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Author: ShookGenealogy
Surnames: Dye Lenburg Twa Owens Pumroy Birky Chambers Smith
Classification: queries
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http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties...
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Here is additional information concerning DeForest Dye from the following website:
http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Military/WWIIList/DyeDeForest.html
DeForest Dye
Store Keeper Third Class, US Navy
Date of Death: March 3, 1942
Cause of Death: Missing in Action (Japanese sinking of USS Ashville, Battle of Java Sea)
Hometown: Valparaiso
Newspaper Notices:
Curtis W. Dye Reports For Navy Training
Curtis W. Dye, of Valparaiso, has been reported at naval training school for yeoman at
Indiana university, Bloomington. At the conclusion of 16 weeks of training he will be
ready for duty aboard a ship or at some shore station.
Dye is a son of Mrs. Geneva Dye, Banta school principal. A brother, DeForest Dye, a member
of the navy, was reported last March as missing in action in the battle of the Java sea.
_________________________________________________
Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; July 24, 1942; Volume
16, Page 2, Column 3
Ten Porter County Men Dead Or Missing Since U. S. Went Into War Against Japan
(BY ENG ZIMMERMAN, Sr)
"Remember Pearl Harbor" Today Valparaiso and Porter county citizens remembers
that event which transpired just a year ago today when a Japanese air squadron, more than
100 strong, roared out of a peaceful sky to deal destruction and death to American
warships, air dromes and U. S. fighting men at Pearl Harbor.
With quietness and an air of solemnity, citizens recalled dastardly Japanese sneak attack
and resolved to "Remember Pearl Harbor" as their battlecry to retaliate in full
measure to the Japanese for their treachery in causing the unwarranted deaths of several
thousand brave members of the U. S. fighting forces.
Not until yesterday was the full extent of the carnage at Pearl Harbor revealed to the
public on the theory that such information would have proved valuable to the enemy.
Local Youth Wounded
Porter county had only one casualty at Pearl Harbor. He was Harold Lenburg, of Valparaiso,
who was critically wounded in the onslaught. Lenburg spent considerable time in hospitals
recovering from his wounds before he was able to return home. He is recipient of the
Purple Heart award.
Since that eventful day a year ago in the Pacific, ten Porter county men have been
included in the government's casualty lists as killed in action or missing.
First to answer the summons was Charles McKindred Proffitt, gunner on the U. S. destroyer
Jacob Jones, which was torpedoes in the Atlantic in September.
DeForest Dye, a member of the Navy, was next reported missing in the Pacific in March.
Then in May, Capt. Robert F. Ruge, of the Marine Corps, was reported missing. Ruge had
been on Bataan and Corregidor just before U. S. forces on those points capitulated to the
Japanese. Later he was promoted to the rank of major.
Hebron Youth Missing
Another Porter county man stationed at Corregidor, Joseph Twa, of Hebron, was also
reported missing. In both the Ruge and Twa announcements it was not known whether they
were killed or captured. No further word has been received.
Next to be added to the honor roll of Porter county was the name of Glen Owens, of
Valparaiso. He was reported killed in action in the Pacific in June. His body was buried
at sea.
Soon after the announcement of young Owens' death, came word that John Hales Bates of
Hebron was missing from a carrier in the Pacific. He was a member of the U. S. air
service.
Another man to pay the supreme sacrifice was Howard L. Pumroy, of Kouts. Pumroy was
reported killed in the Solomons while fighting with the marines.
John Jacob Birky, student pilot of the Royal Canadian Air Force residing on Valparaiso RFD
3, was killed at Centralia, Ontario, in October when a plane which he was flying during
night practice crashed. The body was brought to this city for memorial services.
Capt. William H. Chambers of the U. S. air force was reported missing in action since Oct.
19. He was believed to have been in Alaska region.
The latest casualty reported was Pvt. First Class Edward Smith of Valparaiso. He was
reported killed in action in the South Pacific on Nov. 18.
_________________________________________________
Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; December 7, 1942;
Volume 16, Page 1, Column 6
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