All of the photos on this page are from the research files of Leopoldville disaster author/historian Allan Andrade. A special thanks to Genealogy researcher Dana Hoppes for information and photos that she has contributed. Anyone wishing to contribute a photo of their relative to this In Memoriam page should contact Allan Andrade via e-mail at agandrade37@msn.com.

Pfc. Delmar L. Dalton

Pfc. Dalton from Bloomington, Illinois was born on November 17, 1923.  He was employed by the Daily Pantagraph newspaper in their circulation department.  He was survived by his parents and brother, Russell. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

Sgt. William F. Dalton

Sgt. Dalton was from Roxbury, Massachusetts. His body was never found.

Pvt. John B. Dancy

Pvt. Dancy was from Coldwater, Mississippi. His body was never found.

Pvt. William J. Davis

Pvt. Davis was from Akron, Ohio. His body was never found. His picture is from The Akron Beacon Journal March 22, 1945.

Pfc. Andrew Deamantopulos

Pfc. Deamantopulos was from Chicago, Illinois. His body was never found.

Pfc. Jay Warren Taylor (Left) and  Pfc. Harold J. Decell (Right) Pfc. Harold Decell from Lyndonville, Vermont at the home of his army buddy Pfc. Jay Taylor from Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. Pfc. Taylor’s body was never found. Pfc. Decell’s body was recovered and after the war returned to the United States. His wife, Lucy, gave birth to his twin daughters, Leslie Ann and Linda Lee, on April 26, 1945.

Pfc. Philip E. DeSilva

Pfc. DeSilva was born in Ft. Collins, Colorado but was raised in Denver.  He used his middle name, Eddie. He attended the University of Nebraska as a member of the ASTP program. At the university, he met Margaret Capron who was also a student at the school. They fell in love and married. His son, Philip DeSilva, Jr. was born in September 1944.  The body of Pfc. DeSilva was never found.

Pfc. Garvis Dillinger

Pfc. Dillinger from Dumas, Mississippi was born on December 28, 1926. He had 2 brothers and 2 sisters. He grew up a farm boy and spent many days in the field helping his father make a living off the land. When he turned 18, he quit school and volunteered for military service.  His body was never found.  His mother was so distraught over his death that she spent a year in a hospital recovering from her loss.

S/Sgt. Howard W. DeMartini

Sgt. DeMartini from Northvale, New Jersey was born on October 21, 1914. The son of a railroad worker, he excelled at baseball and basketball at Closter High Scholl in Northvale. The right-handed pitcher was signed by the New York Giants in 1939 and played for the Milford Giants in the Eastern Shore League in 1940. He finished the year with a 16-6 record and a 2.74 ERA.  In 1941 he played for the Salisbury Giants in the North Carolina State League and finished the season with a 17-7 record and a 2.31 ERA. He was inducted into the army on July 1, 1942.  The body of Sgt. DeMartini was never found.  In 1980 he was inducted into the Bergen County Baseball Hall of Fame. His photo is from The Journal News May 12, 1945.

Sgt. Antonio DeResta, Jr.

Sgt. DeResta was from Providence, Rhode Island. His body was never found. Photo courtesy of Alice Servant DeResta & Clive Tirlemont.

Pvt. Nicholas J. DiMola

Pvt. DiMola was from Brooklyn, New York City. His body was never found.

Pfc. Paul Alfred Dockler

Pfc. Dockler from Gardner, Massachusetts was born on June 9, 1924. Photo courtesy of Christian M. Tate.

S/Sgt. James J. Doherty, Jr.

S/Sgt Doherty was among the 13 soldiers from Connecticut killed in the sinking. His body was recovered. He is buried in Normandy American Cemetery in France.

Pfc. Allan J. Dorgan

Pfc. Allan J. Dorgan was from Regent, North Dakota. One of seven killed from that state, his body was never found. His nephew, Byron Dorgan, is a former North Dakota Senator.

Pvt. William Oser Doughman

Pvt. Doughman from Loveland, Ohio was born on January 5, 1926. His body was never found.

Pvt. Frank P. Downing, Jr.

Pvt. Downing from Lewistown, Pennsylvania, was born on January 21, 1926. His body was recovered and returned to his home town for final interment at Mount Rock Cemetery, Lewistown, PA. on May 5,1948.

S/Sgt. Willis W. Doyle

S/Sgt. Doyle from Curtis, Nebraska, was born on October 28, 1917. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

Pvt. Richard T. Dreisbach

Richard Trout Dreisbach was born on February 24, 1926, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He had an older brother and 2 sisters. The family moved to York, Pennsylvania in August 1933. His body was recovered. Ironically, his remains were positively identified by Leopoldville survivor Pvt. Earl E. Jacobs, also a York, Pennsylvania resident. After the war, his body was returned home and buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, York, Pennsylvania.

T/Sgt.  Donald  Pershing  Dronenberg

Sgt. Dronenberg from Prophetstown, Illinois was born on July 26, 1918.  His body was never found.

Sgt. William R. Duhasek

Sgt. Duhasek was from Chicago, Illinois. His death was reported in the Chicago Tribune on January 24, 1945. His body was recovered.

S/Sgt. William Damery Durgy

Sgt. Durgy was born in East Chicago, Indiana on October 6, 1924 but at the time of his death his last civilian address was listed as Bakersfield, California. His body was never found.

Pfc. Arthur E. Eckerman

Pfc. Eckerman from Cleveland, Ohio was born on October 13, 1922. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

Pfc. Joseph S. Ellett

Pfc. Ellett from Elmira, New York was married to the former Helen Mills. He graduated from Elmira Free Academy in 1938 and his picture is from that yearbook.  The 24 year old was employed by Bell Aircraft Corp. in Buffalo, New York and Aeroloft Corp. in Detroit, Michigan before entering the army in April 1944.  He had a twin brother, Fred S. Ellett. The body of Pfc. Ellett was never found.

Pvt. Leroy J. Elston

Pvt. Elston from Clearwater, Nebraska was born on September 8, 1924. He graduated from Clearwater High School in 1942. He entered the service in May 1943. At the time of his death, he was engaged to Clarabel Beringer. His body was recovered and returned to the states after the war. He is buried in Clearwater Cemetery, Nebraska. He was survived by his parents and a younger sister.

Pvt. Ordest Houston Erwin

Pvt. Erwin from Hazel, Kentucky was born on November 25, 1922. Besides his parents, he was survived by his wife, Olivene, 6 sisters, and one brother.

Pfc.    Hobert  O.  Estep

Pfc. Estep was from Ashford, West Virginia.  His body was never found.

Pfc. Luther O. Evans

Pfc. Evans was from Covington, Kentucky. His body was never found.

Pvt. James Falci

Pvt. Falci was from Buffalo, New York.  He was survived by his parents, 4 sisters, and a brother. The body of the 18 year old was never found.

Pfc. Henry Field, Jr.

Pfc. Field was  from Doddridge, Arkansas. His body was never found.

Pfc. Anthony J. Flammia

Pfc. Flammia was from Mansfield, Massachusetts. His body was recovered and after the war was returned to the United States.

Pfc. Allen R. Flurry

Pfc. Flurry From Dennis, Mississippi was born on October 25, 1925.  His body was recovered and returned to the United States. He is buried in Lindsey Cemetery, Tishomingo County, Mississippi.  Note: As a result on an error in army records, he is incorrectly listed in the In Memoriam section of my book as being from Minnesota.

Pvt. James Carr Foester

Pvt. Foester from El Paso, Texas graduated from Cathedral High School in May 1944.  His body was never found.

Pfc. William SD Foster

Pfc. Foster from Hereford, Texas was born on March 2, 1925. His body was recovered and buried in West Park Cemetery, Hereford, Texas. At the time of his d eath, his parents were living in Pendleton, Orogon.

Pfc. Earl Burcher Fox

Pfc. Fox from Hornsbyville, Virginia, was born on October 15, 1925. He was one of 12 children that included 9 boys and 3 girls.  His body was recovered and buried in France.

T/5 William Fox

T/5 William Fox from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was assigned to Medical Detachment 262nd Regiment. His body was never found.

Pvt. Martin Fernandes, Jr.

Pvt. Fernandes was from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Assigned to Company F, 262nd Regiment he was quartered in the compartment where the torpedo struck the ship. His body was never found.

Pfc. Pablo G. Franco

Pfc. Franco was from Loving, New Mexico. His wife’s name was Rosa. His body was never found.

Pvt. Henry Freund

Pvt. Freund was born in Danzig or Germany in 1925. He lived in Brooklyn, NYC, was single and attended one year of college.  Listed as a non-citizen, he never-the-less became assigned to the 66th Infantry division in 1943. His body was recovered and he is buried in Normandy American cemetery, France.

Pvt. Simon Fried

Pvt. Fried who was born on January 28, 1926 was from Sidon, Mississippi . The body of the 18 year old was never found.

Pfc.  Carl  E.  Furmark

Pfc. Furmark was from Detroit, Michigan. His body was never found.

Pfc. Fred D. Furr

Pfc. Furr was from Concord, North Carolina. His body was never found.

Pfc. Wayne W. Gable

Pfc. Gable was from Walnutport, Pennsylvania. His body was never found.

Pfc. James B. Garland

Pfc. Garland was from Eubanks, Kentucky. His body was never found.

T/5 Estill Gilbert

Estill Gilbert from Oneida, Kentucky, was born on November 17, 1923.  He had four brothers who also served during WWII.  The body of T/5 Gilbert was never found.

Pfc. Harold Gilbert

Pfc. Gilbert from Fort Worth, Texas was born on September 26, 1922. He was the youngest of four brothers, all of whom served in World War II. The body of the 22 year old Gilbert was recovered and after the war was returned to the United States. He is buried in Ahavath  Sholom  Cemetery, Fort Worth, Texas.

Pfc. John O. (Huck) Gillespie

Pfc. Gillespie was from Lewisburg, Tennessee. The body of the 19 year old was never found.

Sgt. John F. Gillin

Sgt. Gillin from Forsyth, Montana was born on December 12, 1918. His body was never found. There is however, a memorial stone in the veteran’s section of Rosebud County Cemetery located in Forsyth.

Pfc. James C. Gillis

Pfc. Gillis was from Cypress Inn, Tennessee. His body was never found.

Pvt.  Lester  D.  Gilmore

Pvt. Gilmore was from San Antonio, Texas. His body was never found. Note: He was listed as missing in official army casualty lists prepared on 12/29/1944 and 01/05/1945. Recent information indicates there is a grave marker for him in a San Antonio, Texas cemetery.  Some relatives and friends of Leopoldville victims had grave markers placed in local cemeteries of victims even if there was no body buried there as a memorial to them. At this time, therefore, I am unable to be certain if in fact Pvt. Gilmore’s body was recovered or never found. It should be noted that Pvt. Gilmore’s name is not engraved on the Wall of the Missing in Normandy American Cemetery.

T/Sgt. Homer Travis Glanton

T/Sgt. Glanton from Emmett, Arkansas was born on February 8, 1911. His body was recovered. He is buried in Harmony Cemetery, Emmett, Arkansas.

Pfc. Peter T. Godelas 

Pfc. Godelas was from Chicago, Illinois. His body was never found.

Pfc. Joseph M. Goesch

Pfc. Goesch from Long Branch, New Jersey was born on June 6, 1924. His body was recovered. He is buried in Woodbine Cemetery, Oceanport, New Jersey.

Pvt. Robert Grad

Pvt. Grad was from Buffalo, New York. He was survived by his parents, 5 sisters, and 2 brothers. His body was recovered and returned to his hometown after the war.

Pvt. Melton E. Graham

Pvt. Graham was from Tiplersville, Mississippi. His body was never found.

Pvt. Cecil C. Green

Pvt. Green was from Rockbridge, Ohio. The body of the 28 year old was recovered and returned to the United States after the war. Besides his wife Ruth, he was survived by his parents, two sisters Mary and Novella, a brother Harold, and a half-brother, Walter Ogg.

Pfc. Charles H. Gregory

Pfc. Gregory from Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee was born in 1926. Although his body was never found there is a memorial stone for him in Jenkins-Milltown Cemetery in Tennessee.

T/4 Herman Gurtner

T/4 Gurtner from Vega, New York was born in Bern, Switzerland on August 21, 1908. He was married and his body was never found.

Pfc. Fred W. Hanson

Pfc. Fred William Hanson from Iron River, Wisconsin was born on August 19, 1925. The body of the 19 year old was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

Sgt. Jeff Hargraves

Sgt. Hargraves from Burbank, Oklahoma was born on January 18, 1920. His body was never found.

Pfc. Cecil Charles Harman

Pfc. Harman from Wabash, Indiana was born on November 24, 1923. The body of the 21 year old was never found.

Pfc. John  Weldon Harris

Pfc. Harris from Bexar, Alabama was born on October 30, 1926. His body was never found.

Pfc. Monroe Hattem

Pfc. Hattem was from the Bronx, New York City. The body of the 19 year old was never found.

Pfc. Edwin LeRoy Haven

Pfc. Haven from Appleton, Minnesota was born on September 24, 1924. He married his wife, Gerda Jean, on January 21,1944. Their son, Edward Gene, was born on September 7, 1944.  Pfc. Haven was assigned to Company F, 262nd Regiment which was quartered where the torpedo struck the ship. His body was never found. His wife remarried in 1946 and lived until the age of 96 dying on July 22,2021. Photo courtesy of her son Robert Saulsbury.

Pfc. Albert T. Hayes

Pfc. Hayes was from Allentown, Pennsylvania. His daughter, Joy Margaret, was born in 1942. His body was never found.

Pfc. Orville Hatton

Pfc. Hatton was from Lee City, Kentucky. His body was never found.

Pvt. Dewey A. Henderson

Pvt. Henderson was from Tampa, Florida. He was survived by his parents, 3 brothers & a sister. His body was never found.

Pfc. Edward Louis Henderson

Pfc. Henderson was from Knoxville, Tennessee. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

T/Sgt. Chester B. Hendrickson

Sgt. Hendrickson was from Luverne, North Dakota. His body was never found.

Pfc. Glenn Houston Henry

Pfc. Henry from Sevierville, Tennessee was born on January 29, 1926. He was the oldest of seven children. His body was never found.

S/Sgt. James Epting Hentz

S/Sgt. Hentz from Newberry, South Carolina was born on March 7, 1924. his body was never found.

Pvt.  Nevin  H.  Herman  Jr.

Pvt. Herman was from York, Pennsylvania. His body was recovered and buried in France.

Pfc. Edward H. Heumann

Pfc. Heumann was from Mckees Rocks, Pennsylvania. His body was never found.

Pfc. Frederick Dean Hinton

Pfc. Hinton was from Lake Butler, Florida.  His body was recovered.

1/Lt. Leslie E. Hoffman

Lt. Hoffman was from Herkimer, New York.  His sister Alison wrote of him, “He was outgoing and fun-loving and enjoyed life. He really hadn’t had a chance to live as he was only 24 when lost.” The body of Lt. Hoffman was never found.

Pfc. William K. Holmes

Pfc. Holmes from Saint Elino, Tennessee, married Nancy Johnson. Pfc. Holmes went below deck into a wrecked compartment to help the men trapped there. He assisted in bringing one man out and then, disregarding his own safety returned to the flooded compartment and cleared wreckage from the stairway so that anyone still alive could get out. He assisted in bringing two more injured men from the compartment. As the ship began to sink, he remained by the rail and forced men over the side of the ship until the deck on which he was standing was submerged.  Pfc. Holmes was posthumously awarded the Soldier’s Medal for his actions. His body was recovered and returned to the United States in 1948.

S/Sgt. Russel S. House

S/Sgt. House was from Dover, New Jersey.  His body was recovered.

Pfc. Alton Howell

Pfc. Howell was from Lucedale, Mississippi. His body was never found.

Pfc.  Russell  E.  Hunston

Pfc. Russell E. Hunston  was born on July 10, 1924 in East Palestine, Ohio. He was one of 6 children.  His body was recovered and after the war returned to the United States. His body rests alongside his parents in Glenview Cemetery, East Palestine, Ohio.

S/Sgt. Garland Ordell Husby

Sgt. Husby was born on May 17, 1924. Oliver and Grace Husby from Yankton, South Dakota adopted him as a young infant.  Known as Ordell to his parents, he married while in the service. An only child, Ordell was everything to his parents. His body was never found.

Pfc.  James  E.  Hutchens

Pfc. Hutchens with his wife, Lois were from Waterloo, Iowa. His body was never found.

Pvt. Philip S. Israel

Pvt. Israel from St. Louis, Missouri was born on January 10, 1916. His body was never found.

2/Lt. John Evans James, JR.

Lt. James was from Summerton, South Carolina. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

Pfc. James Avery Dale Jones

Pfc. Jones was from Conneaut, Ohio. His body was never found.

Pfc.Clifford V. Jump

Pfc. Jump from Selma, California was born on January 21, 1926. The 18 year old had a brother, Chester, and three sisters, Inez, Pauline, & Joan Howe. He was also survived by Lois, his widow. Assigned to Co. E, 262nd Regiment, Pfc. Jump (left) is pictured  with a Company E buddy,  Pfc. Cecil W. Wilson (right) from Versailles, Missouri.   The photo was taken in October 1944 while the 66th Division was still stationed stateside. The bodies of both young men were never found.

S/Sgt. Gregory G. Jurlina

Sgt. Jurlina was from Donora, Pennsylvania. His body was never found.

T/Sgt. Abe H. Kennedy

T/Sgt. Kennedy from Owensboro, Kentucky was born on October 1, 1923. Besides his parents he was survived by two brothers. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war. He is buried in Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery, Owensboro, Kentucky.

Pfc.  Thomas  L.  Kilbarger

Pfc. Kilbarger was from Lancaster, Ohio. His body was never found.

Pfc. John J. Killeen

Pfc. Killeen was from Wheeling, West Virginia. His body was never found.

Pvt. Charles R. King

Pvt. King was from New Freedom, Pennsylvania. His body was never found.

T/5 James Paul Kingrey

T/5 Kingrey was born on October 29, 1915 in Metcalfe County, Kentucky. He was a farmer in his civilian life.  At the time of his death his civilian residence was  Harvey, Illinois. His brother, William, born in 1917 died in 1995. He is pictured with his wife, the former Mattie Lucille Hood Cooper. She died in 2005. The body of T/5 Kingrey was never found. Information and photo courtesy of researcher Laura J. Stewart, contributor to Find-A-Grave web site.

S/Sgt. John J. Klein

Sgt. Klein from Clear Lake, Iowa, was born on December 14, 1914. He married the former Delpha Huey on December 24, 1941. His last letter to his wife was dated December 19, 1944. His body was recovered and after the war returned to the United States.

Pfc.  William  A.  Klosterman Jr.

Pfc. Klosterman was from Rockville Center, Long Island, New York. The picture of young Klosterman is from the 1942 South Side High School graduation yearbook.  His body was never found.

Pfc. Milos Kluciar

Pfc. Kluciar from Ford Cliff, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania was born on October 17,1925. His body was never found.

Pfc. Anton Kocsis

Pfc. Kocsis was from South Bend, Indiana. His body was never found.

Pfc. Herbert Otto Koehler, Jr.

Pfc. Koehler from Yoakum, Texas was born on January 5, 1926. His body was never found.

Pvt. Marvin Kolb

Pvt. Kolb was from Santa Fe, New Mexico. His body was never found.

T/5 Clarence I. Korte

T/5 Korte was from Florissant, Missouri.  His body was never found.

Pvt.  Christ  A.  Kritselis 

Pvt. Kritselis was from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  His body was never found.

Pfc. Frank J. Kuchta

Pfc. Kuchta from Greensburg, Pennsylvania was born on January 22, 1926.  He is buried in Normandy American Cemetery, France.

Pvt. Joseph G. Lagana

Pvt. Lagana was from Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war. His photo is from The Plain Speaker newspaper Hazleton, Pennsylvania March 30, 1948.

Pvt. Alfred Gerard Lavigne

Pvt. Lavigne from Lewiston, Maine was born on February 17, 1926. He was an only child. His body was recovered. His remains were returned to Lewiston in July 1948 and buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery in Lewiston.

Pvt. Benton L. Lawrence

Pvt. Benton L. Lawrence from Rock Lake, North Dakota was born on July 29, 1924. The 20 year old was one of 7 soldiers from North Dakota killed in the Leopoldville sinking. His body was never found.

Pfc.  Frederick   Lebensart

Pfc. Lebensart was from Pomona, California. His body was recovered.

S/Sgt. Otis C. Lemke

S/Sgt. Lemke from Bruning, Nebraska was born on February 20, 1922. He married his wife Ardene  on April 9, 1944. His father, Herman, dreamt during the night of Christmas Eve 1944 that he saw his son, Otis, at the foot of his bed. In his dream Otis said, “Goodbye Dad”.  Christmas morning, Herman Lemke awoke with a feeling of dread. The body of S/Sgt. Lemke was never found.

Pvt. John P. Leopard

Pvt. Leopard was from Norton, North Carolina.  Married and the father of 3 children, his body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

S/Sgt.  Paul  E.  Lesperance

Sgt. Lesperance was from Sanford, Maine.  His body was never found.

Pfc. Steven Thomas Lester

Pfc. Lester from Pharaoh, Oklahoma was born in 1911. He had 3 sisters. He mother, Anne, died when he was only one month old.  His father, James, died when he was seven years old. Known as ST to his family he became a teacher and also coached basketball at the school. Married and the father of three daughters his body was never found. Shown is his High-School graduation photo.

Pfc. Emry Leroy Lewis

Pfc. Lewis from Windfall, Indiana was born on September 16, 1925. His body was never found.

Pfc. Raymond R. Lewis, Jr.

Pfc. Raymond Lewis was from Yakima, Washington. His body was never found.

Sgt. James L. Loftis

Sgt. Loftis was from Greenville, South Carolina. His body was recovered.

Pfc. Robert Gale Longwell

Pfc. Longwell from Delphos, Ohio was born on November 7, 1925. He was one of six brothers. The picture shows left to right Nolen, Clarence, and Walter standing.  Sitting left to right is Everett, Nelson, and Robert.  His brothers survived the war. The body of 19 year old Pfc. Robert Gale Longwell was never found.

Pfc. Glenn  E. Lowry  and Pfc. Jack  N.  Lowry 

The Lowry twins were from Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania. They graduated from high-school in 1942. After they went into the water, they were never seen again. The bodies of the twin brothers were never found.

Pfc. Thomas Luckman

Pfc. Luckman was from Brockton, Massachusetts. He was born on June 25, 1919. His body was never found.