Pvt Gerard Ulric Belley - We Remember

Private Gerard Belley was killed in action on Iwo Jima March 4, 1945. He was the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Ulric (Albertine Guillemette) Belley of 61 Crawford Street in the Pawtucketville section of Lowell. He had attended St. Joseph's School and prior to his service was employed at the Wamesit Power Company.

 Courtesy Lowell Sun

He was a member of the Fifth Marine Division and was only 21 years old. He enlisted in May 1943.

In addtion to his parents, he was survived by two sisters Ella and Jeannine and a brother Normand. He is buried at the Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY. The Cape Cod National Cemetery was dedicated in 1980.

Courtesy www.findagrave.com

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Lowell remembers.

Pvt Joseph Edward Albert - We Remember

During World War II word reached Lowell quickly (compared to WW1) to notify the families when someone was killed in action. Joseph Edward Albert was killed in action on March 6, 1945 during the fighting on Iwo Jima. He was in the Marine Corp and had been serving for just about a year. He was drafted in Lowell, MA almost exactly a year before. He was a transfer from New York City where he had lived previously.

Courtesy Lowell Sun, March 26, 1945

Private Joseph Edward Albert was born in Lowell on October 12, 1910 the son of Alfred and Alia (Brunelle) Albert. He was killed in action on Iwo Jima on March 6, 1945. The family lived in the acre section of Lowell and New York City. Joseph was 33 years old when he died in the Pacific. He had a 7 year old son Thomas E. Albert who was left an orphan when his dad died. He was the one that unveiled the plaques honoring the WW2 soldiers that line the Hall of Flags.

When Joseph Edward Albert died he was survived by his mother, two brothers Joseph Andrew Albert of New York City and Alfred Leo Albert of Lowell and a son, seven year old Thomas E. Albert and his aunts Mrs. Eugenie Lemay and Mrs. Alice Barlow. His mother died on September 19, 1950 and is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Chelmsford. He graduated from St. Joseph  School and was employed at the Lowell Ordinance Plant.

He was killed during the fierce fighting on Iwo Jima. He left his son with no parents. His son grew up in Lowell, married and had two daughters. It looks like he had a full life. He died in 2010 at age 72. His dad is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu Hawaii. Please do not forget him. Lest we forget.

Lowell's Iwo Jima Honor Roll

Shortly after the battle for Iwo Jima news came to Lowell about the personal losses of our young men. Seventy years ago Lowell mourned the loss of the following men killed in action:

• Pvt Joseph E. Albert, USMCR, 831 Merrimack St., Lowell
• Pfc Gerard U. Belley, USMCR, 61 Crawford St., Lowell
• Pvt. Wesley J. Davis, Jr. USMCR of Tyngsboro
• Corp. Edmond J. Dziegiel, USMCR, 6 Roosevelt Place, Lowell
• Corp. Edward Espinola, USMCR, 516 Lawrence St., Lowell
• Pvt Raymond R. Hamilton USMCR 41 Burdette Rd., Dracut
• Pfc Theodore F. Maguire, USMC, 31 Prospect St., Lowell
• Corp. Raymond P. Martineau, USMCR of Dracut
• Seaman 1-C Howard R Patrie, USNR, 179 Hale St., Lowell
• 1st Lieut. James P. Scondras, 287 Dutton St., Lowell

Over the next month I plan on writing on each hero. We must not forget. It's been seventy years so many of their siblings and friends are gone.

Iwo Jima and Greek Independence Day

Seventy years ago this month the United States captured a tiny volcanic island off the coast of Japan. The Japanese had three airfields on the island. The battle for Iwo Jima began on February 19, 1945 and ended March 26, 1945.

Courtesy photo: National Archives taken February 23, 1945 

by Joe Rosenthal atop Mount Suribachi

The United States Navy and Marine Corps lost over 7,000 men. The greater Lowell area  lost men during this two month battle as well.

March 25th is an important day for the Greek community remembering Greek Independence Day.  The Greek community in Lowell is an important part of Lowell's history and culture. The Greeks left Greece to come to America to seek a better life and many of the them ended up in Lowell. Peter and Catherine (Ivos) Scondras came to Lowell and started a family. They had six sons of which four served during World War II. Two sons were killed in action. David was killed in action in Europe and James was killed in action on Iwo Jima on February  25, 1945 two days after the flag raising.

Lieut. James P. Scondras, USMC also known as "Jimmy and the Big Chief" was a graduate of the Bartlett and Lowell High School class of 1938. He was one of the best athletes to come out of Lowell High. Before he enlisted in the Marines he was an outstanding baseball player at Holy Cross College. Had he survived the war he was good enough to turn pro. He was awarded the Silver Star for actions a few days prior to his death.  His body  was returned to Lowell in 1949 along with his brother David killed in action in France and his cousin Sgt. Costos Ivos, shot down over Germany,  where an impressive funeral was held and burial at Westlawn Cemetery.

The gymnasium at the Rogers School on Highland Street is named in honor of Lieut. James P. Scondras. 

Please remember the Scondras and Ivos family and their contributions to the Lowell community.

More to come tomorrow on the other greater Lowell heroes who died on Iwo Jima.

John Scott Keenan - KIA Vietnam

Warrant Officer John Scott Keenan

November 17, 1948 - April 22, 1970

Grew up in the Highlands on Viola Street with his grandparents, Irene & William Scott. Graduated from Lowell High School Class of 1966. Married to Anne Kelley Keenan of Bedford, NH with two children Kelley and John Scott. After six weeks in Vietnam he was killed. He was a helicopter pilot. The intersection across from the 99 on Chelmsford Street is named in his honor. He is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Section I Lot 213.

Please remember W.O. John Keenan when you drive onto Stevens Street. Thank you sir for your service and your family has missed you I'm sure all this time. I've taken this turn so many times but I'll never take it the same again. Thank you for your service and God bless.

The Dallaire Family - Heartbreaking Sacrifice

The Dallaire family of Lowell had five brothers serving in World War II. Their parents Peter and Anna (O'Donnnell) Dallaire were deceased but there were two sisters Monala and Anna living in Lowell. The family was raised on 126 West 6th Street in Centralville. The dad was the local barber.

Photo credit - findagrave.com

During the second world war everyone was all in. Many families had many members in the service. For the Dallaires it was Victor in the Marines, Clement in the Coast Guard, Arthur in the Army, Wilbert in the Navy and Albert in the Army Air Forces.

Arthur was a private in the US Army 18th Infantry Regiment. He was killed in action January 12, 1943 in Tunisia.

Albert was a staff sergeant in the Army Air Forces 379th Bomber Squadron. He was a holder of the Silver Star for shooting down a Japanese transport. He was killed in action over Italy on August 27, 1943. He enlisted in New York.

Wilbert was an Ensign the US Navy for over sixteen years. He was Chief Signalman on the submarine, USS Grayling which went missing near the Philippines September 9, 1943. He is credited to California.

Victor Dallaire was given an honorable discharge and sent home. Clement was stationed with the Coast Guard in Maine. Five brothers serving the United States of America, three killed in action and two made it home.

During WWII, the USS Junea was struck by a Japanese torpedo and all five Sullivan brothers were killed. This is the true story behind the movie "Saving Private Ryan". Soon after the war the United States developed the Sole Survivor Policy to try to prevent a family from losing all their sons or daughters in war. The Dallaire family came pretty close.

Albert and Arthur Dallaire are buried the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Netuttuno, Italy. Wilfred is with his mates in the submarine USS Grayling somewhere near the Philippines. He is listed on the Tablet of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery.

This Lowell family made a huge sacrifice for us. We thank them and we remember them.

After the war Wilbert's widow and 2 year old son located back to Massachusetts. Sadly, they both died in a carbon monoxide poisoning accident ten years later. They are buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery.

A forgotten Lowell sailor still resting in Pearl Harbor - John T. Targ

Back in December I started research for a Pearl Harbor story and I found another forgotten Lowell connection.

 

Courtesy: Boston Globe Photos - Boston Public Library - WW1 Yankee Division

John T. Targ was born in Lowell, MA to Jedag and Marja Targ immigrants from Poland. He had a twin sister Katazyna later called Mrs. Kay Griffin; siblings Stanley, Vodda, Anna and Tadenz (Theodore). They lived in various addresses in the Centralville section of Lowell. I found the above picture of him but no record of his military service with the Yankee Division during the World War One. I'll have to do more research on that.

He married Sophie Cielsa and they had a daughter Jacqueline who died shortly after birth and his wife died within the month in 1930. He was in the US Navy and his wife was living with his mother. At some point he moved to California and was in the US Navy Reserves. He remarried Grace Ann and they lived in San Diego where he was a salesman in a music store in 1940. As a member of the reserves he would have been one of the first to be called.

He was a Navy Chief Petty Officer serving on the USS Arizonia on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was listed as a Chief Watertender which meant that he was working on the boiler of the USS Arizona and where he rests today. Although born in Lowell his service was credited to California. The last mention I have of him in Lowell is in 1971 for the 30th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. We must not forget this Lowell native who gave all on the first day of war for America in WWII.

His mother was noted in Lowell as the first Polish Gold Star Mother and participated with the other Gold Star Mothers. She was a faithful member of St. Casimir's Parish until her death. His second wife, Grace Ann Targ died in 1973 in California.

We will not forget John T. Targ native of Lowell, Massachusetts. Rest in peace.