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Aircraft Captain, 8387548 Rae Bridge, Los Angeles, CA (2025)

09/09/2025

🎖️ Honoring the Memory of PVT Filimon Castillo: On August 30, 1942, at just 22 years old, he lost his life as a prisoner in the Philippines during WWII.

Filimon Chavez Castillo was born on October 15, 1919, in Lemitar, New Mexico, to Silvestre and Manuelita Castillo, and had at least one brother. He enlisted in the Army on March 28, 1941, and was deployed to the Philippines as part of the 200th Coast Artillery Corps.

Following the devastating Japanese attack, Filimon and his fellow soldiers were forced to fight as infantry after their guns were destroyed during the Battle of Bataan. He became a prisoner of war following the surrender of US Forces in Bataan and tragically died at the Cabanatuan POW Camp on August 30, 1942.

After the war, his remains were recovered, and he was laid to rest at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial - Plot L, Row 9, Grave 80, with a memorial marker also placed at Santa Fe National Cemetery in New Mexico.

His older brother, Ignacio Chavez Castillo, was also a soldier in the Philippines and endured horrific conditions as a POW, ultimately going missing when the "Hell Ship" Arisan Maru was sunk by USS Shark on October 24, 1944. Ignacio is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

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09/09/2025

🎖️ Remembering a Tragic Loss: On August 30, 1945, Sgt John Hodges Jr, just 20 years old, lost his life in a crash in Japan.

Born on November 22, 1924, in Norfolk, Virginia, John was the son of John and Daphne Hodges and had at least one sister. He attended Waynesburg College in Pennsylvania before enlisting in the USAAF, where he served as a B-29 radar operator with the 20th Air Force, 58th Bombardment Wing, 40th Bombardment Group, and 45th Bombardment Squadron based in Tinian.

On that fateful day, Sgt Hodges was aboard B-29 44-61554, tasked with delivering food and supplies to POWs in a prison camp in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Tragically, in poor weather conditions filled with fog and rain, the aircraft collided with a mountain while attempting to navigate the Sobo Mountain Range, resulting in the loss of all 12 crew members.

In recognition of his bravery, Hodges was posthumously awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.

He rests at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, Section M, Site 1207. In Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, a small stone monument stands in honor of him and his crewmates.

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09/08/2025

Private Joe Frank Mach, born February 8, 1916, in Ennis, Texas, was a devoted soldier killed in action near Brest, France, on September 2, 1944, at age 28. Serving with the 175th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, Joe left behind a wife and two daughters.

He rests at the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial, embodying the sacrifice of countless soldiers during World War II. His family’s story honors his service and the enduring impact of his dedication to freedom.

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09/08/2025

Technician Fourth Grade Paul Denitti, born June 21, 1920, in Monessen, Pennsylvania, was a brave tank battalion member who was killed in action in France on August 10, 1944, at age 24. Serving with the 15th Tank Battalion, 6th Armored Division, he likely fell during intense combat advancing toward Champenard and Douains.

Paul is interred at the Brittany American Cemetery and also remembered with a memorial marker in Pennsylvania. His legacy is preserved through the memory of his family and the sacrifices made during World War II.

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09/08/2025

2nd Lieutenant Philip Edward Higinbotham, born October 16, 1916 in Franklinville, New York, was a dedicated soldier who was killed in action on August 5, 1944, during the Allied advance through Brittany, France. A graduate of Hamilton College and Tulsa University with expertise in geology, Philip enlisted in 1942 and served with the 25th Armored Engineer Battalion.

He is honored at the Brittany American Cemetery, alongside his brother Frederick, who also fell in combat over Belgium later that year. The Higinbotham family’s remarkable contributions spanned military service and scientific achievements, reflecting deep patriotism and sacrifice.

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09/08/2025

2nd Lieutenant Carleton Sacco, born May 18, 1922, in Long Branch, New Jersey, was a courageous B-17 co-pilot who gave his life during a mission over England on August 26, 1944, at age 22. After earning his pilot wings in February 1944, Sacco deployed to England and joined the 390th Bomb Group. On a bombing run to Brest, his aircraft collided mid-air with another B-17, resulting in the loss of his entire crew.

He is buried at Long Island National Cemetery, and posthumously honored with a second Air Medal for his meritorious service. Carleton’s legacy lives on at the Manasquan War Memorial, commemorating the ultimate sacrifice he made during World War II.

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09/08/2025

Captain Claude Lawson Jr, born November 12, 1920 in Alabama, was a B-29 Superfortress pilot who tragically lost his life during a POW support mission on August 27, 1945, at just 24 years old. While piloting the B-29 “Temper Eleven” to air drop supplies to Allied prisoners of war in Japan, his aircraft crashed into Mount Tapochau near Saipan, killing all ten crew members instantly. He is laid to rest at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii.

Claude was the eldest of three brothers; his younger brother, PFC Bob Rutledge Lawson, was also killed in action in Germany earlier that year. The surviving brother, William Moseley Lawson, went on to become a doctor and lived to age 92.

This story honors the bravery and sacrifice of the Lawson family during World War II, reflecting a profound commitment to service and country.

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09/06/2025

🎖️ Honoring 81 Years Ago;
On July 26, 1944, S/Sgt Leroy Cloud was Killed in Action near Saint-Germain-d’Elle at the age of 24.

Born on August 13, 1919, in Austin, Texas, Leroy was the eldest of two sons and an accomplished athlete at Thrall High School. He enlisted in the Army at Fort Sam Houston on February 4, 1941, and became a crewmember of a light tank with Company A, 744th Tank Battalion, attached to the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.

Tragically, during combat in Normandy, their M5A1 tank was struck by an anti-tank rocket, leading to Leroy and his crewmate CPL Bartlett being declared Missing in Action after the incident.

In 2018, a DPAA historian revealed that remains recovered from the tank were identified as Leroy's, and he was laid to rest with full military honors on April 7, 2024, at Taylor City Cemetery in Texas, alongside his family.

A Rosette now marks his name on the Walls of the Missing at the Normandy American Cemetery, signifying he has been accounted for.

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09/06/2025

🎖️ Remembering 81 Years Ago;
On August 28, 1944, PVT Donald Monti was KIA in France at just 20 years old.

Born on November 5, 1923, in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, Donald was part of a close-knit family with at least one brother and a sister. He enlisted in the Army and served with the 13th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division.

Donald lost his life during intense combat while fighting to secure the heavily fortified German-occupied port city of Brest.

Today, PVT Donald Monti is honored at the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial in France - Plot G Row 4 Grave 15, a testament to his bravery and sacrifice.

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09/06/2025

🎖️ Honoring 83 Years Ago;
On August 7, 1942, USMC PFC Gerald Mack was Killed in Action during the initial landings in the Solomon Islands at the age of 20.

Born on January 14, 1922, in Washburn, Wisconsin, Gerald was the youngest of five children. After the loss of their mother in 1939, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served with the 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division.

He bravely participated in the landings at Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo during the Guadalcanal Campaign, where he ultimately lost his life.

PFC Gerald Mack rests at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii - A 1015. His older brothers John and Thomas also served in World War II, with John in the USAAF and Thomas in the Army, both having passed away in the years following the war.

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09/06/2025

🎖️ Commemorating 83 Years Ago;
On August 10, 1942, F1 Robert Edwards tragically lost his life following the Battle of Savo Island at just 23 years old.

Robert Waymon Edwards was born on July 18, 1919, in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, as the second of three sons. He served aboard the USS Astoria during a fierce encounter with Japanese warships on August 9, 1942, which led to the ship's sinking later that day.

Though his official date of death is listed as August 10, it’s likely he was wounded in battle and later succumbed to his injuries on another vessel, ultimately being buried at sea.

Fireman First Class Robert Edwards is honored at the US Navy Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. His legacy continues, as both his older brother Lemuel served in the Army during World War II and younger brother Lloyd served in the Navy, both having passed away after the war.

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09/06/2025

🎖️ Remembering 81 Years Ago;
On July 25, 1944, USMC PFC Julius Salzmann made the ultimate sacrifice on Tinian at the young age of 24.

Born on March 5, 1920, in Iona Township, South Dakota, Julius was one of seven siblings raised on a family farm. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in January 1942, shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack, driven by a sense of duty.

In September 1943, while on leave in New Zealand, he married, but details about his wife remain elusive.

Serving in Weapons Company, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Julius was KIA on Tinian and was buried at sea in tribute to his bravery.

His legacy lives on at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii and with a memorial stone placed beside his parents' headstone at Iona Cemetery in South Dakota. Notably, both of his brothers and a sister also served in the military during World War II and returned home safely.

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