world war two – Page 3 – Tuscarawas County Stories

Fallen Heroes: Private George H. Timmerman

Most Americans have seen still photos or film, either real or cinematic, of the Allies’ D-Day assault on the coast of France during World War Two. While those images are dramatic and informative, only those who were there can truly speak to the horror, and bravery, that occurred on those beaches. Fallen Tuscarawas County heroContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private George H. Timmerman”

Fallen Heroes: Staff Sergeant Fred Schenk

I have used the phrase “fallen heroes” to describe all of the service individuals I have written about to date. Very rarely, if ever, do I find an eyewitness account of the individual’s heroic sacrifice. In researching the life of Tuscarawas County’s Staff Sergeant Fred Schenk (1915-1945), and his death during the Battle of theContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Staff Sergeant Fred Schenk”

Fallen Heroes: Private Robert C. Watson

Very rarely do we learn the details of how a fallen hero met their death and, often, the oral history of what may have happened can be flawed or incomplete. In the case of Newport, Tuscarawas County’s Robert C. Watson (1922-1943), how he lost his life serving overseas was well documented by his unit. RobertContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private Robert C. Watson”

Fallen Heroes: Corporal Melvin Lauver

While many of Ohio’s fallen heroes rest in cemeteries in their home state, many others never returned home. When Uhrichsville’s Melvin Lauver (1915-1943) entered the United States Army in 1942, he and his family never anticipated that he would be memorialized 4000 miles from his hometown. When Melvin Lauver was born in Uhrichsville in 1915,Continue reading “Fallen Heroes: Corporal Melvin Lauver”

Fallen Heroes: Private John P. Rose

My grandfather served with the United States Army in North Africa during World War Two, and that theater of the war has always held a special interest for me. When I discovered that Dover, Ohio resident John P. Rose (1918-1942) had served and sacrificed his life in that campaign, I wanted to discover more aboutContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private John P. Rose”

10,000 Miles: Jesse William Learish & the USS Asheville

One of the most enjoyable exercises in family history is when one is given a photograph of someone whose name or life has been lost to history. They stare out at you from the image, longing to be identified and to have their story told. My wife’s family had in their collection an image ofContinue reading “10,000 Miles: Jesse William Learish & the USS Asheville”