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Military Line of Duty

The following members of the FDNY lost their lives in combat for the United States of America.

  • FF Howard V Colbert, E-292, US Army. July 9, 1944. FF Colbert was killed on Saipan while serving as a Sergeant with Company H, 105th Infantry.
  • FF George H Cridland, MSS, US Navy Reserve. September 5, 1944. FF Cridland died in an airplane crash 8 miles southwest of Cicil field.
  • FF Peter J Dannhardt, E-15, US Navy Reserve. July 4, 1943. While on patrol off the coast of California, FF Dannhardt's plane disappeared in the ocean and was presumed lost.
  • FF James A Dingee, E-282, US Navy. August 23, 1944. FF Dingee died in Salerno, Italy, fighting a fire that was started on a submarine chaser by a bomb that was dropped during an air raid.
  • FF Christian P Engeldrum, L-61
  • FF James J Farrell, Engine 66(FireBoat George B McClellan). US Army Air Corps. Fireman Farrell was killed with another flier on a training flight. They were based at Marana Army Airfield, north of Tucson, AZ. Both men were killed instantly when they struck a mountain.
  • FF Benjamin H Fay, L-102, US Army. November 2, 1918. FF Fay was KIA while serving in France with the 106th Infantry.
  • FF Harry E Flynn, L-7, US Army. FF Flynn became sick with influenza while stationed at Campt Upton, Yaphank NY.
  • FF Robert G Gates, E-253, US Navy Reserve. August 10, 1943. FF Gates was killed in the Mediterranean Sea when his ship (USS Brant) was hit by friendly fire from the USS Benson.
  • FF Henry J Helmken, L-123, US Army, October 13, 1918. FF Helmken became sick with influenza while stationed at Camp Mills, NY.
  • FF Charles A Hickey, L-37, US Navy Reserve. September 22, 1945. FF Hickey was killed in a plane crash over Japan. He was a Lieutenant in the Navy, an overseas Army veteran of the 1st World War. In 1936, FF Hickey was awarded the MJ Delehanty Medal for rescuing a child from a tenement fire. In WWII, Hickey was awarded the Navy Legion of Merit Medal for 'Keeping afloat and making possible the salvage of valuable equipment in 3 vessels seriously damaged by fire by enemy action'. He was buried in Yokohama, Japan. He left a widow and 4 daughters.
  • FF James R Hickey, MSS, US Army Air Corps. FF Hickey was an engineer/top turret gunner on a B-24 Bomber. His plane was hit by flak and crashed on the Isle of Schouwen off the coast of Holland.
  • FF Harold Holsten, E-19, US Marine Corps. May 12, 1945. FF Holsten was machine-gunned across the chest while serving with the Marines in Okinawa. He was a member of the First Marine Division.
  • FF Edwin J Hovey, E-37, US Army Air Corps. FF Hovey was a member of a B-24 bomber crew out of Tarawa. 12 Japanese Zero airplanes jumped the formation on their return trip home. They shot 20mm cannon fire into the formation hitting Hovey's plane. The exploding cannon fire hit the waist and tail gunners' area probably killing them all. The plane was last seen flying on 3 of the 4 engines and was presumed lost at sea. FF Hovey's body was never recovered and the war department listed him presumed dead on January 16, 1946.
  • FF James J Hughes, MSS, US Army. WWII
  • FF Henry B Innes, L-33, US Marine Corps. May 18, 1945. FF Innes was shot in the head while serving with the US Marines on the island of Okinawa.
  • FF Charles J Johnson, E-58, US Army. FF Johnson was KIA as a Sergeant in the 306th Infantry while serving with the American Forces in France during WWI.
  • FF Robert W Johnston, E-293, US Army. December 31, 1943. FF Johnston died on the operating table from acute appendicitis in San Marco, Texas.
  • FF John J Kelly Jr, L-1, US Army. FF Kelly became sick with influenza while stationed at Camp Merritt, NJ.
  • FF John W Leary, L-122, US Army. FF Leary was killed in Germany while leading a patrol. As an Army Lieutenant, he was crossing the Our River from Luxembourg into Germany to knock out 2 German Bunkers. The 1st bunker destroyed, he was wounded in the 2nd attack with small arms fire to the chest. The Germans were reinforcing the bunker and the American's position was being overrun. Leary stayed behind and gave covering fire so his men could escape. His body was not recovered.
  • FF Stephen J Marangas, E-62, US Army Air Corps. April 20, 1945. FF Marangas was a Navigator on a B-24 bomber operating over Norway, delivering supplies to the Norwegian underground. THe plane was hit by enemy fire and losing altitude. The plane would not make the trip back to it's base in England and it was decided to bail out over Larvik, Norway. FF Marangas was preparing to bail out and found his parachute was missing. He jumped with another member of the plane holding on to his back. When the ripcord of the parachute was pulled, FF Marangas lost his grip and fell to his death. He was the only member of the crew to lose his life.
  • FF Bernard P McGreavy, L-16, US Marine Corps. FF McGreevy was killed while fighting on Saipan. He landed with the 2nd Marine Division on Red Sand Beach.
  • FF Frank J Molinari, MSS, US Army Air Corps. FF Molinari was in an aircraft crash in Borneo January 12, 1945. He was captured by the Japanese along with 2 other fliers. They were beheaded near Samarinda, Borneo. 4 Japanese Naval Officers were put on trial for war crimes in Manila on May 27, 1946. His body was not recovered and the war department listed him as presumed ead on January 13, 1946.
  • FF Edward J Nelson, L-30, US Navy Reserve. April 26, 1944. FF Nelson was killed in a plane crash flying an F-6-F Hellcat from Brooklyn to Lynchburg, Virginia. On January 25th, 1941, he rescued a woman from a burning 4th floor apartment. He was lowered from the roof to the 4th floor where he swung into the window. He grabbed the 160lb woman and was lowered to the street. He was awarded the Hugh Bonner Medal for this rescue.
  • FF George Nigro, E-229. FF Nigro was KIA February 13, 1945 in Germany, where he was a Staff Sergeant with the Eleventh Infantry. He was first reported MIA and then listed as KIA.
  • FF Joseph O'Flaherty, L-105, US Army Air Corps. March 4, 1944. FF O'Flaherty died in a plane crash during practice attack missions in Naples, Florida.
  • FF Henry Oltmann, L-28, US Army. FF Oltmann became sick with influenza while stationed at Camp Meade, Maryland.
  • FF Robert C Pettit Jr, E-303, US Army. FF Pettit died near Taiwan aboard a Japanese prisoner of war ship when Allied airplanes attacked it. He survived the Batan Death March and was imprisoned at the dreaded Cabanatuan Prison Camp. As General MacArthur was landing on Luzon, Pettit and some 1,600 POW's were loaded aboard Oryoko Maru on December 13, 1944. The ship was attacked and badly damaged on December 15 and asnk within 500 ft of shore. Wounded in the air attack, Pettit swam back to shore and was placed aboard the Brazil Maru and taken to Taiwan. There he changed ships on January 6th. American planes attacked the ship on January 9th and inflected heavy damage to the forward part of the ship where Pettit was held. Over 150 men including Pettit were killed in this attack.
  • FF John J Russell, MSS, US Army Air Corps. FF Russell was a navigator of a B-17G Flying Fortress enroute to Brandenburg, Germany on a bombing mission. A burst of flak hit the aircraft. The explosion of the shell tore the outer panel of the wing next to the outboard engine nacelle. The aircraft spiraled to the ground.
  • FF Vincent A Schmitt, E-292, US Army. KIA in Belgium on January 6, 2945.
  • FF John J Sheehy, MSD, US Navy Reserve. FF Sheehy was killed when he crash landed his F-6-F Hellcat fighter plane into a river. He reported engine trouble shortly after takeoff. Instead of bailing out and letting it crash in a heavily populated area, he crash landed into the Neponset River in Boston.
  • FF John R Sheridan, E-89, US Navy Reserve. May 14, 1945. FF/Seaman Second Class Sheridan was accidentally shot in the chest and spine by friendly fire.
  • FF Thomas F Shortell, L-157. US Marine Corps. FF Shortell was KIA serving as a Marine on Iwo Jima on March 8th, 1945. He was 31 years old and left behind a wife and 4 children.
  • FF Herman Staton, MSD. Herman Stanton was in the Army when he was called for the Fire Department and assigned to Military Service Squad. He was assigned to the 310 Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division in the US Army. He was killed in Schmidt, German but the cause of death is unknown.
  • FF Eugene F Steffens, L-122, US Army Air Corps. FF Steffens was co-pilot aboard a B-17G aircraft heading to Magdeburg, Germany. The aircraft was hit by direct burst of flak in the right wing and bomb bay. Part of the wing came off and the aircraft exploded.
  • FF Emile A Steiner, E-36, US Army. May 22, 1944. FF Steiner was killed while fighting in Italy.
  • FF Eugene J Studer, E-81, US Army. FF Studer was killed while fighting with the US Army in Italy during WWII.
  • FF Thomas F Taylor, L-131, US Army Air Corps. Injured May 28, 1945, died June 3, 1945. FF Taylordied in an airplane crash in Montgomery, Alabama. He was serving in the Army and stationed at Napier Field in Dothan, Alabama. The C-46 transport was carrying part of the field's baseball team playing Montgomery. The plane was cleared to land at Gunter Field, did a ground loop and caught fire, severely burning everybody on board. 1 person died in the crash, 5 died a week later.
  • FF Francis R Twomey, E-55, US Army. FF Twomey became sick with influenza while stationed at Camp Upton, Yaphank, NY.
  • FF George B Weill, L-23. US Army. FF Weill was a Lieutenant and assigned to the 473rd Amphibious Truck Company, listed as MIA in Iwo Jima. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star.
  • FF Goerge M Williams, L-49, US Army. January 11, 1946. FF Williams was killed in a car accident while serving with the US Army in India.