Rank and Name, Sergeant Harold Edward Rogers
Unit/Placed in, 744th Bomber Squadron, 456th Bombardment Group.
Sgt Harold E. Rogers was a Seneca Indian from Oklahoma.
Harold was born on Aug 19, 1914 in Tiff City, Missouri.
Parents and Siblings, no record.
Spouse, RoMere D. Martin.
Harold enlisted in the service in Virginia with serial number: 33224960.
Harold‘s Crew-members and their position on-board the plane a B-24 were,
2nd. Lt. Edward C. Jones Jr. Pilot
2nd.Lt. Vittorio O. Russo Co-Pilot
2nd.Lt. Benjamin W. Grant Navigator
2nd.Lt. Joseph R. Wall Bombardier
M/Sgt. James T. Sanford. Nose Gunner
T/Sgt. Walter J. Rogers Tail Gunner
T/Sgt. Ferral E. Daniel Ball Turret Gunner
T/Sgt. Harold E. Rogers. Engineer/Turret Gunner
S/Sgt. Joseph F. Miller Left Waist Gunner
S/Sgt. Jack F. Bonifield Right Waist Gunner
S/Sgt. Joseph M.L. Michaud Photographer
Harold was KIA in the plane crash, they found his remains on the crash site on Jul. 2, 1944, he is honored with a Purple Heart and he was already honored with a Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with five Oak Leaf clusters, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
Harold was first buried/Mentioned at Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England.
Wall of the Missing.
Harold was reburied in 1949 at Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery
Miami, Ottawa County, Oklahoma, USA.
Thanks to
Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com and ww2-europe.com.
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
National Historian
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Website, https://hendrikswebdesign.nl/
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Tank Destroyers, http://www.bensavelkoul.nl/
Staff Sgt. Harold Rogers, who had been listed as missing since July 2, 1944, has been declared killed in action, according to word received from his wife by Mrs. Maude Jones, 31 A street northeast, a close friend of the couple. The sergeant, who was born and reared in Tiff City, Mo., and attended grade school there, was graduated from Wyandotte high school. He later attended Chilocco Indian school. Enlisting in the service in May, 1942, he went overseas a year later as a tail gunner on a Flying Fortress, attached to the 8th airforce in England. He was accompanied overseas by his dog, “Mister,” half chow and half police hound. Togerther they made 25 missions, once bailing out over the North sea. Rescued, they returned to the United States in May, 1944. At that time they and Mrs. Rogers visited in Miami. Assigned to an airbase as a instructor the veteran was dissatisfied and at his own request was returned to active duty, Mister, left behind, accompanied Mrs. Rogers back to their home in Hollywood, Calif. Sergeant Rogers was assigned this time to the 15th AAF, based in Italy, and was on a mission over enemy-occupied Hungary when attacked by 130‘s (German fighter planes). When the pilot signaled to abandon the crippled plane, he was notified that there were several crew members whose wounds would prevent them making a parachute jump, whereupon he elected to attempt to bring the plane in. The uninjured members of the crew bailed out and a few minutes later the big ship exploded in midair. The 34-year old former Miamian and motion picture actor was among the victims. Mrs. Rogers is the former Romear Darling, a graduate of Haskell Institute. (Miami Daily News-Record, Miami, OK, Sunday, Aug. 5, 1945, p. 1, Col. 7-8)
Body of War Hero Arrives in Miami For Rites, Reburial
The body of T/Sgt. Harold E. Rogers, who was killed while serving with the 18th Air force in a mission over Budapest, Hungary, in July, 1944, arrived in Miami Saturday for final rites and reburial. Sergeant Rogers, a resident of Miami during his early school days, was the recipient of the Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf clusters, the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart, the latter posthumously. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. RaMere Rogers, Hollywood, Calif., and two brothers, Robert Rogers and Hubert Hardy, whose addresses are not known here. Funeral services will be held at the Cooper Funeral home chapel at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Russell Martin will officiate. Miami’s Veterans of Foreign Wars will conduct a graveside service. Chief Watson Whitewing of the Seneca Indian tribe will be in charge of second graveside ceremony at GAR cemetery
