Porter County in World War IICasualties of World War II from Porter County . . . .
The following information concerning Porter County
residents who died while serving in the military during World War II was obtained from
numerous newspaper sources and government databases, as well as from the following sources:
War Department, Adjutant General's Office, Administrative Services Division,
Strength Accounting Branch. 1946. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing
Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from Indiana. College Park, Maryland:
National Archives and Records Administration.
Department of the Navy, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1946. State Summery of War
Casualties from World War II for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel
from Indiana. College Park, Maryland: National Archives and Records
Administration.
Background Information
World War II was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the
world's nations, including all of the great powers, organized into two opposing
military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The war involved the mobilization
of over 100 million military personnel, making it the most widespread war in
history. In a state of "total war," the major participants placed their entire
economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war
effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Over
seventy million people, the majority of whom were civilians, were killed, making
it the deadliest conflict in human history. The start of the war is generally
held to be September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland and subsequent
declarations of war on Germany by most of the countries in the British Empire
and Commonwealth, and by France. Many countries were already at war before this
date, and many who were not initially involved joined the war later, as a result
of events such as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident (fought between Nationalist
China and Japan), the German invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa),
the attack on Pearl Harbor, and attacks on British and Dutch colonies in
Southeast Asia. In 1945, the war ended in a victory for the Allies.
Below is presented
a list of Porter County citizens that perished while serving in World War II.
This casualty list in very likely to be incomplete and, perhaps, incorrect. One
issue in compiling such a casualty list is that the government records of war
casualties are not based on each casualty's place of residence, but rather on the
place of residence of the casualty's next of kin. As the government publication
of casualties states, the listings do "not necessarily represent the State of
birth, legal residence, or official State credit according to service
enlistment." For instance, a soldier killed in action during the war whose
residence was in LaPorte County may be listed in the Porter County list if his
next of kin resided in Porter County. We have attempted to verify Porter County
casualties by researching Porter County newspapers to confirm residence. Note
that deaths resulting from disease, homicide, or suicide were generally excluded from
government-compiled casualty lists for World War II.
Porter County World War II Casualties
Information abstracted by Steven R. Shook