August 25, 2008: A 50th name has been definitely identified: Kenneth Morrow of A/87.

June 18, 2007: A 49th name has been definitely identified: Mario Yammarino of HQ Co/40.

On May 26, 2007, a new monument was dedicated at Ospel, Netherlands, as a memorial to the many men of the U. S. 7th Armored Division who died in the immediate vicinity of this small town (population about 400). Most of those men died in the fighting following the German counter-attack on October 27, 1944, which lasted until the 7th Armored Division was relieved on November 8, 1944. (Click here for the web page on the dedication ceremonies.)

In May 2004, Niek Hendrix of Ospel began the long process that led to the dedication of the monument 3 years later. Niek's father, Harry Hendrix, was one of the few civilians who was in the area during the battle, and both father and son had long wanted to honor the Americans who died in the effort to bring peace back to the area. Niek contacted Wesley Johnston, the web master and historian of the 7th Armored Division to ask who the men were who died there, so that their names might be memorialized on the monument. (Wesley Johnston's father, Walter Johnston, joined 7th Armored Division (Co B, 38 AIB) on November 13, 1944 -- as a replacement for the men lost in the battle at Ospel.)

Finding the names of the men was a very difficult task, and even now -- with 50 names identified, 48 of whom were included on the monument at its dedication -- it is still likely that a few names have been missed. Many people are under the mis-understanding that the Army has all of this information neatly filed away. But the Army was in the business of fighting the war and not of history. So the reality is that there is no easy way to determine who all of the men were who died in any particular place. Wesley Johnston had to do extensive research of records in the National Archives, the National Personnel Records Center, and other sources to find the names of these men.

Wesley Johnston had located the families of some of these men, but Niek Hendrix did much more work on finding the families of the rest of them. Some of those families participated in the dedication of the monument.

Niek Hendrix also did extensive local research in the area of Ospel, interviewing people who had been there during the war, finding photographs, searching in local archives and British archives, and more. He also dealt with all of the physical realities of creating and installing the monument -- no small task.

Here are the names of the men who are memorialized on the monument at the time of the dedication in May 2007 or who were later found to belong on the monument. Further information about a man can be found by clicking on his name, which takes you to the web page listing his battalion's war deaths. They are listed alphabetically.

1. Pvt Mitchell Amis (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 3 November 1944)
2. Pfc Clifford M. Armstrong (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 4 November 1944)
3. Pvt Charles R. Boulware (Company "A", 48th Armored Infantry Battalion - 3 November 1944)
4. Pvt Otis F. Brisendine (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
5. Tec 5 Michael E. Cahill (Battery "C", 489th Armored Field Artillery Battalion - 5 November 1944)
6. Pvt Sam Cathey Troop "A", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 22 October 1944)
7. Pvt Claudius H. Chappell (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 9 November 1944, from wounds suffered 3 November 1944)
8. 2nd Lt Norman L. Connard (Battery "C", 489th Armored Field Artillery Battalion - 5 November 1944)
9. Pvt Harry R. Crans (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 4 November 1944)
10. S/Sgt Henry W. Dirks Troop "B", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 5 November 1944)
11. Sgt Walter J. Domkoski Company "D", 40th Tank Battalion - 2 November 1944)
12. Cpl Toulman Y. Freeman (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 4 November 1944)
13. 2nd Lt Leslie O. Fulton (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 3 November 1944)
14. Sgt Harold W. Gess (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
15. Pvt Perle C. Godby (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
16. Pvt John J. Gonas (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 1 November 1944)
17. Pfc Walter P. Good (Company "C", 48th Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
18. Pvt Garry H. Graff Company "D", 40th Tank Battalion - 2 November 1944)
19. Pvt Carmine Grasso (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 6 November 1944)
20. Cpl Lucian Harlow (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 4 November 1944)
21. 2nd Lt Marvin H. Hjalmarson (Company "A", 33rd Armored Engineer Battalion - 7 November 1944)
22. Pvt Warren D. Howard (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
23. Pfc Roman V. Janousek Headquarters Company, 40th Tank Battalion - on or after 4 November 1944, from wounds suffered 4 November 1944)
24. 2nd Lt Benjamin E. Jones Jr (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 3 December 1944, from wounds suffered 6 November 1944 [captured 6 November 1944 and died as a POW])
25. Pvt Paul F. Kearns (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 3 November 1944)
26. Pvt Fred Kohn (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 8 November 1944)
27. Pfc Edward A. Ladwig Troop "B", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 6 November 1944)
28. Pvt Arthur La Tour (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
29. Pvt Gordon D. Loomis (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 5 November 1944)
30. 2nd Lt William H. McMillan Troop "A", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 27 October 1944)
31. Pfc. Kenneth L. Morrow Troop "A", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 23 October 1944) [50th Name: Added to list August 2008]
32. Pvt Jacob Nevala (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
33. Pvt Joseph A. Pait Company "F", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 23 October 1944)
34. Tec 5 Grady P. Priest (Medical Detachment, 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 5 November 1944)
35. Pvt Martin Rabinowitz (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
36. 2nd Lt Earl L. Rainbow (Company "B", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 2 November 1944)
37. Pvt Willis Ray (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
38. Pvt Harry Q. Richards Troop "A", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 4 November 1944)
39. Pfc Edward L. Ritchie (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 4 November 1944)
40. Pvt Joseph Robertiello Troop "A", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 22 October 1944)
41. Pvt Frank Rubinetti Troop "A", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 29 October 1944)
42. Pfc Wesley L. Safford (Company "C", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
43. Pvt James E. Slocum Troop "C", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 6 November 1944)
44. Pvt Joseph A. Surowiec (Company "A", 38th Armored Infantry Battalion - 9 November 1944, from wounds suffered 5 November 1944)
45. Pvt James H. Wagstaff (Company "A", 48th Armored Infantry Battalion - 4 November 1944)
46. Pvt Charles R.Wallace (Company "B", 23rd Armored Infantry Battalion - 7 November 1944)
47. Pfc Gilbert H. Wells (Company "A", 48th Armored Infantry Battalion - 3 November 1944)
48. Sgt James R. Williams Company "F", 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron - 23 October 1944)
49. S/Sgt Mario J. Yammarino (Headquarters Company, 40th Tank Battalion - 4 November 1944, from wounds suffered 3 November 1944) [49th Name: Added to list June 2007]
50. Pvt George Zalesky (Company "C", 48th Armored Infantry Battalion - 4 November 1944)

Additions to the Original 48 Names

It took 4 years of dedicated work to find the 50 names that are now known. While these constitute the vast majority of the names that should be on the monument, it is very likely that a few more names will be found, as more records are searched. Research continues.

In June 2007, his Individual Deceased Personnel File was received. It showed that he had indeed died (4 November 1944 at the 48th Field Hospital) of the wounds that he suffered in the immediate vicinity of Ospel. Thus he is now definitely identified as the 49th name to be included on the monument.

7th Armored Division Web Site Main Page

Active overview of all pages at the 7th Armored Division web site

	ARMORED WEB RING Click patch for Armored Divisions or Tank Destroyer (and other separate) Battalions
	VISIT NOW