Pfc. Frank S. Vogel (Right) with 2 unidentified army buddies in a NYC bar before sailing for England in November 1944.

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

T/4 Ernest D. Vallee

At the time of his death, Ernest Vallee was a T/4, not a Sergeant as indicated in the newspaper article reporting him missing. The 20 year old from Lowell, Massachusetts was survived by his mother, 4 brothers, and a sister.

Pfc.  John G. Vasquez

Pfc. Vasquez was from Globe, Arizona. His body was never found.

Pfc.  Daniel  J.  Van Belle

Pfc.  Van Belle was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His body was never found.

Pvt.  Ralph  R.  Vernile

Pvt. Vernile was from Donora, Pennsylvania. His body was never found.

Pfc. Richard H. Vester

Richard Vester from Sommerville, New Jersey, was  born in June 1925. His twin brother died of spinal meningitis at the age of 3.  The body of Pfc. Vester was never found.

Pfc. Paul Royal Viets

Pfc. Viets from Thomaston, Connecticut was born on August 27, 1925. The body of the nineteen-year-old was never found.

Pfc. Frank S. Vogel

Pfc. Vogel was from Whitestone, Queens, New York City. His body was never found.

Pfc. Roy Alfred Waldrop

Pfc. Waldrop from Waverly, Alabama was born on December 18, 1919.  He was survived by his wife, Ruth, and young daughter. His body was never found.

S/Sgt.  Carl  J.  Walz

Sgt. Walz  was  from Jefferson City, Missouri. His body was recovered and buried in France.

Pfc. Edwin Rollins Warner

Pfc. Warner from Ogden, Utah was born on February 13, 1920. His body was never found.

Pfc. Hugh N. Warring

Pfc. Warring was from Kapowsin, Washington. His body was never found. His photo is from the Tacoma News Tribune May 30, 1945.

Pfc. Jack Watts

Pfc Jack Watts from Wheelersburg, Ohio was born on February 24, 1926. He graduated from high school as the valedictorian and in his graduation speech encouraged young men to fight for democracy. He then enlisted in the army at age 17. His body was never found. He was survived by his parents, two brothers, and two sisters.

Pvt. Ulysses B. Weeks

Pvt. Weeks was from Gary, Indiana. Besides his wife, Flonnie, he was survived by a brother and 3 sisters. His body was never found.

Pfc. Donald P. Welch

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

Pvt.   Charles   B.  Wellborn, III

Pvt. Wellborn was from Tulsa, Oklahoma. His body was recovered and returned to the United States.

Pvt. Marion J.  Westbrook

Pvt. Westbrook was from Alton, Illinois. He is pictured with his wife, Betty and daughter, Judy Kay. He was survived by 3 brothers and a sister. His body was never found.

Pfc. Vernon Wayne White

Pfc. White from Milan, Indiana was born on February 18, 1926.  His body was never found.

Pfc. Carl F. Whittier

Pfc. Whittier From Concord, New Hampshire was born in 1915. He was married to the former Ruth Lela Bickford and had two small daughters, Marion and Thelma. He was survived by his father and two brothers, Bernard who was serving in the Pacific and Clarence who was also in the armed forces but whose assignment is unknown at this time. The body of Pfc. Whittier was never found.

T/Sgt. Joseph J. Wiedner

T/Sgt. Wiedner from Dubuque, Iowa was assigned to Company F, 262nd Regiment which was quartered where the torpedo struck the Leopoldville. His body was never found.

Pfc.  Donald  Earl  Willcoxen

Pfc. Willcoxen, from Peoria, Illinois, was born on February 20, 1924. He was Bert and Clara Willcoxen’s  only child.  At the time of his death he was engaged to Lois Boyer. His body was never found.

Pfc. Donald E. Williams

Pfc. Williams was from Indianapolis, Indiana. He entered the army on December 26, 1942. He was survived by his mother, 3 brothers Robert, Max, and Earl, and 2 sisters Doris and Mrs. Helen Johnson. His body was recovered and buried in Normandy American Cemetery, France.  Photo is from the Indianapolis Star newspaper January 21, 1945.

Pfc. Heiskell  M. Williams

Pfc. Williams was from Rogersville, Tennessee.  A letter to his father dated December 15, 1944 read in part, “Daddy, don’t work to hard and break yourself down. Let part of the farm work  go until I come home.  I believe I will come home again by the prayers of you all. I have seen all of the world that I want to see; so when this war is over, you can depend on me coming home to help you at work.” Pfc. William’s body was never found.

Pvt.  LaVere  R.  Williams

Pvt. LaVere  Williams  from Des Moines, Iowa was born in 1911.  He entered the army on April 22, 1944. He is pictured with his son, Brent.  Pvt. Williams body was recovered. He is buried in Normandy American Cemetery, France.

S/Sgt.  Waldo  Melvoir  Willis

Sgt. Willis from Show Low, Arizona, was born on August 1, 1913.  On July 12, 1943, while fighting in Sicily, he was seriously wounded. A piece of shrapnel struck him, crushed his shoulder, split the bone in his arm to the elbow, and lodged in his lung. While recovering back in the states, he tried without success to transfer to a noncombat unit. His body was never found.

Pfc. Cecil William Wilson

Pfc. Wilson from Versailles, Missouri was born on August 7, 1915. His body was never found.

Pfc.  Willie  Paul  Wilson

Pfc. Wilson, from Julian, West Virginia, was born on November 11, 1925.  His last letter home was dated December 16, 1944. His body was recovered and after the war was returned to the United States.

S/Sgt. Albin J. Wincheski

Sgt. Wincheski from Ludington, Michigan was born on March 29, 1917. His body was never found.

Pfc.  Cornelius  D.  Winters  Jr.

Pfc. Winters, from Paramus, New Jersey, was part of a large family consisting of 10 brothers and sisters.  His body was never found.

Pfc. Russell E. Wintle

Pfc. Wintle was from Lowell, Massachusetts.  His body was never found.

Pfc.  Kenneth  K.  Wright

Pfc. Wright from Crestview, Florida was accepted into the army even though he was blind in one eye as the result of a hunting accident when he was 8 years old. His sister, Jewel, ironically was born on December 24.  On December 24, 1944 she was living in a rooming house in Virginia with other wartime wives.  All that day she felt “funny” and so she laid down to rest. After some time passed she heard her brother call her name. She sat up in bed and saw him standing silent at the foot of the bed, just looking at her. She obviously was extremely upset.  During January 1945,  a V-mail letter from him dated December 24 arrived.  Jewel, who was pregnant at the time, remained apprehensive. Pfc. Wright’s body was recovered and after the war returned to the United States.

Pfc. Dominick T. Yacketta

Pfc. Yacketta was from Tully, New York. He is pictured with his wife,  the former Mary Frances Cannon. His body was recovered and returned to the United States after the war.

S/Sgt.  George  F.  Young

Sgt. Young was from Nassau, New York. His body was never found.

Pfc. Pete (Pedro) M.  Zamarripa, Jr.

Pfc. Zamarripa was from Los Angeles, California. His body was never found.

Sgt.  Charles E. Zeigler

Sgt. Zeigler from Herndon, Pennsylvania was born on May 5, 1923.  His body was never found.