Family Memorial to Pfc. Ferrel  F. McDonnell placed at the base of the Ft. Benning, Georgia Leopoldville disaster monument

Anyone seeking information about the Leopoldville disaster or who wishes to contribute a photo of their relative to this In Memoriam page  should contact Leopoldville disaster author/historian  Allan Andrade via e-mail at agandrade37@msn.com.

Pfc. Lynn Leu Mac Millan

Pfc. MacMillan from Independence, Ohio was born on February 19,1919.  He married the former Elizabeth A. “Betty” Gallagher on May 20, 1941. The couple had two children.  The body of Pfc. MacMillan was never found.

Pvt. Edward J.  Macrorie Jr.

Pvt. Macrorie was from Alhambra, California. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

Pfc. Albert Lee Manley

Albert Manley was born in Crested Butte, Colorado on March 27, 1924. He was the oldest of 5 children,  which included 3 sisters and 1 brother.  He was the valedictorian of his 1942 high-school graduation class. The body of Pfc. Manley was never found.

Pfc.  Andrew  J.  Marcinko

Pfc. Marcinko was from Newton Falls, Ohio. His body was never found.

Pfc. Stanley E. Markowski

Pfc. Markowski from Larksville, Pennsylvania was born on November 29, 1925. He graduated from Larksville High School in 1943. Besides his parents, he was survived by two brothers and three sisters. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war. His picture is from the Wilkes Bare Times Leader The Evening News January 16, 1945.

2/Lt. Roddy A. Martin

Lt. Roddy Martin from Mullins, South Carolina was born on February 20, 1923. He graduated from Mullins High School in 1939 and was a Junior in Presbyterian College when he was drafted. He was survived by his parents, 2 brothers, and one sister. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

S/Sgt. Raymond B. Martinsen

Sgt. Martinsen was born on February 28, 1917  in Minnesota, believed to be in Duluth, but not confirmed. The family wrote the name as Martinson but military records indicate Martinsen. Raymond was an only child and his father died in 1929. Sometime after 1936 he moved to Seattle, Washington although military records indicate his last civilian address was in Missouri. His body was recovered and he is buried in Normandy American Cemetery.

T/5 Edward H. Martynowski

T/5 Martynowski was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was assigned to the Medical Detachment of the 262nd Regiment. It was later reported that many of the Medical detachment soldiers remained with the wounded rather then try to save themselves. He is pictured (center) with several unidentified soldiers. His body was never found.

Pfc.  William N.  Maryan

Pfc. Maryan, from Erie, Pennsylvania, was assigned to the air-cadet program and dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot like his older brother, Harry. But then the program was cancelled, and he was transferred to the 66th Infantry Division. The body of the 21 year old was never found.

T/4  John  Marzotto

T/4 Marzotto was from Weehawken, New Jersey.  His body was never found.

Pvt. Gerrard L. Mason

Pvt. Mason was from Kirkwood, Missouri. His body was recovered.

S/Sgt. Joseph D. Massey

Sgt. Massey was from Casper, Wyoming. He is shown with his dog, “Daisy”. His body was never found.

Sgt.  Robert  B.  Massey

Sgt. Massey was from Mebane, North Carolina. His body was never found.

S/Sgt.  Arlo  R.  Mathison

Sgt. Mathison was from Spring Valley, Minnesota. His body was recovered and buried in France.

Cpl. Vincent J. Mazzone

Cpl. Mazzone from Cornwall, Ontario, Canada was born on June 2, 1923. His body was never found. A report of him missing in action appeared in the Cornwall Standard-Freeholder newspaper on 01/16/1945.

Pfc.  Roy  E.  McCorkle Jr.

Pfc. McCorkle was from Florence, Alabama. He is pictured with his 3 month old son.  His body was never found.

Pfc. James Wilson McCurley

Pfc. McCurley from South Carolina was born on October 29, 1921. His body was never found.

S/Sgt. John M. McDermott

S/Sgt. McDermott was from Lakewood, Ohio. His body was never found.

Pvt. Buford C. McDonald

Pvt. McDonald, from Bedford, Indiana, was born on May 10, 1921. He married Mary Ellen Taber on March 23, 1944. His body was recovered and returned to Indiana after the war.

Pfc. Ferrel F. McDonnell

Pfc. McDonnell, from Whitehall (Muskegon), Michigan, was born on January 2, 1926. He loved to paint pictures of the sea and ships. His last painting, left unfinished, was of a shipwreck. The body of the 18 year old was never found.

Pfc. Dean J. McHugh

Pfc. McHugh from Holmen, Wisconsin was one of 13 children and had a twin brother. He was raised on a farm but left farming and worked as a clerk at the Holmen Post Office. He was drafted in 1942. The body of the 30 year old was never found.

Pfc. Robert Francis McIntyre

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

Pfc. Harry W. McKain

Pfc. McKain from Terre Haute, Indiana was born on November 2, 1921. His body was recovered.

Pvt. Orion Glenn McManis

Pvt. McManis  from Keokuk, Iowa was born on December 7, 1923. His body was never found.

Pfc. Furl Coy McMillen

Pfc. McMillen was from Indianapolis, Indiana. His body was never found.

Pfc.  James  L.  McNair

Pfc. McNair was from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina. His body was never found.

Pvt. Robert L. McVety

Pvt. McVety from Port Huron, Michigan was born on February 14, 1926. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the Lighthouse, his high school newspaper. Before entering the army, he worked part-time for the Port Huron Times Herald newspaper. The body of the 18-year-old was never found.

Pfc. Walter F. McVey, Jr.

Pfc. McVey from New Providence, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was born on October 31, 1925.  His body was recovered and after the war returned to the United States.  He is buried in Quarryville Cemetery, Quarryville located in Lancaster County.

S/Sgt.  Donald  G.  Meyers

Sgt. Meyers was from Rudolph, Ohio.  He had a recurring infection that dated back to his time at Camp Rucker, Alabama. He was trying to get hospitalized to finally cure the illness but was cleared for duty and sailed on the Leopoldville. His last letter home to his sister was dated December 18, 1944 and spoke of the birth of her son Dan on 11/21/1944. His letter concluded, “Don’t worry over me, I will be fine, just take care of yourselves.” His body was never found. His wife, Mary, eventually remarried.

Pvt. Douglas Frederick Miller, Jr.

Pvt. Miller from Rochester, New Hampshire was born on October 22, 1920. He entered the service on April 26, 1944. His body was never found.

Pfc. Joseph P. Miscone

Pfc. Miscone  from North Billerica, Massachusetts was the youngest of five brothers. His body was never found. The town where he lived dedicated a square in his memory in 1995.  Located at Mount Pleasant and Rogers streets, the memorial is just 100 yards from his boyhood home.

Pfc. Robert Lucius  Mixon

Pfc. Mixon from Charlotte, Tennessee was born in 1926. His body was never found. His son, Robert Lucius Mixon, Jr. was born on July 15, 1944 and grew up without ever knowing his father.

Pfc. Ernest M. Moen

Pfc. Moen from Whitehall, Wisconsin was born June 10, 1920 on a farm in Trempealeau County. He was the oldest of 8 children. Following high school he enlisted in the army in 1939. Before being assigned to the 66th Infantry Division he was a member of the force that drove the Japanese from Attu island. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war. He is buried in Whitehall cemetery, Whitehall, Wisconsin.

Pfc. Ray J.  Mohr

Pfc. Mohr from Laurens, Iowa was born on September 5, 1916.  He married the former Stella Izetta Kemp in 1939. His body was recovered and returned to his hometown in 1949.  He is buried in Laurens Cemetery, Laurens, Iowa. He is pictured with his daughter, Judy and son, Richard.

Pfc. Charles Molinsky

Pfc. Molinsky was born on January 1, 1925.  From Pennsylvania, his body was recovered. He is buried in Normandy American Cemetery, France.

Pfc. Clifton Moncrief

Pfc. Moncrief was from Coldwater, Mississippi. His body was never found.

Pfc. Clifton B. Moore

Pfc. Moore from Oak City, North Carolina was born on August 5, 1925. His body was never found.

Pvt. Edgar C. Moore

Pvt. Moore was from Washington, Pennsylvania. The body of the 18 year old was recovered and returned to Pennsylvania after the war.

Sgt.  James  E.  Mortimer

Sgt. Mortimer was from Winona, Mississippi. His body was never found.

Sgt. Alva G. Mosako

Sgt. Mosako from Chestnut Ridge, Pennsylvania was assigned to Company F, 262nd Regiment which was quartered where the torpedo hit the ship.  He was reported as missing by the Pittsburgh Press on February 1, 1945 on page 2. The body of the 20 year old was never found.

Pfc.  Richard  E.  Moser

Pfc. Moser was from Youngstown, Ohio.  His body was recovered.

Pvt. Harold L. Myers

Pvt. Myers was from  Hagerstown, Maryland.  His body was never found.

Pvt. Assaph J. Nassif

Pvt. Nassif was raised in Bay City, Michigan. He graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Bay City.  The 27 year old was married to the former Miss Sylvia Aswad. At the time of his death his civilian address was in Binghamton, New York. He had worked at the Endicott plant of IBM for 3 years before entering the army on April 29, 1944. Pvt. Nassif was survived by his wife, mother, a brother, and 6 sisters. His body was never found.

Sgt. Fred L. Neely

Sgt. Neely  from Clarinda, Iowa was born on October 31, 1921. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war. He is buried in Clarinda cemetery in Iowa.

Pfc.  Carl  Nelson

Twin brothers, Carl and Nels Nelson from San Francisco, California were born on 10/24/1924.  The 2 brothers arranged through the Red Cross to meet in Southampton on 12/24. A disappointed Nels arrived in Southampton shortly after the Leopoldville sailed. The body of  his twin brother, Pfc. Carl Nelson,  was never found.

Sgt. Eric Goran Nelson

Erik Goran Nilsson was born in Sweden on May 12, 1923. He emigrated to the United States in 1929 at the age of 6. His name was changed to Eric Nelson. He lived in Lake Forest, Illinois. Assigned to Co. F,  2nd platoon, 262nd regiment he is pictured on the right. The soldier on the left is believed to be Pvt. Wallace McCorkle from Columbia, Tennessee who was in the same company and platoon as Sgt. Nelson. The bodies of both soldiers were never found.

Pvt. Henry  Nigbor

Pvt. Nigbor was from Dunkirk, New York. His body was never found.

S/Sgt. James H. Nolan

Sgt. Nolan was from Jacksonville, Florida. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

Pvt. William Edward Nolan

Pvt. Nolan was from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He graduated from St. Joseph’s Highschool located in North Adams. He was employed by General Electric Company and married the former Agnes Dowd on September 14, 1944. His last letter to her was mailed on December 15, 1944. His body was recovered. He is buried in Normandy American Cemetery in France. He was survived by two brothers and a sister. His wife never remarried and died in May 1997 at the age of 81.

Pvt.  Guy  D.  Norris

Pvt. Norris and his wife Helen, were from  Belmont, Ohio. His body was never found.

Pfc. Sam William Noto, Jr.

Pfc. Noto from Bryan, Texas was born on December 1, 1925.  He graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School. The body of the 19 year old was never found.

T/5 John H. O’Donnell

T/5 John H. O’Donnell, from Milroy, Pennsylvania, was born on December 20, 1923. He was the 3rd. child of 13 children.  Ironically, his 1942 school yearbook was called The Anchor, and the class motto was, “We have crossed the bay; the ocean lies beyond.” He hoped to marry his high school sweetheart after the war. His body was never found.

Pfc.  Grant  P.  O’Neil

Pfc. O’Neil was from Pawcatuck, Connecticut. His body was never found.

Pfc. Joe B. Ortega

Pfc. Ortega was from Brighton, Colorado. His body was recovered. He is buried in Normandy American Cemetery.

Pvt.  Vincent  Paci

Pvt. Paci was from Solvay, New York. His body was recovered and buried in France.

Pvt.  George  Washington  Paden

Pvt.  Paden from Sand Springs, Oklahoma was married and the father of 2 small boys. As Paden prepared to leave the ship he observed a frightened young soldier. Paden gave the terrified soldier his own life jacket and the young soldier in turn gave Paden a St. Christopher’s Medal. Paden was last seen quietly reading his New Testament. The body of Pvt. Paden was recovered and buried in France. When Pvt. Paden’s personal effects were returned to his family, the St. Christopher’s Medal was among them.

S/Sgt. Thomas H. Patterson

S/Sgt. Patterson was from Quincy, Massachusetts. His body was recovered and he is buried in Normandy American Cemetery, France. His brother Chester is pictured on the left and S/Sgt. Thomas Patterson is on the right. Chester Patterson survived the war and died in 1979.

Pfc. Bill M. Pearl

Pfc. Pearl from London, Texas was born on October 17, 1925.  His body was never found.

Pvt.  Victor  Pellegrini

Pvt. Pellegrini was from Newton, Massachusetts. His body was never found.

Pvt. Carl R. Perry

Pvt. Perry was from Binghamton, New York. His body was recovered. He is buried in Normandy American Cemetery in France. Tragically, his brother, Lesley Raymond Perry, was also killed a few months later while fighting in the war.

Pvt. Howard C. Peters

Pvt Peters was from Wisconsin. His body was never found.

Pfc.  Einar  T.  Pettersen

Pfc. Petterson was from Racine, Wisconsin.  He and his wife, Ethelda, had a 2 year old son at the time of his death.  His body was never found.

Lt.  Col.  Victor Emmanuel  Phasey

Col. Phasey was born in New York City on October 28, 1900. He graduated from the West Point Class of 1924.  He married Jessie Irene  DeNike on October 5, 1926. The couple had 2 daughters,  Dorothy Jane born in 1927 and Jessie DeNike born in 1929.  His wife and daughters remained in Columbia, South Carolina during the war years. His body was recovered and buried in France.

Pfc.   Joe  Dunn  Pickett 

Pfc. Joe “Dee” Pickett entered the army from Camp Shelby, Mississippi but at the time of the sinking his civilian address was in Freeport, Texas. He had 2 brothers, Sam & Frank. On October 13, 1943 in Angleton, Texas he married the former Mary Louise Hawthorne. His body was never found.

Pfc. Joseph Pispeky

Pfc. Pispeky  (second row rear on right wearing glasses) was from Lansford, Pennsylvania.  The photo was taken in a studio with unidentified army buddies probably like him, from Company K, 264th Regiment. His body was recovered.

Capt. George  E.  Plott

Capt. Plott from Waynesville, North Carolina was known locally as “Little George”  in order to distinguish him from his much larger uncle.  He was known as an accomplished bear hunter in the mountains of North Carolina. On an October 1935 hunt with his uncle and future Baseball Hall of Fame manager Branch Rickey, they killed 6 bears in one day.  His body was never found.

Pfc.  Waldron  Mosher  Polgreen

Pfc. Polgreen from Albany, New York  was born on June 22, 1909. He is pictured with his wife Frances and their 3 sons, Richard, Henry, and his youngest son Tobias, born during 1944.  His body was recovered and buried in France.

Sgt. Arthur D. Polk

Sgt. Polk from Levenworth, Kansas was born on December 20, 1921. On December 22, 1942, he married his sweetheart, the former Pearl Drew. Sgt. Polk was killed just 4 days after his 23rd birthday and 2 days after his 2nd wedding anniversary. At the time of his death, his daughter, Sharon, was only 15 months old.  His body was recovered.

Sgt. Glenn  E.  Poulton

Sgt. Poulton, from Ogden, Utah, was born on May 6, 1923.  His body was never found.

T/4  Wilmer  C.  Poupard

T/4 Poupard was from Monroe, Michigan. His body was never found.

T/Sgt.  Chester  E.  Price

Sgt. Price was from Lockwood, Missouri. He grew up on his father’s farm. His last letter home was dated December 22, 1944 and read in part, “all is quiet where I am”.  His body was never found.

1/Sgt. Lawrence E. Privett

Sgt. Privett was from Ava, Missouri. His body was recovered. He is buried in Normandy American Cemetery in France.

Pvt.  Franklin  L.  Prueher

Pvt. Prueher was from Janesville, Wisconsin. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

Pfc. Herbert A. Pukas

Pfc. Pukas , from Minersville, Pennsylvania,  was engaged to be married. His mother wrote on his high-school graduation picture, “died December 24, 1944, my beloved son”, and carried the photo in her prayer book for the rest of her life. His body was never found.

Pfc. George Edward Pyles

Pfc. Pyles from New Martinsville, West Virginia was born on June 16, 1914. He was survived by his mother, 2 brothers, and 3 sisters. His body was recovered and returned to the U.S. after the war.  He is buried in Northview Cemetery, New Martinsville, West Virginia.