Funerals for LT Thomas J. E. Crotty, 2nd Lt Ernest Matthews, Jr., PVT Jacob W. Givens, and 1st Lt. Joseph E. Finneran (World War II); and CPL Robert L. Bray, SGT Billy J. Maxwell, and CPL Gudmund C. Johnson (Korea)

| October 31, 2019

Funerals will be held next week for the following previously missing individuals recently accounted for by DPAA.

. . .

This September, DPAA announced that it had accounted for LT Thomas J. E. Crotty, US Coast Guard. LT Crotty was lost in the Philippines on 19 July 1942.

LT Crotty will be buried next week – on Sunday, 3 November – in Buffalo, New York. Regrettably, DPAA does not seem to have posted the specific location or time for his funeral services or interment.

If any TAH readers have the precise location and time for LT Crotty’s funeral services and/or interment, please post it in comments below. And if any readers are in the area and have the time, here’s an opportunity to give someone lost during World War II a proper final send-off.

. . .

In January 2017, DPAA announced that it had accounted for 2nd Lt Ernest Matthews, Jr., USMC. 2nd Lt Matthews was lost on Tarawa on 20 November 1943.

2nd Lt Matthews will be buried next week – on Tuesday, 5 November – in San Antonio, Texas. Regrettably, DPAA does not seem to have posted the specific location or time for his funeral services or interment.

If any TAH readers have the precise location and time for 2nd Lt Matthews’ funeral services and/or interment, please post it in comments below. And if any readers are in the area and have the time, here’s an opportunity to give someone lost during World War II a proper final send-off.

. . .

This June, DPAA announced that it had accounted for CPL Robert L. Bray, US Army. CPL Bray was lost in South Korea on 20 July 1950.

CPL Bray will be buried next week – on Wednesday, 6 November 2019 – in Bainbridge, Ohio. Regrettably, DPAA does not seem to have posted the specific location and time for his funeral services or interment.

If any TAH readers have the precise location and time for CPL Bray’s funeral services or interment, please post it in comments below. And if any readers are in the area and have the time, here’s an opportunity to give someone lost during the Korean War a proper final send-off.

. . .

This June, DPAA announced that it had accounted for PVT Jacob W. Givens, US Army. PVT Givens was lost in Germany on 20 October 1944.

PVT Givens will be buried next week – on Saturday, 9 November – in Prestonburg, Kenucky. Regrettably, DPAA does not seem to have posted the specific location and time for his funeral services or interment.

If any TAH readers have the precise location and time for PVT Givens’ funeral services or interment, please post it in comments below. And if any readers are in the area and have the time, here’s an opportunity to give someone lost during World War II a proper final send-off.

. . .

This August, DPAA announced that it had accounted for SGT Billy J. Maxwell, US Army. SGT Maxwell was lost in North Korea on 30 November 1950.

SGT Maxwell will be buried next week – on Saturday, 9 November 2019 – in Hogansville, Georgia. Regrettably, DPAA does not seem to have posted the specific location and time for his funeral services or interment.

If any TAH readers have the precise location and time for SGT Maxwell’s funeral services or interment, please post it in comments below. And if any readers are in the area and have the time, here’s an opportunity to give someone lost during the Korean War a proper final send-off.

. . .

This August, DPAA announced that it had accounted for CPL Gudmund C. Johnson, Jr., US Army. CPL Johnson was lost in North Korea on 31 July 1951.

CPL Johnson will be buried next week – on Saturday, 9 November – in Red Wing, Minnesota. Regrettably, DPAA does not seem to have posted the specific location and time for his funeral services or interment.

If any TAH readers have the precise location and time for CPL Johnson’s funeral services or interment, please post it in comments below. And if any readers are in the area and have the time, here’s an opportunity to give someone lost during World War II a proper final send-off.

. . .

This August, DPAA announced that it had accounted for 1st Lt. Joseph E. Finneran, US Army. 1st Lt. Finneran was lost in Romania on 1 August 1943.

1st Lt. Finneran will be buried next week – on Saturday, 9 November 2019 – in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. Regrettably, DPAA does not seem to have posted the specific location and time for his funeral services or interment.

If any TAH readers have the precise location and time for 1st Lt. Finneran’s funeral services or interment, please post it in comments below. And if any readers are in the area and have the time, here’s an opportunity to give someone lost during World War II a proper final send-off.

Category: Blue Skies, We Remember

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5th/77th FA

A glass will be raised and Honors paid to the Sacrifice that these Warriors made. Rest easy in your Home Soil men. Our apologies that it took so long.

Thanks for the update Hondo. I’m sure that ninja will be searching for the times and places of the services. Hogansville GA is only about 130 miles from me and just up the road from Benning.

#alwaysremember

ninja

There are two nice pictures of LT Lt. T. James “Jimmy” Crotty at these sites. One of the sites has
information on his background:

https://cannanfh.com/tribute/details/467/Lt-T-James-Jimmy-Crotty/obituary.html

https://buffalonews.com/2019/10/31/coast-guard-commandant-top-u-s-commander-coming-here-for-crotty-services/

His remains will arrive Friday at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

His Mass will be 12:00 pm, November 2, 2019 at the
St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 450 Abbott Road,
Buffalo, New York.

His Burial will be at the Holy Cross Cemetery, 2900 South Park Ave in Lackawanna, New York.

Admiral Karl Schultz, the 26th commandant of the Coast Guard, plans to attend the services. Govenor Andrew Cuomo announced that flags on all state buildings in New York will be lowered Saturday as a statement of honor for Crotty.

Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.

ninja

There is a news article about 2nd Lt Ernest Matthews, Jr., USMC with pictures and an interview with his Niece:

According to this news article, his Niece stated that 2LT Matthews, Jr. Widow, Mary Virginia Matthews, lived another 26 years after her husband’s death but never remarried. “She was a nurse,” said Matthews. “A WWII nurse.” Since her death in 1969, she’s been buried alone at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/wwii-marine-headed-home-for-san-antonio-burial-76-years-after-death

This is Mary’s Grave Site information with a nice picture of her.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3033008/mary-virginia-matthews

Lt. Matthews’ remains will arrive in San Antonio, Texas from Hawaii this Saturday, with a repatriation ceremony set for Tuesday, November 5 at Fort Sam.

GRAVESIDE SERVICES WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019
11:00 AM
FT SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.

ninja
ninja

There is a nice picture of Army CPL. Robert L. Bray, 18, of Chillicothe, Ohio at this site.

Only a teenager.

https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2019/10/22/remains-identified-of-ohio-soldier-who-died-in-korean-war/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/biz/45612/Ebright-Funeral-Homes-761788210681157/

“The Department of the Army will Repatriate Cpl. Bray with full military Honors in November. Cpl. Bray will be laid to rest in the Bainbridge Cemetery on his eighty-eighth birthday, November 6, 2019. A visitation will be held on that day for those who wish to pay respects to Cpl. Bray in the Smith-Moore-Ebright Funeral Home, Bainbridge.
Further details will be announced later as final plans have been coordinated by the US Army and the Department of Defense.”

This is the Funeral Home that will conduct his Visitation and Funeral. So far, his name is not listed with times:

https://www.ebrightfuneralhome.com/listings

Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.

5th/77th FA

ninja, at the risk of sounding maudlin or being falsely accused of kissing butt, if you will allow me extend my very fevrant and heartfelt THANKS for these added posts. I pour over each and everyone to get the nuggets of information on these Heros to kinda remind myself that there but for the Grace of God go I. I hope that the other members of the TAH Family do the same. I’m sure that the main post is read but going by the comment count, I’m not sure. It takes me awhile and I have to go back and forth between reads and other threads because it does hit home. Particularly with the lads like Cpl Bray. Forever 18. I also go to the funeral home site and leave a comment similar to the one that I leave here on our threads. I do this not for any recognition from the Family but to let them know that there are other Veterans out here that are paying Honors to these Warriors and making prayers for the Family.

Cpl Bray’s times have not posted yet, as you indicated. When I clicked on the link I noticed there was an obit for a Thelma Bray listed. Reading into hers it showed 12 children, one of which was named Robert and the other was named Lincoln. Wondering if she married into the Bray Family and those names were taken from his?

Again, Thank You, Keep up the Good Work and HBTD, RTR, & GABN!

ninja

KoB:

You are not kissing Butt.

You care. Others do as well.

What is wonderful about TAH is that we share info with one another.

Thank you for the compliment and you are so welcome!

A big Thank You to Hondo for inquiring about the times and locations of our Brothers-In-Arms Military Services and Funeral.

And a big Thank You to YOU, the KoB, for acknowledging the history of our now No Longer MIAs.

Gotta keep our TAH Unity and Spirit when it comes to our MIAs. Does not matter their Military Service, their Pay Grade, the Color of their Skin, whether they came from the North, the South, the Midlands, the West.

They all served. They all at one time were MIA. They all came home.

It always hits me when I read their age or read about their Family. Imagine losing a Son or a Daughter, a Sister or a Brother, an Uncle or an Aunt and never know what happened to them.

Thank you for your kind Feedback.

And Yes and High-Five to “hbtd”, “rtr” and “gabn”. 😉😎

LOL. 😁😆

For our AW1Ed:

*grin*

5th/77th FA

😀 😎 😉

nina

There is a Grave Marker for SGT Billy Joe Maxwell at the Carrollton City Cemetary in Carroll County, Georgia. It has the names of his Parents and Siblings:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66514834/billy-joe-maxwell

There is also a nice story about him as well as picture of him in Uniform at these two sites:

https://www.lagrangenews.com/2019/10/18/kia-mans-remains-to-return-to-hogansville/

https://www.wrbl.com/top-stories/hogansville-soldier-killed-in-korean-war-to-be-laid-to-rest/

So far, this is the only information provided about his Services:

“Maxwell’s remains will arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Thursday, Nov. 7, on a flight arriving from Hawaii.”

“A military honor guard will be present as the casket is removed from the plane and loaded into the hearse with family members being allowed at the gate to witness the ceremony.”

“My son will escort his remains to Hogansville,” Jimmy said.”

“Maxwell’s great-nephew, who has been serving in the U.S. Navy, will serve as a military escort from Hawaii to the funeral home in Hogansville for Sgt. Maxwell’s remains.”

Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.

ninja

This is the Obituary of Corporal Gudmund C. Johnson, Jr. (Sonny) with a nice picture of him in Uniform:

https://www.rivertowns.net/obituaries/obits/4746773-Gudmund-C.-Johnson-Jr.

https://www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Gudmund-Johnson/#!/Obituary

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., November 9, 2019, at the Mahn Funeral Home, Bodelson-Mahn Chapel in Red Wing. Burial with full military honors will follow at St. John’s Cemetery in Red Wing, Minnesota.

Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.

Ex-PH2

“According to interviews of soldiers who knew Gudmund, the apparent cause of his death was malnutrition.” from the obituary.

No surprise. The Norks can’t even feed their own people.

May he find peace hereafter.

ninja

This is the Obituary for 1st Lt. Joseph E. Finneran with a nice picture of him in Uniform:

https://www.currentobituary.com/obit/236920

https://www.gfdoherty.com/Obituaries.html

“Funeral from the George F. Doherty Funeral Home, 1305 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA. Visiting hours Friday November 8th, from 4-7pm. A mass of Christian burial will be performed at St. Joseph Church, 1382 Highland Avenue , Needham, MA, where Joe was baptized, Saturday November 9th at 10am. Graveside benediction, with full military honors, to follow the funeral mass at Mount Benedict Cemetery, 409 Corey Street, West Roxbury, MA.”

Rest In Peace. Salute. You Were Never Forgotten.

Ex-PH2

May they all find peace and quiet in the hereafter.

UpNorth

Welcome home, brothers. Apologies it took so long for your return. Rest in Peace.