I’m continuing my look at the options given to Next-of-kin of WWII service members killed in action during the war. After learning about those choices, I decided to take a closer look at the original members of the John Oliver Buslee crew of the 544th Bomb Squadron and the James Joseph Brodie crew of the 545th Bomb Squadron, and included those airmen who were substituting for original crew members on the 28 September 1944 mission when the two crews were involved in a mid-air collision of their B-17’s leaving the target at Magdeburg, Germany.

For those service members killed in action during the war, if they were killed aboard their bomber, but their bomber made it back to England, they were likely initially buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery. Unless their Next-of-kin repatriated them back to the U.S., they most likely remain at Cambridge.

For those service members who were killed over enemy territory, and whose bodies did not make it back to England, they were likely initially buried in a foreign cemetery near where they died. For example, the men of the Buslee and Brodie crews who were killed in the mid-air collision over Magdeburg were initially buried in the cemetery at Ost Ingersleben, Germany near the crash sites of their B-17’s.

None of the original Buslee or Brodie crew members are still living. Following my list of the burial locations of those killed in action during WWII, I will list the burial locations of those who made it home and have died since. For those buried in American Military Cemeteries, both here and overseas, I am including Plot, Row, and Grave number.

Killed in Action, Buried in Europe

Buried in an American Military Cemetery Overseas

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Cambridgeshire, England

Marvin Fryden, Buslee crew

• Born 8 January 1921 – Died 5 August 1944
• Buried Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England
• Plot E, Row 2, Grave 4

* * *

Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial, Liège, Belgium

Lloyd Oliver Vevle, Brodie crew

• Born 9 December 1922 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial, Neuville-en-Condroz, Arrondissement de Liège, Liège, Belgium
• Plot C, Row 37, Grave 20
• Lloyd’s twin brother Floyd Martin Vevle (Born 9 December 1922 – Died 14 January 1945) of the 390th Bomb Group is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at  the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle, Belgium.

* * *

Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial at Margraten

David Franklin Albrecht, Buslee crew

• Born 1 March 1922 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands
• Plot C, Row 2, Grave 11

Lenard Leroy Bryant, Buslee crew

• Born 7 March 1919 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands
• Plot G, Row 7, Grave 22

George Francis McMann, Jr., Gilbert crew member, but part of Buslee crew on September 28, 1944

• Born 26 September 1924 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands
• Plot N, Row 22, Grave 4

James Joseph Brodie

* * *

Killed in Action, Repatriated

Buried in a National Cemetery in the U.S.

Gerald Lee Andersen, Carnes crew member, but part of Buslee crew on September 28, 1944

• Born 20 June 1923 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Maxwell, Lincoln County, Nebraska, USA
• Section F, Site 1229

Sebastiano Joseph Peluso, Buslee crew

• Born 8 July 1924 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Long Island National Cemetery, East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, USA
• Plot J, 15423

Robert Sumner Stearns, Durdin crew member, but part of Buslee crew on September 28, 1944

• Born 25 August 1923 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, San Mateo County, California, USA
• Section B, Site 302
• Memorial marker at Family/Home Cemetery at Juniper Haven Cemetery, Prineville, Crook County, Oregon, USA

* * *

Buried in a Family/Home Cemetery in the U.S.

John Oliver Buslee

• Born 24 June 1923 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Saint Joseph Cemetery, River Grove, Cook County, Illinois, USA

William Alvin Henson II, Sammons crew member, but part of Buslee crew on September 28, 1944

• Born 8 June 1923 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Eastview Cemetery, Conyers, Rockdale County, Georgia, USA

Byron Leverne Atkins, Chadwick crew member, but part of Brodie crew on September 28, 1944

• Born 10 November 1924 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Oak Hill Cemetery, Lebanon, Boone County, Indiana, USA

Donald William Dooley, Headquarters, but part of Brodie crew on September 28, 1944

• Born 26 July 1919 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Valhalla Memory Gardens, Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana, USA

Gordon Eugene Hetu, Brodie crew

• Born 26 September 1925 – Died 28 September 1944
• Buried Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Novi, Oakland County, Michigan, USA

For those crew members who survived the war and are buried here at home, I am listing them by date of death, earliest first.

Harry Allen Liniger, Brodie crew

• Born 9 August 1924 – Died 8 October 1947
• Buried Powells Point Christian Church Cemetery, Harbinger, Currituck County, North Carolina, USA

Chester Anthony Rybarczyk, Buslee crew

• Born 18 January 1923 – Died 2 September 1967
• Buried Calvary Cemetery, Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio, USA

Leonard Wood Opie, Brodie crew

• Born 14 September 1921 – Died 20 May 1974
• Buried Lakeview Memorial Gardens, Longview, Gregg County, Texas, USA

Clarence Burdell Seeley, Buslee crew

• Born 12 December 1921 – Died 18 March 1980
• Buried Kilfoil Cemetery, Merna, Custer County, Nebraska, USA

Eugene Daniel Lucynski, Buslee crew

• Born 22 December 1919 – Died 14 April 1981
• Burial information unknown, but parents (Gustave and Dominica Lucynski) are buried All Saints Church Cemetery, Flint, Genesee County, Michigan, USA
• Also known as Eugene D. or Dan Lucyn

Erwin Vernon Foster, Buslee crew

• Born 12 February 1920 – Died 30 June 1981
• Buried Maple Grove Cemetery, Horseheads, Chemung County, New York, USA

George Edwin Farrar, Buslee crew

• Born 3 September 1921 – Died 5 November 1982
• Buried Floral Hills Memory Gardens, Tucker, DeKalb County, Georgia, USA

William Douglas Barnes, Jr., Brodie crew

• Born 20 May 1919 – Died 6 December 1990
• Buried Riverside Cemetery, Hastings, Barry County, Michigan, USA

• Born 26 November 1918 – Died 4 January 1998
• Buried Florida Memorial Gardens, Rockledge, Brevard County, Florida, USA

William Edson Taylor, Brodie crew

• Born 21 April 1923 – Died 29 January 2002
• Cremated

James Buford Davis, Jung crew & Buslee crew Bombardier replacement

• Born 5 October 1921 – Died 20 December 2009
• Cremated, Greater South Side Crematory, Greenwood, Johnson County, Indiana, USA

May they all rest in peace.

Links

Website: American Battle Monuments Commission

Booklet: Disposition of World War II Armed Forces Dead

Previous Posts in this Series

American Cemetery Grave Adopters

American Military Overseas Burials

© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2021