke out. After having been further injured a German soldier picked up Jim’s pistol and killed him with it. Two brothers, Vito and Paolo Cimino, who had been working in the field at the time were ordered to bury Jim next to his fighter plane. The area around Padula had been anti-German. In fact, there were freedom fighters in the area several of which had been either killed or captured by the Germans. Jim’s attack on September 9, 1943 marked the end of the German occupation of the area. The German’s had gathered tank, infantry and anti-aircraft forces near Padula to be ready to mobilize and attack the American Army as soon as they knew the location of the landing. The German forces quickly left the area to reinforce German troops near Salerno and to avoid being trapped between the American and the British 8th Army moving up from the extreme southern toe of Italy. In my attempts to learn what had happened to my Uncle, Jim’s crash site was located in May 1999. While we were excavating the area, we were approached by several of the area’s citizens who remembered the event. They now knew who the pilot was that crashed in their field that day. They told us they wanted to build a memorial to honor his sacrifice. Many of Padula’s citizens still remembered the attack by Jim’s flight of P-38s, not because it was their one main battle during the war, but because it had come to symbolized their freedom and the end of World War II as they knew it. The Padula area is known for their marble like stone that is quarried in the nearby mountains. On May 6, 2000 the town of Padula came to the crash site to honor Jim. At the crash site there is a very large piece of Padula stone rising over eight feet out of the ground. One side had been polished with a commemorative plaque attached to it. Authored by eyewitness and former Mayor Enzo Pinto, the plaque read: “ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1943 LIEUTENANT JAMES P. DIBBLE CRASHED HERE WITH HIS AIRCRAFT WHILE LEADING A SQUADRON OF 12 P38 AIRPLANES. HE WAS STILL ALIVE AND WOUNDED WHEN BARBARIOUSLY KILLED BY THE GERMAN SOLDIERS. THE �FAMILY AND ALL PADULA REMEMBER HIM, AND IN HIS MEMORY, HONOR THE COURAGE AND SACRIFICE OF HIS YOUNG LIFE.” The ceremony was attended by many of Padula’s citizens along with representatives from the local and regional governments as well as representatives for the regional Carabinieri (a member of the Italian paramilitary police). The eyewitnesses to the crash came to remind their fellow citizens what took place that day. The widows of the local freedom fighters came to remind the citizens of the sacrifice made by many from this area. Many school children came to listen and learn about their village and its heritage and the United States Air Force reminded everyone how important events like these are to preserving our past as well as our future. Jim was Missing in Action and later an Unknown Soldier until he was identified in October 1946. But thanks to the citizens of Padula and to one of the very few monuments in Europe dedicated to a single airman Jim’s memory will live on long after we are gone. Jim’s remains were returned to Michigan, December 1948 and was interred in Middleville, MI’s Mt. Hope Cemetery. On his 49th and final mission, Jim made the supreme sacrifice. He did not try to be a hero; he did not have to. He knew the risks and did his job. Today we owe our freedom in part to these men who helped make this a better world to live in. What began as sorrow 75 years ago has ended in great pride and inspiration. Jim Dibble � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Typed document Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Account written by Jim Dibble of September 9, 1943 when his uncle James was shot down in Italy Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. Crash. Description An account of the resource Account written by Jim Dibble of September 9, 1943 when his uncle James was shot down in Italy. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Military history Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jim Dibble Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource unknown Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/319/Dibble_Text0192.pdf 4341ad999432752b6b6489f7ded8b1b7 PDF Text Text ���� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Microfilm copy of a typed document Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Missing in Action Report (MACR) for James Dibble Subject The topic of the resource United States. Air Force. 12th Air Force. 94th Fighter Squadron. Description An account of the resource Missing in Action Report (MACR) for James Dibble. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Killed in Action report Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource James J. Hagenback Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 9/9/1943 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/318/Dibble_Text0095.pdf 67ed3aea368a8979ae1ce42d0b921348 PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Typed mission report Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Copy of a statement from 2nd Lt. Raymond Schultz on what he saw when James Dibble 's group was attacked at Padula Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. Crash. Description An account of the resource Copy of a statement from 2nd Lt. Raymond Schultz on what he saw when James Dibble 's group was attacked at Padula. He mistakenly thought another plane had gone down and did not know it was James. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Mission report Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource 2nd Lt. Raymond Schultz Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 9/9/1943 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/325/Dibble_Text0093.pdf 9cf7178043a02cbb498e8be04a1ce38b PDF Text Text ��� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Typed document Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James Dibble Crash Investigation Report Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. Crash. Description An account of the resource James Dibble Crash Investigation Report summarizing the known facts and corrections, ultimately declaring James Dibble as killed in action on September 9, 1943. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Plane crash investigation report Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource James M. Stribling Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 6/11/1944 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/336/Dibble_Text0143.pdf f9a6a543a25cedcc22211d8e57c06794 PDF Text Text '. Page 3 1st Fighter News May 1993 Stan Wojcik Shot Down! In our January 1993 issue, we told how Cy Nolen was shot down, captured, and escaped. Now we have the story ofStan Wojcik, who was shot down on hisfirst mission, was captured, and wasfinally liberated by the Russians in 1945. He has additional data on the fate of his flight lead, Lt. Dibble. turn, pulling i up, saw smoke from Dibble's plane. I pulled up alongsid gside and above to see what he was doing. I saw no movement by him, just smoke and fire in the cockpit He may have been wounded or dead so I pulled away. I felt a couple of thuds, the plane’s nose section erupted On September 9,19431 was to go on a mission that was *n flames and smoke extending into the cockpit, blasting my head to provide cover for the invasion of Italy at Salerno. Prior to this and317115 wldl heat. I immediately pulled the release on the top I was one of a group of replacement P-40 pilots that were diverted, canopy and the slip stream blew it off. I had to pull my helmet off onAugust24, to the First Fighter Group, which was flying P-38’s because the headset wires and oxygen mask were attached. Istood and in need of pilots at Mateur. Having flown only single engine up, pushing backwards, and yvas sucked out and rolled off the at:about 2,000 feet. I waited to clearthe tail and pulled planes it was quite a shock to me, but once it wore off it became trailing edge at therip ripcord. cord. IIv a matter of survival. the was going over 300 mph and the chute opened with quite ajerk. Lookingdownlsawanopenfield.butlwasoverhigh " :tric wires. I slipped the chute by climbing up the shroud After a lot ofcockpit time, ground instruction and limited power elect! wires and anc before letting go of the shroud lines, I ;cd the wites manual information, I did takeoff and started to get used to the lines, missed •'und about twice the normal speed, somersaulted and plane. The only time wecould fly was when the squadron missions hit the groun >ut 100 feet. I didn’t break any bones, since I had my were over or not scheduled. This didn’t go over too well with the rolled about grout ind crew, but things got better. Our overuse of brakes for combat shoes on. taxiing was frownedI iupon. Test firing of guns over the Mediterranean added more] : problems for the armament keptfalling falling -------- oguys. _,_. IIkept off the ladder whil ile trying to climb up on an the plane, plane. Being 5'4", I always had a problem with short leg reach. Durir ing this time I constantly' practiced pra escape procedures. I also had ai tbad feeling of fire and bumi mning. Finally the orders came to move temporarily to Dittaino, Sicily. I was put in charge of squadron baggage, which was to be transported on a B-26 bomber. The landing at Sicily was downwind, on the wrong field, and the B-26 got stuck in the lava soil that couldn’tsupport the weight. We unloaded onto a truck and left the plane and the pilots with a bulldozer to move to solid ground. Later, in a P.O.W. camp, I met the B-26 co-pilot, who had been shot down on a bombing mission. His pilot was killed. He told me that after the problems at Dittaino, they returned to Africa after dark and were shot at by friendly fire, but landed OK. Italy capitulated, but the invasion was on. At the briefing before flight, we were told we would be given a target to strafe after ourpatrol. I was the wingman for J. Dibble, the flight leader, and we were to patrol the Pears area. The patrol at approximately 10,000 feet was uneventful. A ground controller radioed us a target; a motor convoy 30 miles inland of Agropoli of some 400 vehicles on a road between Pola and lagonegro, moving g north, north. While at 10,000 feet my tight helmet, with goggles and oxygen oxygen mask, was very uncomfortable, so I loosened my chin strap “ p and and mask on the way down to strafe, with combat flaps aps down and a prayer. We came in from the sun and made a run in a valley /alley in the mountains. Fired guns, lot of vehicles, racked into a 180 degree As I was getting out of my harness, I heard and saw a German soldier waving a gun, shouting; ;and motioning me to come in his direction. He was on the strafed road1 v" up on an embankment, My face and arms were burned and my eyes res felt seared, so I was having a hard time getting up the bank. He reached down and helped me up onto the road. He disarmed me and flag; agged down a jeep-type German vehicle with two other soldiers ins inside. I was ving with the seated in the front, and the air blast created by drivir time. Seeing windshield folded down was giving my face a roughi ti. thisdriver stopped and put the windshield up and offered me a cigarette. Theytook me to a flrst aid tent, but only checked me over briefly, then I was taken to German headquarters. The guard told a German officer, who was looking out a window, what had happened and who I was. The officer waved us on. I was taken to a school building that had medical facilities. My arms and face were bandaged and I spent that night in a hallway on some straw, with other wounded Americans. There were a lot of explosions during the night. The next day, in late afternoon, they put me and others in an ambulance to go north. A German soldier was making a fuss because my name was Polish, but he was pulled away. The drivers stoppedforabreak.evidentlytostretch their legs. The ambulance started to move, with no driver! There was a lot of yelling in the ambulance, and I tried to get out, but just banged my elbows. The driver ran up in time and ar got us stopped. (Continued) �Page 4 1st Fighter News May 1993 Stan Wojcik - Shot Down, Injured, Captured - Survived! (Continued) The next morning we arrived at another school that was medically equipped, and where there were more wounded Ameri­ cans, British and Germans. By then I was very lame and sore. They tried to change my bandages, but they stuck, dried to my bums. Finally, with a quick jerk, they pulled them off. I was getting weak, when I suddenly remembered it was my birthday. My sight was getting worse, and I spent that night lying on a stretcher, delirious off and on during the night. A German medic orderly did what he could. They moved us out the next day in the back of a truck,’ headed for Naples. During the trip some of the American guys got Jt grapes at the relief stops and squeezed them through my burned lips. We saw a lot of refugees, and when we got to Naples our aitals because of the t chaotic condi­ drivers couldn’t get to the hospitals tions due to partisan activities. We traveled through the night: tand came to the town of Casino, located below a monastery, and1 ■were put up in a church. ': ]past my The Germans got some pudding for me so I could get it lips. My sight was really bad. Someone went berserk,, and not being able to see much, I got upset. But an American wounded sergeant calmed me down. A German guard led me across the street to a German ran hospital. A German doctor checked my eyes and put ointment in them, and told an interpreter to tell me that my eyes would recover. They put us on an ambulance train and we headed north. As we passed through Rome the other wounded guys got stuff from the Italians at the station stops. I told them to take my escape money. Earlier, the German guards didn’t seem to know what to do about my escape kit and didn’t take it or my personal watch. A nurse on the train sharpened a hypo needle and gave me morphine. I could hardly see, I knew I was getting weaker, and the bandages were a mess. Finally, on September 18,1943, at a stop in Germany, I heard a lot of commotion and I was put on a stretcher. The bearers were running with me, so I knew I was in bad shape. I hoped they were taking me someplace where I could get some treatment. I heard a lot of German talk that I couldn’t understand, but I knew I was in a buildir ‘ When I woke up, I vaguely saw building. I’ passed out. a smiling nun with a white head dress standing ne lunwithawhite next to me, offering meadrink.:. I thought I was in heaven. Itookadrir I took a drink through a glass straw, and1 passed >sed out on again. When I woke up an English speaking nun said I had slept for 24 hours, and they were worried. She also told me I was in a Catholic convent, part of which had been made into a hospital for heart problems and skin problems, such as burns, frostbite, etc. Some of the nuns were also nurses and were all smiles because I had a crucifix on my dog tag chain and I was a Catholic. The doctor, a middle age man, was very professional and so were the civilian nurses. In the room with me was a badly burned B-25 pilot. He was in great pain and needed a lot of attention. Later in a P.O.W. ____ wounded soldiers. camp, in 1944, he was exchanged for German My eyes were improving up. My lips - and- my -bums were drying were a mess and tbey bad t0 cut jnt0 smap s]jlivers so I could 7^^ had burned all my clolhes because they \were full of maggOts. They gave me hospital type clothes and sli lippers to Wear. They had me up in a week, but I was lame. They gave me a German uniform stripped of insignia and walked me outside to get ready for travel. My eyes would fog up from the cool air. I was getting abscesses on my wrists, elbows and armpits. A guard came to take me to a P.O.W. camp, but the doctor saw how bad my abscesses were and said I couldn’t go. They gave me therapy machine treatments, but they finally had to lance my elbow and wrist. In two weeks I developed an abscess in my throat and the doctor sent a guard away again. It took a week with hot potato compresses around my neck before it broke. All this time 1 couldn’t eat or even swallow saliva. Although I was getting over the abscesses, I still wasn’t »ling well. The doctor checked me over, seeing the yellow skin feelir id the yellow in my eyes. He said I had yellow jaundice and was andu to> stay s'" in bed for five weeks. The nuns were overjoyed that I would ay with them longer. They gave me extra meat and milk and stay wrapped my body, around the liver area, with hot towels. The B-25 pilot was getting better, and seeing how he was always looked after, he wanted to become a Catholic. In a secret ceremony, in the room with a priest, nun and me as a sponsor, he became a Catholic. I might Jit add that all religious property was in COntrol of the German gove ivernment and the nuns’ and thej priest’s activities were restricted.. 1There was very little Gestapo1 activii activity j;--------------- . -u ... L------ t-.j the Russjan jn the hospital, but a soldier patient told us how bad the Russian front was and that Hitler should be hanged. It may have been a bait for any reaction. It was nearing Christmas time and I was over my jaun­ dice. Iwastoldlwouldn’tleaveuntilJanuary 1944, so I could look after the B-25 pilot until he was ready to travel. My burns had healed with no scars, but the B-25 pilot was a mess. His lips, eyelids, ears, arms, and face were badly scarred. He had lost most of the use of one arm. I fed him and bathed him when I was able. At Christmas we got packages with cakes, wine, and beer, the same as the German soldiers. I went to midnight Mass with an officer who was a patient. It was in the convent chapel and even the townspeople attended. We were taken for walks, always with a guard, and we saw a lot of the countryside. There were ■>. — They always took our shoes away plenty of shrines and villages. jught of escape, but never got any once we were inside. I thou contact. ( Continued) �Page 5 1st Fighter News May 1993 Stan Wojcik - Shot Down, Injured, Captured - Survived! (Continued) The convent/hospital was on the bank of the Danube, Our food consisted of barley, horse meat (that had been which was just a small stream, and about 75 miles from the border killed by strafing), potatoes, rutabaga, and Red Cross packages. I of Switzerland. An inspecting army major asked me about my was ration man for 9 P.O.W.’s that shared food. I was cook Polish ancestry, but I said only that my parents were bom in the (cooked in the room) for 6 months. Things got bleak toward the It United States and were United States citizens. I wasn’t interro- end. We got letters and packages from home. We saw a lot of headf for Berlin. We saw and heard British Mosquigated all the time I was a P.O.W. Of course, I didn’t know bombers heading anything. The rest of the soldier patients never mentioned any- toes beat up an airfield 3 miles away and shoot down a FW-190. lotof , night raids. One lasted all night, as they went thing. The B-25 pilot and I were in a small room, just the two of We heard a lot us. The patients would bring their wives and kids to see us as a after Peenemunde rocket station. We saw a lot of jet and a rocket novelty. lights lightsand andtrails trailsover overthe theBaltic. Baltic. We Wewere werenever neverbombed bombedor < strafed, even when the Russians were near. A lot of eastern German InmidJanuary, 1944, a guard showed up and escorted me refugees and Allied P.O.W.’s were fleeing the Russians. and the B-25 pilot to a British officer P.O.W. camp about a half­ day trip away by train. When we arrived I was given a French At the end there were a lot of rumors, of being\ sshot by the SS, uniform that looked likea World Warl type uniform. We were put or moving everybody west. But the main Russi sian thmst was in a camp medical dispensary. After 2 weeks I was put in a for Berlin, so the Germans decided to leave and left the camp to barracks with British and Canadians. The British fixed me up with us. Russians showed up in a few days and the agreement was a British uniform without any insignia. An American P-51 pilot finally made to fly about 9,000 of us out by B-17's and C-46’s was brought in also. The B-25 pilot stayed in the dispensary all the to France. time. We stayed at this camp until mid February of 1944. With two guards and a couple of boxes of food, we were taken to another camp for airman officers on the Baltic Sea (Stalag Luft 1), at the town of Barth. We traveled 3 days and 2 nightsson < civilian passenger trains. We stopped at a German equivalent it to our USO’s and guards would bring us beer at station stops. Thir hings started to look bad as we went through the northern cit ities. When we got to Berlin to change trains we saw fields of graves, ( burned out buildings, and rubble in the streets, The dam; raged railroad station was full of people, pushing and shoving,, tmilling around to get on trains. I saw a Coke machine; that shoo' rook me. There was noroom on theconnecting train, and we would have to wait until the next day. The guards didn’t want to spend the night in Berlin because of the RAF raids, and to our relief, they convinced the railroad station manager that the five of us could ride standing up in the baggage section of a car until space in one of the cars became available as people got off. Everything worked out and we had plenty of room. That evening young German boys; ccame aboard the train, Wc assumed that they were going to training ig camp. When we pgot to Straslund Naval Base we stayed over night ;ht in solitary cells. We ™® were treated by the base people with no animosity. We drank cold Ersatz coffee, as water was taboo. We arrived at Barth and walked three miles to the P.O. W. camp. We logged in, had our pictures taken, and two of us were assigned to a barracks in the old original camp compound. The B25 pilot was put in the camp dispensary and wouldjoin us later. We were close to the flak school where youths trained on radar. Stan ‘Wojcit —^*^7 Doorknob Five Two The January 1993 issue of the News included Robin Hansen’s skeptical review of the book, Doorknob Five Two. The author, Fredric Arnold, sent us copies of documents which, if valid, show that the major points of the book are true. The News does not assume responsibility for any review that we publish. Robin Hansen stands by his review. Fredric Arnold has resigned from the Association. The 1st Fighter News is a forum for veterans to tell their stories. The News is not an official record; we may expect people to have different recollections of what happened, and many events will remain forever obscure. 'The 'Editor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Printed newsletter Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Article written by Stan Wojcik and published in the 1st Fighter News recounting the day James Dibble was shot down and Stan's time as a POW Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. Crash. Description An account of the resource Article written by Stan Wojcik and published in the 1st Fighter News recounting the day James Dibble was shot down and Stan's time as a POW. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Essay Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stan Wojcik Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1993-05 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. 1st Fighter Wing Association Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available 1st Fighter Wing Association Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/339/Dibble_Text0221.pdf f7e6471b4eee7c7fa75452026a14cc1b PDF Text Text Hastings residents who died in World War II Name Richard A. Babcock Cleo E. Card Charles A. Casey Georqe H. Cashmore Lewis Castle William A. Christy Orville Cooley Bernard D. Davis William DeCou James P. Dibble Robert C. Gardner Martin Hawthorne Robert H. Henney Ernest M. Howell Merrill E. Isham Frank R. "Bob" Kelly Neil L. Kidder Estle V. King Hubert L. McCallum Michael "Mickey" G. H. McPharlin Harold W. Norwood Robert Reid Frank W. Rogers Howard A. Shellington Cleon L. Smith Donald L. Solomon DeForest Snyder Jr. Duane D. Stamm Merle G. Tasker Wesley R. VanDenberg Morton F. Young Rank Corp. Sgt. Fireman, 2nd C Pfc. medically disch Staff Sqt. 1 st Lt. Staff Sqt. 1 st Lt. Pfc. 2nd Lt. 2nd Lt. Pvt. Pfc. Staff Sgt. Pvt. Technician, 4tf Pvt. Major Pvt. Pfc. 2nd Lt. Lt 2nd Lt. Corp. Technician, 5th 2nd Lt. Sgt. 2nd Lt. Machinists Mate Date of Birth Sept. 8, 1923 Dec. 11, 1910 Apr. 22, 1927 Nov. 22, 1924 Feb. 23, 1921 Oct. 16, 1926 1923 abt. 1919 abt. 1924 Nov. 3, 1921 Dec. 30, 1923 Jan. 19, 1919 Dec. 20, 1917 no date 1916 Jan. 22, 1923 1917 1911 Dec. 14, 1909 Oct. 16, 1922 Aug. 4, 1919 Oct. 3, 1923 Jun. 15, 1919 Aug. 14, 1914 28-May-21 Jun. 13, 1913 Aug. 27, 1922 File Updated: 9/20/2022 This document was provided by Jim Dibble in a hardcopy form. Contents have not been verified and are reported as is Minor edits were done for readability. August 18, 2022. DME Parents Ray/Luella (Talmage) Babcock Joseph/Clarissa (Dudley) Card Winifred/Alice (Johncock) Casey orphan Frank/Flossie (Lectka) Castle Foster mother Nellie Clemence M/M Stephen J. Cooley M/M Henry Davis Clair/Hazel DeCou James E./Estelle M Dibble Roy/Margaretha Gardner M/M Ralph Hawthorne Fred/Lusena (Nichols) Henney M/M Daniel Howell Howard/Sarah (Hammond) Isham Frank/Gladys (Beck) Kelly M/M Clem Kidder Rev./Mrs Fred W. King Donald "DanVRosa M. McCallum Russell/Frances Germain Norwood William/Alta (Callihan) Reid M/M Frank Rogers Emmett/Mary Shellington Ernest/Sopha Smith M/M Charles Solomon DeForest/Hazel (Barnum) Snyder M/M L. D. Stamm M/M Oliver Tasker M/M Charles VanDenberq John and ? Young Rural School Burroughs, Johnstown Macomber Hinds Assyria Baltimore Twp. Carlton Center Barney Mills Graduated 1939 1944 1942 1937 1941 1939 1940 1937 1943 1935 1933 Dunham Brush Ridge Starr Dowling Ryan Assyria 1934 1928 1930 1927 Original Occupation Family farm Hastings Manufacturing High school student Kellogg Co. Battle Creek Ionia Kroger Schultz Bakery, Chicago Union Stamp and Pump Company Produce Manager, Hastings Kroger MSU Ag Econ Degree Family farm Ralston Purina, Weston Biscuit Co. Lineman Wilcox-Rich in Battle Creek College student Family farm, owned sawmill Eaton Manufacturing 1937 1941 1937 WMU BS Tool and die apprentice MSU engineeering degree 1942 1940 1943 1933 1940 1924 Woolworth Asst, Mgr., Sandusky State fish hatchery, Hastings Kellogg Co. Battle Creek Page 1 of 3 �Hastings residents who died in World War II Name Richard A. Babcock Cleo E. Card Charles A. Casey Georqe H. Cashmore Lewis Castle William A. Christy Orville Cooley Bernard D. Davis William DeCou James P. Dibble Robert C. Gardner Martin Hawthorne Robert H. Henney Ernest M. Howell Merrill E. Isham Frank R. "Bob" Kelly Neil L. Kidder Estle V. King Hubert L. McCallum Michael "Mickey" G. H. McPharlin Harold W. Norwood Robert Reid Frank W. Rogers Howard A. Shellington Cleon L. Smith Donald L. Solomon DeForest Snyder Jr. Duane D. Stamm Merle G. Tasker Wesley R. VanDenberg Morton F. Young Branch Army Army Navy Marines Air Corps Armv Army Air Corps Army Air Corps Army Air Corps Army Air Force Army Army Army Army Air Corps Army Army Army British Royal Air Force Army Army Marines Army Air Corps Army Air Force Army Army Army National Guard Unit Infantry Co. M, 411th Inf Duties Military policeman Machine gunner Fireman 4th Marine Division, 1st Amphibious Corps, Marine R 79th Division, 7th Army First Fighter Group Fighter pilot Age at Death Date of Death 22 Nov. 29, 1945 34 Feb. 27, 1945 17 Feb. 21, 1945 August 1944 18 abt. 21 abt. 23 20 21 21 Fighter pilot Ordinance Armorer-gunner 36th Armored Regiment, 3rd Division 11th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Co. B. 103rd Combat Battalion Third Infantry Division 131st Infantry Regiment of the 33rd 2nd Bombardment Pilot Fighter pilot Veteran, chemical warfare service 19 abt. 28 21 21 28 abt. 33 22 25 21 28 23 File Updated: 9/20/2022 This document was provided by Jim Dibble in a hardcopy form. Contents have not been verified and are reported as is Minor edits were done for readability. August 18, 2022. DME March 1944 March 24, 1945 Feb. 2, 1945 June 25, 1945 Dec. 1, 1943 June 1, 1942 Sept. 10, 1944 32nd "Red Arrow" Division 29 Army Navy Aug. 30, 1945 Jan. 8, 1945 May 5, 1942 March 3, 1944 Sept. 9, 1943 Feb. 22, 1945 Jan. 22, 1944 Jan. 29, 1944 April 25, 1945 May 14, 1945 Jan. 14, 1945 July 17, 1944 Jan. 25, 1949 Dec. 9, 1944 Co. E. 361st Infantry Platoon commander Jan. 1, 1943 Oct. 11, 1944 Page 2 of 3 �Hastings residents who died in World War II Name Richard A. Babcock Cleo E. Card Charles A. Casey Georqe H. Cashmore Lewis Castle William A. Christy Orville Cooley Bernard D. Davis William DeCou James P. Dibble Robert C. Gardner Martin Hawthorne Robert H. Henney Ernest M. Howell Merrill E. Isham Frank R. "Bob" Kelly Neil L. Kidder Estle V. King Hubert L. McCallum Michael "Mickey" G. H. McPharlin Harold W. Norwood Robert Reid Frank W. Rogers Howard A. Shellington Cleon L. Smith Donald L. Solomon DeForest Snyder Jr. Duane D. Stamm Merle G. Tasker Wesley R. VanDenberg Morton F. Young Where Died Battle Cause KIA Wounds received Drowned KIA Final Resting Place France Germany Waters near Iwo Jima Iwo Jima Iwo Jima Iwo Jima Dearborn France Panama San Bernadino, CA Italy Germany New Guinea Cassino, Italy Luzon, Philippines Camp Atterbury, Ind. Derben, Germany France Lipperscheid, Luxembourg France Anemia Battle of the Bulge KIA Plane crash Aircraft accident Plane shot down Explosion Plane shot down KIA KIA Malaria Plane shot down Wounds received KIA KIA Dowling Cemetery Riverside Cemetery, Hastings Cisterna, Italy Luzon, Philippines Mt. Whitney, CA Maros, Dutch East Indies Anzio North Cemetery, Hickory Corners Hastings Township Cemetery Riverside Cemetery, Hastings Freeport Cemetery Taralic, Japan Orleans, France "March of Death" New Guinea Italy File Updated: 9/20/2022 This document was provided by Jim Dibble in a hardcopy form. Contents have not been verified and are reported as is Minor edits were done for readability. August 18, 2022. DME KIA KIA Airplane accident Plane shot down Airplane accident cerebral malaria Wounds received Plane crash KIA Mortar fire France Henri-Chapelle; Liege, Belgium Sea Union/Joy Cemetery, Maple Grove Township Riverside Cemetery, Hastings Mt. Hope, Middleville Striker Cemetery, Maple Grove Rock Island National Cemetery, Illinois Riverside Cemetery, Hastings. New Albany, Ind., National Cemetery Union/Joy Cemetery, Maple Grove Township Wilcox Cemetery, Maple Grove Luxembourg American Cemetery Riverside Cemetery, Hastings. Portland Hastings Township Cemetery Riverside Cemetery, Hastings Wilcox Cemetery, Maple Grove Page 3 of 3 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Spreadsheet printout Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource List of Hastings, Michigan veterans who died in World War II Subject The topic of the resource Hastings, Michigan. War Memorials. Description An account of the resource List of Hastings, Michigan veterans who died in World War II. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource List Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource unknown Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource unknown Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/320/Dibble_Text0125.pdf deafef62bb78b632bd5f2a2626f29774 PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data photograph of an original telegram Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Missing in action telegram for James Dibble received by his wife Maxine Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. MIA/KIA. Description An account of the resource Missing in action telegram for James Dibble received by his wife Maxine. Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Telegram Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource U. S. Government Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 9/24/1943 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/164/Dibble_Text0083.pdf 76aec91cb879c3991402fec6c04ee969 PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Newspaper clipping listing James Dibble as missing in action Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. MIA. Description An account of the resource Newspaper clipping listing James Dibble as missing in action. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newspaper Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource unknown Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource unknown Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. unknown Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 2022-01-18 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/326/Dibble_Text0128.pdf 5b362c940764635fff475a1465615c9e PDF Text Text WAR DEPARTMENT IN REPLY REFER TO: AG 201 Dibble, James P. (10 Sep 44) PC-S THE ADJUTANT GENERAL’S OFFICE WASHINGTON 25, D. G. 10 September 1944 Mrs. Maxine Dibble, c/o Bay Erway, R. R. #5, Hastings, Michigan. Dear Mrs. Dibble:it Janes P. Dibb] Dibble, 0-733844, Air Since your husband, First Lieutenant September 1943, the War DepartCorps, was reported missing in action 9 Se_ ' „’vived and that information would ment has entertained the hope that he survived 'tainty be revealed dispelling the unceri ' surrounding his absence. However, as in many cases, the conditionss of warfare deny us such information. ?ilot of a P-38 The record concerning your husband shows that; he was the Pilot Li^itning fighter plane, and that he failed to return from a. p patrol and tiaircraft strafing mission to Southern Italy. His plane was hit by antic fire. Khen last seen he had "bai “bailed out" of the plane, the cotjdcpit of This occurred several miles eas1st of Agropoli, which appeared to be on fire. I*. Italy, 9 September 1943. Full consideration has recently been given to all available inform mation ’bearii Ing on the absence of your husband, including all records, reports and i circumstances. These have been carefully reviewed and considered.. In view of the fact that twelve months have now expired without the receipt of evidence to support a continued presumption of survival, the War Department must terminate such absence by a presumptive.finding of death. Accordingly, an official finding of death has been recorded under the provisions of Public law 490, 77th Congress, approved March 7, 1942, as amended. probable date of death; The finding does not establish an actual or p 1 irotive date of death .for however, as required by law, it includes a presumpi the termination of pay and allowances, settlementu cof accounts and payment your husband this date has been set of death gratuities. In the case of' yi as 10 September 1944, the day following the expiration of twelve months absence. ling of I regre'st the necessity for this message but trust that the endii sf congive at least some small measure of a long period of uncertainty may . „ solation. I hope you may find sustaining comfort in the thought that the uncertainty with which war has surrounded the absence of your husband has enhanced the honor of his service to his country and of his sacrifice. 1 Incl. jrely yours, J. A. ULIjr Major Germ e Adjutant General. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Typed letter Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letter to Maxine Dibble declaring James Dibble presumptively dead Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. MIA/KIA. Description An account of the resource Letter to Maxine Dibble declaring James Dibble presumptively dead. This allowed final settlement of accounts and death gratuities. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Death notification Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Major General J. A. Ulio Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 9/10/1944 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/165/Dibble_Text0084.pdf 9f97d63f71e2c4311621bcdbf8696fe8 PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Newspaper clipping of James Dibble's burial in Mt. Hope cemetery Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. Burial. Description An account of the resource Newspaper clipping of James Dibble's burial in Mt. Hope cemetery Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newspaper Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource unknown Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource unknown Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. unknown Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 2022-01-18 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/337/Dibble_Text0204.pdf 148c0a6653146c2c1575c1cbc848a8d7 PDF Text Text jHastings Honors I 27 War II Dead I Hastings—Hastings High school I paid tribute to 27 former pupils Iwho lost their lives in World war III in a memorial service in Central ■auditorium. I Assistant Coach Robert King, a ■former captain in the army over- j ■seas: Frederick McDonald, a pupil, Bind Raymond Kenyon, an alumnus, | High school pupils who lost their ' ■lives in this war were: Cleo Card, pa™ ESE2 lliam DeCou, James Dibble, Robert iGardner, Martin Hawthorne, Rob- I E?“KS"sS; SSTiE , Mid Wesley BandenBerg. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Newspaper clipping announcing a tribute to war dead at Hastings High School Subject The topic of the resource Hastings, Michigan. War Memorials. Description An account of the resource Newspaper clipping announcing a tribute to war dead at Hastings High School. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newspaper Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource unknown Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource unknown Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/338/Dibble_Text0207.pdf 1de23e6286076bd3ca6696ef5b83a29a PDF Text Text jfHasfing's Students fHonor Memory of I School’s War Dead Hastings High school students honored the memory of former students who gave their lives during World Wars I and II yesterday afternoon in a memorial service held at 2 o’clock in Central auditorium. | Of the 27 men who at one time attended high school here, who lost | their lives during the last confla­ gration, Merrill Isham and Howard Shellington were added to the roll of the war dead since the ceremon­ ies were held last year. The program was to open with a piano prelude by Richard Branch to be followed with the salute to the Flag by the assembly, led by MayorElect Kingsley Zerbel. Mrs. Jean I | j ’ ) aid’s naming “Those We Remem- Robert King Talks Raymond Kenyon, who graduated in 1943 and served overseas, followed with “Words of Remembrance” and Mrs. Irene Hamilton gave “Poems in Remembrance." Tire High School I choir rendered several selections and Robert King, a captain in the army serving with General Patton's army, ' delivered a short talk on “War is Not Romantic,” followed by the as­ sembly singing "America the BeauAfter the audience rendered the Lord’s Prayer, the program con­ cluded with a piano postlude by Richard Branch. included Cleo Card, Charles Casey, George Cashmore, Lewis Castle, Orville Cooley, Richard Babcock, Ber­ nard Davis, William DeCou. James Robert Gardner, Martin Haw- bert McCallum, Michael McPharlin, Robert Reid, Frank Rogers, Howard L Shellington, Cleon Smith, DeForest Snyder. Duane Stamm, Merle Tas’ ker and Wesley Vandenberg. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Newspaper clipping announcing a tribute to war dead at Hastings High School Subject The topic of the resource Hastings, Michigan. War Memorials. Description An account of the resource Newspaper clipping announcing a tribute to war dead at Hastings High School. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newspaper Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource unknown Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource unknown Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/163/Dibble_Text0082.pdf 3b2c2c6804100aecd37983511cf1b7f1 PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Newspaper clipping mentioning James' mother Mrs. James Dibble being appointed to a war memorial committee Subject The topic of the resource Mrs. James Dibble Description An account of the resource Newspaper clipping mentioning James' mother Mrs. James Dibble being appointed to a war memorial committee. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newspaper Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource unknown Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource unknown Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. unknown Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Rapids Press? Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 2022-01-18 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/342/Dibble_Text0211.pdf ab7cd9fc96be53c8f02960c293add502 PDF Text Text The Mayy 19, 1949 Hastings Ban inner included ' >to and the following phot, information: “Memorial Fountain — Pictured above is the memorial ut_ fountain which will be ■onv dedicated in a ceremony ' J Friday afternoon, May / 2,,’ to the former Hastin^ 0 ings High School students:w t ho supre made the s 1 reme sacrifice during] \Wor jrld War II. Shown at tt the memorial, which was erected with funds raised by the students themselves, are William Cortright, ITheodore Knopf ar ind Paul McKeough...” The heads of the drinking fountains at either end of the memorial were removed many years ago, leaving only the pipes exposed. This stone monument stands as a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice of 31 former Hastings High School students and graduates during World War II. FILLER,I, if in color: The flag agpole stands at the opposi. >site end of Johnson Field. Memorial fountain was emotional project for ma­ son Students made it possible John Youngg was respected in the Ha lastings area for his skills as a st stone mason in the early hr half of the 20th century. Mo: lost of his stonework stands today as a testament to his craftsman craftsr ­ ship, the largest of which is St. Rose Catholic Church on South Jefferson Street in Hastings. Though much more diminutive in size compared to the chur lurch, the memorial fountain at the i north end of Hastings IHigh School’s ield was a much Johnson Fit bigger challenge for Young, “He always said it was the hardest job he ever did,” recalled Young’s greattnald, ncPhe'v Roberl McDonald, “because his son Morton ton’s name was on the plaque. ]ue.”” Morton Your Young is one of 3] former former Hao Hastings- " High 31 :->h School students who died in World War II and are remembered with the stone monument. Bill Cotant was just out of high school and worke ced as a mason tender for Young, r-----mixing the mud as Young carefully placed each rock being „ all-too ffamiliar with its significance. According to articles in the Hastings Banner,•, the memorial was severalil years lid for in the making and paid mainly by students. “During World War II, everything was recycled, The student council at Hastings High School decided to take on the project of recycling newspaper,” said John “Jack” Walton, a Hastings graduate who later served the community as an op­ tometrist and is now retired. “I was in charge of this pro­ ject for a time. Every Mon­ day morning, students brought bundled newspapers and left then at the south en­ tryway to the gym” The bundles were stored in a room in the unoccupied “White Building,” he said. When the room got full, a semi was brought in and de­ livered the paper to a recy­ cling center. The student council was paid for these loads, and the money was put into escrow. “Some of the people me­ morialized on the bronze plaque undoubtedly helped with the project before en­ tering the service,” said Walton. Johnson Field, part of i------------------------- lures once owneC| horse pastures Hastings industrialist Abcn jwi.noon, Johnsor was offi- cially dedicated nearly three years prior, Oct. 19, 1945. Hastings lost the game against Charlotte by cone point, 7-6, tbut Bob Brar anch, now 85, st still recalls ithe dedication of a new field and a flagpole. Prior to that,, football games and track and field events were conducted at the fairgrounds, near where the fait Kmart Plaza is today. Kn The daytime memorial fountain dedication in 1949 vyas a more somber occa- The memorial fountain, once backed by evergreens, provided a sometimes quiet place to sit and reflect. The basins for the drinking fountains at either end of the memorial were formed with cement. It has long since ceased being beint a drinking fountain, the fountain heads having been removed. The monument itself is often used for group photos, mainly the track and field teams, be­ cause of its various elevations. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Typed document Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Excerpts from The Reminder recapping articles from the Banner and discussing changes to the memorial fountain over the years Subject The topic of the resource Hastings, Michigan. War Memorials. Description An account of the resource Excerpts from The Reminder recapping articles from the Banner and discussing changes to the memorial fountain over the years. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newspaper Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource unknown Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource unknown Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/341/Dibble_Text0210.pdf dce75e58f755b9874162340fe5ee1112 PDF Text Text The bronze plaque at Hastings High School is a tribute to 31 former students who died while serving in World War II. A stone memorial and bronze plaqu ]ue has rested al the south er end of Johnson Field near Hastir — ’High J:-U tings School for 65 year., _____ o :ars, bearing the names of 31 service men who died while serving in World War II. Some names are still common in the area, others not so much. So, who were these for­ mer Hastings High School students? A few had earned college degrees; others were still pursuing a college educa­ tion. A couple had not graduated from high school, preferring instead to enlist and fight for their country. Several of them still worked on their families’ farms. Two were employed at Kroger stores, one at Woolworth’s, another at a bakery. Some worked in fac­ tories, one worked at nearby the state fish hatchery that has become a city park. Many were married, leav­ ing behind young widows, some of whom they had married shortly before their departures. A couple had fa­ thered children they would never see. One was his par­ ents’ only child. Charles Casey, just,t H ig the was the youngest among wood 31 men. Harold Norw .... and Cleo Card were among ly of the oldest, at 34. Many the men were 21 yearss old or younger. Following ing is a brief biography of each man, developed from sources lilistcd at the end. Corp. Richard A. Bab­ cock was born Sept. 8, 1923, to Ray and Luella (Talmage) Babcock. He at­ tended Burroughs School ... in iship. He Johnstown Towns 1' mily farm worked on the fami before joining the Army, Babcock was a military po- liceman in the infantry until mia Aug. 30, 1945, in Dearhis death Nov. 29, 1945, at born. n. He was 18 years y old. age 22. He was killed in ac- Christy iwling hristy is buried at Dot lion in France and remained Cer smetery. Staff Sgt. Orville Cooley buried there. Sgt. Sgt Cleo E. Card was was born in 1923 to Mr. 1 He born Dec - 1 L >910, the son Mrs. JStephen J. Cooley. F ** roseph and Clarissa gradut of Josepi uated from Hastin' ngs (Dudley) ~y) Card. C He attended High School in 1942 and ai Macomber mber School. He was was working ;at the Krog roger employed ■—d at t Hastings Ma 1anu- store in Ionia before joi lining facturing mg prior p to joining tg the the Army. Ht He served with ' Army. He H was in Company the 79th Divis ision, ' Army, : , 7th M, 411th ith Infantry Regiment Cooley >ley was about 21 year years of the: 9th Army Arm) a: as a ma- old when he was killed zat chine gunner. g' Cardd was 34 the Battle of the Bulge in when he he died Feb. 27, 1945, France. Jan. 8, 1945. He is in Germany from wounds buried in Ri liverside Cemereceived in battle. He is bur- tery, Hasting' ings. lhapeile Cemeied in Henri-Chapelle Fit First Lt. 4. Bernard D. tery, near Liege, „ge,. Belgium. „ Davis was born around Fireman 2nd id Class Char- 1919, the son of Mr. and les A. Casey was born April Mrs. Henry Henn Davis. He grew 22, 1927, to Winifred and up in Baltimore Township uauip Alice (Johncock) Casey,’. He and graduated from Hastir"" stings attended Hinds School t High School in 1937. Da )avis then Hastings High School served in the Army .Air through 10th grade. He left Corps and was about 23 school to join the Navy,. Ca- years old when he died in a sey died Feb. 21, 1945,. dur< plane crash in Panama May ing the Battle of Iwo ' Jima. 5, 1942. He was buried at sea. Staff Sgt. William “Bill” Pfc. George H. 1 Cash- DeCou was born about 1924 more was born Nov. 22, to Clair and Hazel DeCou. 1924. He was orpha laned as a He graduated from Hastings child and raisedi by his High School in 1941 and grandparents, Edwin and soon joined the Army Air Minnie Smith. He attended Corps. DeCou died at age- 20 school in Assyria Township. in an aircraft accident Mar irch Cashmore worked at Kel- 3, 1944, near nea San Borlogg; Company in Battle nadino, Calif. uii. He is buried j. Cemetery r> ■in Creel :k before joining the ini 1Riverside Marines,, where he was in Has astings. the 4th Mlarine e Division,i, 1st First Lt. James P. Dibble Amp! ihibious Corps, Mari nine was born Nov. 3, 1921, the Raide ier Unit. Cashr tmore died son of James E. and Estelle just 1944 near Ivvo M. Dibble. He graduated in ln August Jima- He was killed in ac- 1939 and wor irked at Schultz l'on ar|d *s buried at a ceme- Bakery iin Chicago before tery 'n Bedford. joining ththe Army Air Corps, Lewis Castle was born He was aa fighter pilot in the Feb. 23, 1921, in Orangev- First Figi ghter Group. Dibble,. ille to Frank and Flossie 21, diedJ 5Sept. 9, 1943, when (Lectka) Castle. He gradu­ his plane was shot down ated from Hastings High overr Italy. He H is buried in School in 1939. Cer Mt. Hope Cemetery in MidWilliam A. Chris' iristy was dleville. /ille. born Oct. 16, 1926. Pfc. Robert C. Gardner 16. Raised by his foster mother, Nellie was born Dec. 30, 1923, to Clcmence, he gradua jaretha Gardudated in Roy and Margaretha 1944 ar*d soon joined ’ J the ■’ ner. He had worked at UnArmy Air Corps. Christy ion Stamp ar and Pump Comwas given a medical dis- pany in Battle Battle Creek and left charge £and' was considered a high school durir during his junior veteran when he died of ane- year to join the ZArmy. Gard- ner died in Germany , atl age 21 after an unknown explosion occurred in a building he was in Feb. 22, 1945. He is buried at Striker Cemetery ini Maple Grove Township. Second Lt. Martin Haw­ thorne was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Hawthorne. He gr; graduated from Hastings Highh School in 1940 and then served as produce p man­ ager for the Has astings Kroger store before; joining ‘ the Air Force as a fighter pilot. He died Jan. 22, 1944, when his ' plane was shot down near New Guinea. He is buried in Rock Island National Ceme­ tery in Rock Island, Ill. Second Lt. Robert H. Hem Ilenney was born Jan. 19, 1919, the only child of Fred and Lusena (Nichols) Hen­ ney. He grew up in Carlton Center and graduated from Hastings High School in 1937. He went on to Michi­ gan State University, where he earned a degree in agri­ culture economics in 1942, beforei joining the Army. He was kil illed in action Jan. 29, 19^ 944, in Cassino, Italy. He is buried at Riverside Ceme­ tery in Hastings. Pvt. Ernest M. Howell was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Howell. He graduated in 1943 and worked on the family farm before joinjng Army. Howell was __ ___ he was killed in ac19 when tion April /; 25, 1945, in Luzon, Philippines. Philippin He is buried at nati m the me national cemetery in New Albany, Alban’ Ind. Pfc. Merrill E. Isham was born Dec. 20, 1917, to Howard and Sarah (Ham­ mond) Isham. He attended Barney Mills School and then Hastings High School, graduating in 1935. He was employed at Ralston Purina and Weston Biscuit Company in Battle Creek before joining the Army. Isham worked in ordnance and was about 28 years old when he died of malaria May 14, 1945, at Camp Atterbury, Ind. He is buried in Union Cemetery, Baltimore Township. �Staff Sgt. Frank R. G. H. McPharlin McPharIir graduated He is buried at the Freeport Charles VanDenberg. He atHigh* tended Hastings High “Bob” Kelly was born in from Hastings High ' School Cemetery. 1916, the son of Frank and in !- 1930. ,'v,n He flew fit lew with the Second Lt. Cleon L. School before transferring to Gladys (Beck) Kelly. He British Royal Air Force. Smith was born June 15, Nashville High School from 8-----duated in 1940. graduated from Hastings Pvt. Harold W. Norwood 1919, the son of Ernest and which he gradt He graduated graduated He He worked worked for Kellogg High School in 1933 and was was born born Dec. Dec. 14, 14, 1909, 1909, the the Sopha Smith. He 1 worked as a lineman before son of Russell ell and and Franc Frances from Hastings stings High High School School Company Company ”Battle " Creek bejoining the Army Air ’ Corps ~ (Germain) ’ Norwood. He in 1937 and then went on to fore joinii joining the Army. He as an armorer-gunner. Kelly graduated in 1927 and was MSU to earn an engineering was a plate platoon commander in died when his plane Company E, 361st Infantry, ne was employed at Eaton Manu- degree in 1942 before join- Comp shot down near Derben, )erben, facturing before joining the ing the Army Air Force. VanI VanDenberg died Oct. 11, Germany, Jan. 14, 1945. He Army’s Third Infantry Divi- Smith died Dec. 1, 1943, in 1944, in Italy, due to a morwas 21 years old. sion. sion. Norwood Norwood died died in in an airplane accident in tar fire attack. He is buried Pvt. Neil L. Kidder was March 1944 near Cisterna, Idaho. in Wilcox Cemetery, Maple born Jan. 22, 1923, to Mr. Italy, killed in action in the Corp. Donald L. Solo- Grove and Mrs. Clem Kidder. He Battk Battle of Anzio. He is buried mon was born Aug. 14, Machinists Mate 2nd Class attended Dunham School in in North Cemetery, Hickory 1914, 14, to Mr. and Mrs. Char- Morton F. Young, the son of Maple Grove Township “ '> as a Corners les Solomon. les He Solomon. was in theHeJohn was in andthe Edna John Young, and Edna was . . . warfare child. He worked for WilWilPfc. Robert Reid was chemical service in born about 1924. He was recox-Rich in Battle Creek be- born Oct. 16, 1922, to Wil- the Army. Solomon died of ported missing in action May fore joining the Army. He liam liam and and Alta Alta (Callihan) (Callihan) cerebral cerebral malaria malaria at at age age 28 28 27,1945, while serving in the was in the 36th Armored Reid. Reid. He He attended attended Starr Starr while while in in aa prison prison camp camp in in U.S. Navy. Regiment, ”3rd' Division, ' ’'1,1st 1st School before5 joining the Taralic, Japan, June 1, 1942. Sources: Hastings High Army. Kidder, 21, died ied in Army. Army. He He served served in in the the He isHe buried is buried in Portland. in Portland. School yearbooks and France July 17, 1944,, of 131st 131st Infantry Infantry itry Re Regiment Regiment of of Technician 5th Class De- graduation graduation programs; p"'°' Hastwounds received in battle, title. the 33rd Division ivisior until his Forest Snyder Jr. was bom ings Banner; — Barry County He is buried in Wilcox death at age 22. Reid was May 28, 1921, the son of Veterans of the World War Cemetery in Maple Grove killed in action March 24, DeForest and Hazel (Bar- // II Era (2002); A Collection Township. 1945, near 'Luzon, Philip------ ­ num) Snyder. Philip °-yder. He graduated of Memories — Personal Technician 4th Class Es- pines. He is bun buried tu ,in Hast- in i?-rv 1940 nom from Hastings High Stories from World War II tie V. King was born in ings Township Ceme Cemetery. School and was working as Veterans of Ionia County 1917, the son of Rev. and Second Lt. Frai Frank W. an assistant manager at the (2008); U.S. National Park Mrs. Fred W. King. He Rogers was born Aug. j 4, Woolworth store in San San-­ Service; and the National graduated from Hastings ngs 1919, the son of 1Mr. and dusky, Ohio, before joining Archives. High School in 1934 andJ at- Mrs. Frank Roge Rogers. He grew the Army. Snyder, 23, died Compiled by Kathy Mautended college for one year, up in Dowling and It later Sept. 10, 1944, near Cr Or- rer, copy editor. He was in the Army’s 11th graduated from Hasti Hastings leans, France, of" wounds reInfantry Regiment, 5thh In- High School in 1937. He ceived after the tl vehicle he fantry Division before his earned a bachelor of science was in was blowni up. He is death at age 28. King was degree from Western Michi- buried at Hastings: Township ' killed in action Jan. 25, gan University before join- Cemetery. 1949, near Lippersche leid, ing the Marines as a pilot. Second Lt. Duane D. Luxembourg. He is buried P~;—. 25, died in an air- Stamm was the son of Mr. ' J in ’ Rogers, Luxembourg American plane accident ac Feb.. 2, 1945, and Mrs. L. D. Stamm. The Cemetery. near Mt. Whitney, Calif. He 1943 graduate joined the Pvt. Hubert McCal­ is buried in Riverside lubert L. McCalGuard in the ide Ceme- Army National Na lum was born in 1911 to tery, Hastings. 32nd “Re Red Arrow” Division. Donald “Dan” and Rosa M. Lt. Howard A. Shellingtiling- He died in a fplane crash. McCallum. He attended ton was born Oct. 3,, 1923, Sgt. Merl Merle G. Tasker Brush Ridge School and to to Emmett Emmett and and Mary Mary was was born born June 13, 1913, to •raduated from from Hastings Hastings Shellington. Mrs. (Oliver Tasker. graduated Shellington. He He attended attended Mr. and Mrs. HighhSchool School in in 1928. 1928. He He Ryan Ryan School School and and later later He He sgrew up in Assyria worked on the. family farm graduated graduated from from Hastings Hastings Township Towr and graduated and built and operated his High High School School in in 1941. 1941. He He from from Hastings He High School own sawmill before >efore joining was working :as a tool and in 1933. He was employed the Army. He was in the die dieapprentice apprentice before joining at the state fish hatchery in Company B, 103rd Combat the the Army Army Air Air Corps. irps. Hastings before joining the Battalion of Replacement Shellington was a fighter ‘ „ sr pi- Army. Tasker was killed in Engineers when /hen he was lol with the 2nd Bombardjmbard- action near New Guinea < Jan. killed in action when he was ment S Squadron H, 22nd 1, 1943, at age 29. He is about 33 years old. McCal- Bomban ardment Group H. He buried in Riverside Rivers Cemelum died Dec. 9, 1944, in died at age 21 when his tery, Hastings. Second Lt. Wesley R. ic was shot down June France. He is buried juried in Riv- plane tch VanDenberg, was born Aug. erside Cemetery, Hastings. Has tings. 25,1! 1945, near Maros, Dutc and Mrs. ia). 27, 1922, to Mr. 1 Major Michael1 “Mickey” Eastt 1Indies (now Indonesia � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photocopy of the newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Excerpt from The Reminder listing names of former Hastings High School students who died in World War II Subject The topic of the resource Hastings, Michigan. War Memorials. Description An account of the resource Excerpt from The Reminder listing names of former Hastings High School students who died in World War II. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newspaper Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource unknown Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 5/17/2014 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/330/Dibble_Text0206.pdf 0ae9547f608eaef3fd2707aa7002d835 PDF Text Text HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY STUDENT ASSOCIATION HASTINGS, MICHIGAN Hay 31, 1946 Mr. and id’s. James Dibble 402 E. Green Street Hastings, Michigan Dear Er. and i.rs. Dibble: At an all-school assembly held in Central auditorium on Wednesday, Hay 29, we paid solemn tribute to James and twenty-six of his school mates wtio made the supreme sacrifice during Jorld l/ar II. ..e are enclosing a program of the memorial service. Again, we here at Hastings High extend our deepest sympathy to you in this hour of national sorrow. Sincerely yours, Robert S. Casey, president Facult; St ien , lout cLI � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Typed letter Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letter to James Dibble's parents about the High School memorial Subject The topic of the resource Hastings, Michigan. War Memorials. Description An account of the resource Letter to James Dibble's parents about the High School memorial. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Personal correspondence Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Robert S. Casey Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 5/31/1946 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/329/Dibble_Text0205.pdf 86f435d4b49dc4ad843858ef58c85778 PDF Text Text HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIAL SERVICE Wednesday, May 29, 1946 Central Auditorium Piano Prelude Richard Branch Flag Salute (By the Assembly) Kingsley Zerbel (By the Assembly) Hymn: “America” Mrs. Lower Our father :rs’ God, to thee, Author off Liberty, To Thee we sing: Long may our land be bright, b~; With freedom iom’s holy light; Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King! My country, ’tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing: Land where my fathers died! Land of the Pilgrims’ pride! From every mountain side Let freedom ring! Those We Remember: Fred McDonald 'Names of Hastings High School students who gave their lives in World War II Robert Gardner Martin Hawthorne Robert Henney Ernest Howell Merrill Isham Frank (Bob) Kelly Neil Kidder Estle King Hubert McCallum Cleo Card Charles Casey George Cash more Lewis Castle Orville Cooley Richard Babcock Bernard Davis William DeCou James Dibble Michael McPharlin Robert Reid Frank Rogers Howard Shellington Cleon Smith DeForest Snyder Duane Stamm Merle Tasker Wesley VandenBerg Words in Remembrance Raymond Kenyon Poems in Remembrance Songs in Remembrance Mrs. Hamilton . . (By the High School Choir) Mrs. Lower “Our Flag” . O’Hara “Madam Jeanette” Murray Mr. King Talk: “War is Not Romantic” Hymn: “America the Beautiful” . (By the Assembly) Mrs. Lower O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties, Above the fruited plain. America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with broth brotherhood From sea to shining sea. O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life America! America! May God thy gold refine Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine. (By the Assembly) The Lord’s Prayer Fred McDonald Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed by Thy' Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive ius our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,, but deliver us from evil, For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever, Amen. Piano Postlude Richard Branch � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Printed document Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Memorial Service Program for the ceremony honoring war dead at Hastings High School Subject The topic of the resource Hastings, Michigan. War Memorials. Description An account of the resource Memorial Service Program held at Hastings High School in 1946 honoring 27 Hastings residents who died in World War II. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Program Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hastings High School Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 5/29/1946 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/340/Dibble_Text0091.pdf f9390627b16b240b56d34ce563c12d37 PDF Text Text iliiliiin IliBlilj ii-liPili ijlfs Uj |? sioiiyii 1101 iih| iOllIlpi, SMsijsslO a:s os H;^£ pyyiilii Iliiiiillii ill I!ii §?? iff ’?¥ SJ y o �r iS&OiK I WH? iKI . MMjfiftr1 - OM.5W20 -SQ y § Ofiiffli iihOiiPiffiii CO . 11 mF 1Zv 1 ~ s I - t ”\ .•M.8<Fsl8S5|-f | a> 0)4S g </s -;2| co Bf *'« SitI <? —> br5? 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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Reminder newspaper article on a ceremony at Hastings High School to honor James Dibble Subject The topic of the resource Hastings, Michigan. War Memorials. Description An account of the resource The Reminder newspaper article on a ceremony at Hastings High School to honor James Dibble. Included was his widow Maxine, also a Hastings High School graduate. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newspaper Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Megan Lavell Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 11/7/2006 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. J-Ad Graphics Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available J-Ad Graphics Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/321/Dibble_Text0127.pdf 8fffb379d3a52ea0d243e3791c8323d9 PDF Text Text I HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY AIR FORCES WASHINGTON.^. C. WAR DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY AIR FORCES WASHINGTON AAF 201 - (693) James P. Dibble, Jams 0 733 844 30 October 1943. Mrs. Maxine Dibble, • % Ray Erway, Rural Route # 5 Hastings, Michigan. Dear Mrs. Dibbles >ur husband First Lieutenant James P. Dibble was Notification that yot Lon in the ./North. African Area s^nce September 9th, , ^reported missing in actic was sent to you by The Adjutant General on September 24th. Further information has been received to the effect that Lieutenant Dibble was the pilot of a P-38 Lightning fighter plane which left Sicily on September 9th on a patrol and strafing mission to southern Italy. The report states that about 5:25 p.m. while strafing an enemy truck convoy along a road approximately 30 miles east of Agropoli, Italy, Lieutenant Dibble's plane was observed to climb to about 2,000 feet with his cockpit on fire apparently caused by enemy antiaircraft fire. From this position your husband bailed out and was last seen with his parachute open about 1500 feet above the ground drifting away from the convoy. • There were no other persons in the plane with your husband. The above facts constitute all the information available. Your anxiety during this trying period is fully appreciated and you may rest assured that any additional data received will be sent to you immediately. Very sincerely, z/JOHN B. COOLEY, ^Colonel, A. G. D., Acting Air Adjutant General. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Typed letter Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letter to Maxine Dibble providing further details on James Dibble's crash and status, details later found to be in error Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. MIA/KIA. Description An account of the resource Letter to Maxine Dibble providing further details on James Dibble's crash and status, details later found to be in error. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Killed in action report Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Col. John B. Cooley Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 10/30/1943 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022 https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/332/Dibble_Text0129.pdf d9f347f04f31110b7d2e3bdcb1454eb8 PDF Text Text WAR DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF THE QUARTERMASTER GENERAL WASHINGTON 25, D. C. 18 October 19^6 Mrs. Maxine Dibble c/o Mr. Ray Erway Route #5 Eastings, Michigan Dear Mrs. Dibble: The War Department is most desirous that youi be furnished, information regarding the burial location of your husbe jand, the late First Lieutenant James P. Dibble, A.S.N. 0 733 81A. The records of this office disclose that his remains are interred in the U. S. Military Cemetery Naples, plot K, row 8, grave 90. You may be assured that the identification and interment have been ac­ complished with fitting dignity and solemnity. This cemetery is located in Naples, Italy, and is under the con­ stant care and supervision of United States military personnel. The War Department has now been authorized to comply, at Government expense, e 3garding with the feasible wishes of the next of kin reg finalL interment, Interment , here or abroad, of the remains of your lovec 3d. one. At a later date, ;e, this on office ice win, will, witnout without anj any action on >n your part, pro­ vide the next 3Xt of kin with full information and soiled' sit his detailed desires. Please accept ray sincere sympathy in your great loss. Sincerely yours, Major General The Quartermaster General � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: Killed in Action Description An account of the resource Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul><br /><ul><li> <ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Typed letter Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letter to Maxine Dibble informing of her of where James Dibble is buried in Italy Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. Burial. Description An account of the resource Letter to Maxine Dibble informing of her of where James Dibble is buried in Italy. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Burial notice Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Major General T. B. Larkin Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 10/18/1946 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022