POW/MIA Recognition Day in Morris County -- See The List of Morris County POWs/MIAs
Remembering Morris County’s Missing and Prisoners
By Jan Williams
“We bury 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 men a day….we have 200 more sick and falling sick every day; the sickness is yellow fever, small-pox and in short everything else that can be mentioned. . . . Our morning’s salutation is: ‘Rebels! Turn out your dead!’ ”
These were the words of a Continental soldier, a prisoner of war on the British prison ship “Jersey.”
(PNG, 731KB)
Conditions on the Jersey led to thousands of Patriot deaths. The dead buried hastily in shallow graves near the Brooklyn Navy Yard, likely including the remains of Mendham’s John Channel.
In the mid to late 19th Century, Americans began to erect visible reminders to honor prisoners of war and those whose fates are unknown. In 1873, the remains of some 11,000 American prisoners from the Jersey and surrounding British prisons were exhumed and placed into vaults in what is now Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn. In 1908, President-elect Howard Taft presided at the monument dedication consisting of a column of 148 feet to “The Prison Ship Martyrs.”
Ten years earlier, in 1898, ex-POW Charles Hopkins of Boonton was charged with the task of supervising the creation of a monument to New Jersey soldiers buried at Andersonville Prison during the Civil War.
The American Prisoner of War experience is rife with horrific repetitions; the infamous images of Andersonville prisoners emaciated to the brink of death reflect the depravation suffered by Long Hill Township’s Gene McMahon, who lost half his body weight during imprisonment in a German camp.
Continental soldiers referred to the Jersey and other prison ships as “Hell ships” the phrase repeated in WWII and employed to describe Japanese prison ships, such as the Arisan Maru, that held Morris County resident Paul Verdi.
Established by the United States Congress in 1979, the third Friday in September was designated the day to remember those who were Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action.
Today, Morris County remembers and honors servicemen missing in action, those who died in captivity and those who were returned to the nation.
“The Board of Freeholders, on behalf of all Morris County residents, thank these brave soldiers, sailors, and flyers for their service to our nation. Their sacrifices in the name of freedom and liberty always will be remembered,” said Freeholder Director Doug Cabana.
Our list below of Morris County soldiers and sailors is not complete, as evidenced by the lack of female POW/MIAs, the absence of POW/MIAs from the American Revolution, the Spanish American War, and later conflicts. If you have additions, corrections or have further information, please contact Jan Williams at
(PNG, 26KB)
James Patrick Allen
Madison, WWII
United States Army 21st Squadron – 374th Troop Carrier Group
Finding of Death, December 13, 1945.
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines.
Thomas R. “T. R.“ Allen, Jr.
Montville, WWII, United States Army
Stalag Luft 1, Barth, Germany. Last known living 1945.
Charles Anys
Morris County, Civil War, 33rd New Jersey
Wounded in Action at Peach Tree Creek.
He died a Prisoner of War in Andersonville Prison, February 13, 1865.
James N. R. Apgar
Morris County, Civil War, 1st New Jersey
Missing in Action at The Battle of The Wilderness.
Herbert L. Armeny, Jr.
Florham Park, WWII, United States Army 96TH BG – 337th BS – 8th AF
Held in Luft IV. Plaque on a farm road in Heufurt marks the location of the crash: English translation:
“In memory of the emergency landing in Heufurt on 25 November 1944 after their first mission.US Bomber Boeing B-17G, Tail number: Ac44-6612, Eigth Air Force Air Corps (AC)Unit: 96/337/AW-A 96th Bomb Group, 337th Bomber Squadron. Airplane Serial Number: 43-37621The Crew of the B-17 After the war in 1945 all returned to the US Corporal Robert W. Owens, Corporal Anton T. LaPuzza, Staff Sergeant John H. Bianchi, Jr., Ron F. Aren (did not belong to crew), Corporal Lawrence O. Davis, Lieutenant Robert A. Fischer (Captain Pilot), Lieutenant Robert W. Bell (Co-pilot), F/O Herbert L. Armeny, Jr. Navigator, F/O Robert L. Frazier Bombadier”.
An S.S. officer inspects the wreckage of Mr. Armeny’s plane.
(PNG, 582KB)
(PNG, 191KB)
Frederick William Aten
Butler, Korea, United States Army 3rd Battalion
Perished in captivity on the Tiger Death March.
James Atkinson
Morris County, Civil War, 11th New Jersey
Missing in Action; Supposed dead at Boydton Plank Road.
Alfred Reeve Axtell
Born in Morristown, Civil War, 16th Michigan
Captured in Tennessee, held for four months before escaping. Returned to service.
Killed in Action at Petersburg, June 23, 1864.
Wesley M. Ayres
Morris County, Civil War, 15th New Jersey
Missing in Action. Supposed Dead at Spotsylvania
David H. Baird
Morris County, WWII, United States Navy
Missing in Action when the ammunition ship U.S.S. Mount Hood exploded in port.
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines.
Whitney W. Bangs
Harding Township, WWII, United States Army 301st Infantry Regiment – 94th Infantry Division
Harding Township Memorial Plaque
William C. Bassing
Parsippany, WWII, United States Army
Stalag 7A Moosburg Bavaria 48-12 Work Camps 3324-46 Krumbachstrasse 48011, Work Camp 3368 Munich 48-11.
Joshua Beach
Morris County, Civil War, 11th New Jersey
Captured at Rapidan, Virginia November 27, 1863.
Died in Andersonville Prison August 1, 1864.
Randolph G. Beam
Morris County, WWII, United States Army
First reported missing August 2, 1944. Held Stalag 7A, Moosburg.
Russell Anthony Benigno
Chatham, WWII, United States Army 106th Inf Div 422 Reg
Held at Leipzig Camp 4B from December 21, 1944 to April 25, 1945.
Charles V. Berdone
Denville, WWII
United States Army Air Corps – 13th Bomber Group – Large
B-25C “Boomerang” failed to return from bombing mission on shipping in Milne Bay, August 25, 1942.
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery – Manila – Philippines.
Berdone Court, Denville, is named in his honor.
Edward Payton Berry alias Thomas Gilbert
Dover, Civil War, 5th New Jersey Volunteers
Captured in action at Second Bull Run (Second Manassas) and held in Libby Prison. Survived.
Succumbed to wounds received in action at Gettysburg, July 10, 1863.
Jonathan Bigalow
Jefferson, Civil War, 69th New York
Captured October 20, 1864 at Petersburg. Paroled February 28, 1865; mustered out on individual roll June 1, 1865 at Camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland.
Mr. Bigalow died in 1922.
Charles Brandt
Morris County, Civil War, 11th New Jersey
Capture date and place unknown. Held at Andersonville Prison, where he died October 31, 1864.
Charles “Charlie” A. Brennan
Morristown, WWII
United States Army 8th Air Force 334 Sqd. 95 Bomb Group B-17
Captured in the Bavarian Alps, South Germany, March 16, 1944, age 19. Held for 409 days Stalag Luft 3; liberated April 29, 1945.
William B. Briggs
Morris County, Civil War, 15th New Jersey
Missing in Action at Spotsylvania.
Philip A. Brodziak
Denville, WWII
United States Army 38th Bomber Squadron – 30th BG Heavy
Missing In Action September 11, 1944. Lost in the Pacific during a bombing run over Marcus Island from Saipan aboard the B-24 “Pistol Packin’ Mamma”
Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii. Picatinny Arsenal World War II Memorial Plaque.
Brodziak Road in Denville is named in his honor.
Jacob August Brunisholz, Jr.
Morris Township, WWII
United States Army 328th BS – 93rd Bomber Group – Heavy
The B-24D “Friday the 13TH” was reported Lost over Scotland September 9, 1942.
Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England.
Marshall Lindley Bush
Dover, Korea, United States Marine Corps 2 BN 1ST MARINE DIV
Missing in Action, Presumed Dead at Chosin, December 2, 1950.
Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial
21st Infantry Battalion USMCR Korean Conflict memorial, Picatinny.
Solomon “Sol” G. Cannon
Morristown, Civil War, 11th New Jersey
Wounded at Gettysburg and again at the Battle of the Wilderness. Not yet recovered from his wounds, he was captured the following October at Boydton Plank Road and sent to Libby prison. Released from captivity February 16, 1865 and remained in the U.S. Army Hospital at York, Pennsylvania until July 1866.
After the Civil War, veterans formed an organization named the Grand Army of the Republic-or G.A.R.. Chapters of the G.A.R. were established in Morris County and hosted entertainments, political events and participation in “Decoration Day” (Memorial Day in modern parlance) and Fourth of July Parades. Mr. Cannon was a member of the Torbert G.A.R. Post in Morristown, New Jersey.
Gerard “Jerry” J. Caporaso
Chatham, WWII, United States Army 8th Air Force 96th BG – 337th BS – 45th CW
WWII. Chatham. Deceased 2017. TSGT on the B-17F “Dottie J III”. Stalag XVIIB. In the spring of 1945, he survived a 300-mile Death March in the rain and snow on little to no food or water until he and fellow prisoners were rescued by Allied troops. Mr. Caporaso penned his memoirs in 2014, entitled:From the Top Turret.
William “Bill” R. Caruso
Morris Plains, WWII and Korea, United States Army 388th BG
Held I Dulag Luft 17B. The B-17F “Iza Angel II” was shot down and crashed into the North Sea 10 miles NW of Denmark on October 9, 1943.
Joseph “Joe” Miles Casadevall
Whippany, WWII, United States Army 15th AF, 465th BG, 783rd BS
During a mission on June 30, 1944, his plane sustained significant damage, forcing him to bail out. He was taken as a prisoner of war, and held in the infamous Stalag Luft III in the German province of Lower Silesia, near the town of Zagan, in what is now Poland.
Rocco Alfred Cerbo
Parsippany, WWII, United States Army
Held in Stalag 4b Muhlberg Sachensen.
John Channel
Mendham, American Revolution, Served in Capt. Lyon’s Company.
Taken prisoner in 1777, he died in a British prison camp in New York City, he was buried in one of the mass graves.
Forrest Spencer “F. S.” Chilton, III
Pequannock, WWII, United States Army Air Corps
He was seen bailing out from his P-47 over the English Channel, after returning from a bombing mission over St. Quentin, France.
Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England.
Chilton Memorial Hospital is named in his honor.
World War II Memorial Pompton Plains
Jacob Colver
Washington Township, Civil War, 27th New Jersey
Missed when the Army went into camp at Wheeling, Virginia, June 1863; Supposed captured.
Cyrus E. Cook
Mt. Arlington, Civil War, 1st New Jersey
Captured at Brandy Station, he was held in Libby Prison for eight months and ten days.
Mr. Cook was a Member and past commander of the Dahlgrin G.A.R. Post, Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Harry W. Cook, Jr.
Morris County, Korea, United States Army 35th Infantry 2nd Battalion, 25th Infantry Division
Captured while fighting the enemy in South Korea on April 25, 1951 and died while a prisoner of war.
Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial
Walter Robert Coombs
Kinnelon, WWII, United States Navy
Aboard the U.S.S. Jarvis DD-393, August 9, 1942, when she was sunk by Japanese aircraft off Guadalcanal, in the Battle of Savo Island.
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
(PNG, 47KB)
Charles Bracher Copeland, Jr.
Dover, WWII, United States Navy, U.S.S. Gudgeon SS-211
Declared dead while missing
Purple Heart (posthumous)
Tablets of the Missing Honolulu, Hawaii
Donald E. Dahms
Roxbury, Korea, United States Army 2nd Battalion – 5th Cavalry Regiment – 1st Cavalry Division.
Listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on July 25, 1950.
He was presumed dead on February 26, 1954.
Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, Court 4.
David Daley
Morris County, Civil War
Missing in Action, Supposed dead at Gettysburg.
John Davney
Pequannock, Civil War, 11th New Jersey
Missing; Supposed dead in actions Before Petersburg.
Esli B. Dawson
Boonton, Civil War, 27th New Jersey
Taken prisoner at Goldsboro, North Carolina and confined in Libby Prison. Pvt. Dawson was paroled the day before Gen. Grant entered Richmond.
Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia, August 23, 1863.
Mr. Dawson was a member of the John Hill Post, no. 86, G.A.R. in Boonton, and the New Jersey Ex-Prisoners of War Association at Morristown. Mr. Dawson died in 1926.
John A. DeHuff
Madison, WWII, United States Army
Stalag 2A Neubrandenburg Mecklenberg 53-13
Bartholomew “Bat” “Bart” W. Dempsey
(PNG, 240KB)
Morristown, Civil War, 7th New Jersey
Captured at Petersburg, confined to Libby and Andersonville Prisons.
Born in County Carlow, Ireland, Mr. Dempsey emigrated to America aboard the ship “The Colonist” in October, 1851. After his war service, he served as Morristown’s Marshal. He died in 1879.
Buried in Holy Rood Cemetery, Corporal Dempsey received a military headstone in 2009.
John H. “Bud” Derling
Budd Lake, WWII, United States Army 374th Bomb Squad B-17G
Shot down October 7, 1944 on Mission 133, to take out the oil refineries in Politz.
Held in Luft IV.
Nelson L. Dimick
Boonton, WWII, United States Army Air Corps
Shot down and captured during the Kassel Mission Raid September 27, 1944.
Held in Stalag Luft 1, Barth, Germany.
Joseph L. Doty
Morristown, Civil War, 1st New Jersey Cavalry
Held at Belle Isle Prison. Died after liberation on November 19, 1866.
James Dougherty
Rockaway Township, Civil War, 9th New Jersey
Died in captivity Andersonville Prison, August 3, 1864.
Harold Lewis Drew, Jr.
Riverdale, WWII, United States Navy
Tablets of the Missing at East Coast Memorial New York City, USA
Riverdale World War II Memorial
George Drexl
Montville, WWII, United States Army
Held in Stalag 12A to 9B Limburg An Der Lahn Hessen-Nassau, Prussia.
Leslie H. Eames
Morris Plains, WWII, United States Army
Captured in December 1944 by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge near Wiltz, Germany, and was a prisoner of war, held in 12A and 13B. He was repatriated four and one-half months later.
Richard Ives East
Mendham, WWII, United States Army Air Forces – 4th FS- 52nd FG
United States Army Air Forces 52nd Fighter Group. Reported missing during the African Campaign, wreckage of his fighter plane was found by the Allies in Tunis.
Mendham Memorial Plaque
Theodore Edwards
Morristown, Civil War, 1st New Jersey Cavalry
Missing while on scout, August 29, 1863. Died in Libby Prison, September 15, 1864.
Thomas Carl Estwick
Dover, Korea, United States Marine Corps 2 BN 7MAR 1 MAR DIV
Corporal Estwick was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in Korea on December 3, 1950.
He was presumed dead on October 26, 1953.
Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, Court 8
Edward Thomas Everman
Rockaway, WWII, United States Navy Reserves
Missing in Action November 10, 1944.
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.
Reuben T. Feiler
East Hanover, WWII
United States Army Air Forces – 412nd Bomber Squadron – 95th Bomber Group – Heavy B-17
Declared dead while missing, June 14, 1944.
Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England
East Hanover Memorial
Ralph Almon Fletcher, Jr.
Madison, WWII
Lt. Felton was the pilot on the B-17 “Rose O’Day” on a mission targeting marshalling yard, Hamm, Germany; known as “The Hamm Raid”. The Rose O’Day never returned.
Tablets of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery.
George Fenner
Morris County, Civil War
Missing in Action at the Battle of Winchester.
David Louis Ferratti, Jr.
Chatham Township, WWII, United States Army 803rd Engineering Aviation
Three months after Pearl Harbor, in March 1942, Ferratti was among American soldiers who were captured and participated in the infamous Bataan Death March. He was imprisoned in Japan for three years at Sendai no. 6 Hanawa Camp, released in 1945 and discharged from the service in May of 1946.
Albert Freeman
Roxbury, Civil War, 11th New Jersey
Wounded in Action and captured at Brandy Station.
William C. Galton
Madison, WWII, United States Army 13th AF – 307th BG, Heavy B-24J
Lost over the Japanese-held Yap Island, Micronesia, near the Yap Island harbor in his B-24, August 19, 1944.
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery – Manila – Philippines
Madison Roll of Honor
Harold Francis Gantert
Parsippany, WWII, United States Army 384th BG 544 BS
On April 29, 1944, as a flight navigator, Lt. Harold Gantert took off on a bombing mission when his plane was shot down over Germany forcing him to parachute down. He was captured four days later and spent the next year as a POW in Stalag Luft III. After a grueling march the prisoners of war were forced to endure, they were liberated by the Allied troops in 1945.
Additional service in the Korean War.
September 17, 2013 was declared “Harold Gantert Day” in Parsippany.
Mr. Gantert died December 31, 2013 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Robert H. Griffith
Madison WWII, United States Army Air Forces – 506th FG- 457th FS P-51D20
Missing in Action on what has become known in WWII history as “Black Friday”.
P-51 Mustangs had been ordered to escort B-29s to Osaka, Japan. Nearing the target, the planes hit a squall, causing two of the B-29s to collide mid-air. Forced to fly in blinding rain and turbulence, the Mustangs broke formation and began colliding with each other. Out of the chaos, a sole pilot bailed out at 5,000 feet, and was picked up by the U.S. Navy.
Twenty-five pilots P-51 Mustang pilots were lost in this single day.
Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial
Madison Roll of Honor
Thomas Jefferson Halsey
Morristown, Civil War, 11th New Jersey
Captured in the Battle of Chancellorsville with 26 other men. Although wounded himself, Sergeant James McDavit rushed to render aid to Maj. Halsey was shot and killed. Major Halsey was held in Andersonville Prison for eight months.
A Grand Army of the Republic post in Dover was named in honor of Sergeant James McDavit.
Willem “William” Homeijer
Boonton Township, Allied Forces
A member of the Dutch military. He spent three and a half years in a Burmese Prisoner of War camp.
Charles Fern Hopkins
(PNG, 188KB)
Medal of Honor
Boonton, Civil War, 1st New Jersey
Wounded left side, head, shoulder and right leg during the Battle of Gains Mill.
Held at Florence, Libby and Andersonville prisons. Corp. Hopkins kept a diary, which his descendants donated to the Andersonville National Historic Park.
In 1898, Mr. Hopkins was commissioned by Acting New Jersey Governor Voorhees to assist in erecting a monument at Andersonville Prison, in remembrance of New Jersey soldiers buried there.
In 2014, at a ceremony dedicating plaques to former Morris County Freeholders-of which Mr. Hopkins was one-his granddaughter, Mrs. Lucille Scerbo, was in attendance.
“Grandpa Charlie”, she advised, always wore an over-sized hat to obscure his injuries.
At the time of his death February 14, 1934, Corporal Hopkins had been the last surviving veteran of the Medal of Honor recipients for service rendered in the Civil War.
Member of the John Hill Post, no. 86, G.A.R., Boonton.
Frederick L. Hornung, III
East Hanover, Morris County, Korea, United States Army 38th Infantry Regiment – 2nd Infantry Division
He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in South Korea on November 25, 1950. Died in captivity.
East Hanover Memorial
Robert Huxham
Chatham Township, WWII, United States Marine Corps VMF-223 Corsair.
Date of loss May 17, 1945 over the Philippine Islands “Operation Victor”.
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery – Manila – Philippines
Chatham World War II Memorial
Alpheus Iliff
Washington Township, Civil War, 11th New Jersey
Lt. Iliff was captured in action May 10, 1863. Held at Andersonville until the close of war. He had been erroneously reported killed, and Rev. Martin Herr of Dover preached a funeral sermon.
Mr. Iliff later served as a chaplain to the Samuel Star G.A.R. Post, German Valley. He was a member of the New Jersey Prisoners of War Association, joining in 1891.
Stuart Raymond Jelly
Morris County, Korea
United States Army 3rd Battalion – 38th Infantry Regiment – 2nd Infantry Division
On February 12, 1951, First Lieutenant Stuart Raymond Jelly was captured by enemy forces near Saemal, South Korea.
He was then marched to prisoner holding camps along the Yalu River in North Korea.
Repatriated American prisoners of war reported that 1st LT Jelly died in the Suan Bean POW Camp on May 31, 1951.
Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial
National Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington D.C.
Hjalmar Oke Johansson
(PNG, 48KB)
Montville, WWII, United States Army Air Forces -767 Squadron
A nose gunner, his first mission became a one way trip. Planes left Torretta, Italy, and his B-24 was badly damaged by flak December 17, 1944. Attacked by German fighter planes on the way to bomb Odertal Oil Refinery in Poland. Over half of the group was shot down. Twenty-nine service men, were killed on that raid alone and at least that same number were captured or missing in action, never actually reached the target. Hit by flak, which knocked a big hole in the wing, taking out the number-four engine. Shortly thereafter, the number-three engine went out–that’s the two engines on the right side–making the plane lose altitude. Shot down behind enemy lines, he was held in Stalag IIIA Luckenwald, Germany. Denied food and water, Johansson would lick the condensation off metal bolts for water. Upon his return to the United States, he e