2nd Lt.

Purdy, James Granville

Born in Germany, he fought and died in the service of the American armed forces during an armed confrontation with Japanese forces in World War II. He was declared missing in action, presumed dead, when his B-17, successfully returning from a mission to bomb Bogadjim village in New Guinea, was attacked by Japanese Ki-43 Oscars of the 24th Sentai and crashed off Bogadjim, 100 yards offshore from the mouth of the Mindjim River.

Pederson, Harold Lawrence

Born in Chicago, Illinois, 2nd Lt Pederson studied Secretarial Science during his stay at Oregon State College. While serving with the Army Air Force’s 4th Fighter Squadron 52nd Fighter Group he was shot down while flying a British Spitfire the American Forces had somewhere in the North African area. He was survived by his parents and two brothers.

https://oregondigital.org/catalog/oregondigital:fx71b9631#page/5/mode/1u... (pg 5)

Parks, Floyd Elwood

Born in Elgin, Oregon, 2nd Lt Parks studied Agriculture during his time at Oregon State College. Lt. Floyd Ellwood Parks was a platoon leader in B Company, 2nd Marines. In William W. Rogal's book "Guadalcanal, Tarawa and Beyond: A Mud Marine's Memoir of the Pacific Island War" he tells of Parks' death. Their battalion was being transferred by towed barges from the island of Tulagi to Guadalcanal. "The lead boat being pulled by the other YP couldn't take the strain and its entire bow was pulled off, dumping the occupants, the first platoon of B Company, into the sea.

Nelson, Rudolph C.

2nd Lt Nelson was born in Portland, Oregon. While serving with the Army Air Forces 571st Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group he was the Bombardier aboard B-17F Flying Fortress Aircraft #42-31030 “Shy Ann”, the aircraft experienced mechanical faults after take off. The Fortress went into a spin at around 3,000 ft and then crashed into the North Sea off of Aldeburgh, England.

https://oregondigital.org/catalog/oregondigital:fx719t184#page/8/mode/1u... (pg 8)

Mackey, James Emil

2nd Lt Mackey was declared "Missing In Action" while a POW of the Japanese Army in the sinking of the "Shinyo Maru". He was awarded the Prisoner Of War Medal and the Purple Heart. The Japanese ship "Shinyo Maru" was loaded with 750 U.S. POW's in the cargo holds. The U.S.S. Paddle (SS-263), not knowing that American POW's were on board, fired torpedoes at the ship off the coast of Mindanao and sank it. Some Japanese guards shot prisoners as they struggled from the holds after the attack or were in the water. 668 POW's died when the ship sank, leaving only 82 survivors.

Leslie, Robert Taber

Born in Klamath Falls, Oregon 2nd Lt Leslie spent one year at UCLA before transfering to Oregon State College, while as OSU he he was a part of the track team, and earned a Bachelors of Science in Education when he graduated in 1940. While serving with the Army Air Corps 41st Air Depot Group he went missing in Italy when the B-24 he co-piloted went down. 2nd Lt Leslie was survived by his wife, son, parents and two sisters.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30776982