Do you have a Picture of a Veteran or Service Member that you've Lost to Share?

RIP to my Great Uncle Kenneth May SSgt. USAAC, KIA 03/06/1944. In the air crew photo top row, 2nd left to right standing. Not positive but this is at least part of the crew he flew with and are all in a communal grave, Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis Mo.

My maternal grandfather, C.W Seigler (d. 2013). And his great-grandson (my 2nd son) Patrick wrapped in my Dress blues lying on his coffin flag, as well as his great-grandson (my eldest) Alrich lying on the same.

Another of my Uncle. The two lads next to him are both retired colonels (Army). COL Mikel J. Burroughs. Brad, the youngest, just moved to Boulder & is with Ball Aerospace.

My Uncle Horace ”Whitey” Tousley in Vietnam.

My grandfather was in both the US Navy (CPO) and USAF (Army Air Corps) and served in WWII and the Korean War. Here is a photo of him entering Seoul Korea. He passed away in 2012 at the ripe old age of 97. Thank you for your sevice Papa!

My uncle, Aviation Radioman 3rd Class William Eugene Greenfield, sometime in 1942/43.
He was assigned to US Navy Fleet Air Wing 7 (FAW-7), Bombing Squadron 110 (VB-110), in England, aboard PB4Y-1 (B-24) Liberator bombers in an anti-submarine role. On March 12, 1944, he and the entire crew of 10 went MIA off the coast of Cherbourge, France. He was declared KIA a year later.
My Dad’s parents kept all of the letters the Navy Chaplain, Commanding Officer, as well as the War Department sent them, which I now have, along with his Air Medal and other uniform items. Kind of keeps me grounded.
Along with my uncle, the following U.S. Naval personnel were lost:
- Lt (j.g.) William H. RYAN (Pilot)
- Ens. John J. SHEA
- Ens. William SHARKEY
- AMM1C Curtis E. BURGER
- AMM3C Wilburt H. SCHULTZ
- ARM2C Turner J. HOWARD
- ARM3C William E. GREENFIELD
- AOM3C Morgan R. JONES
- AMM3C Harry B. COOMBS
- AMM3C Maurice F. REGAN

I lost my Dad last year, and my uncle a couple of years before that. They were WWII era, and WWII, vets, respectively. My wife's first love, Charles Conover, was killed in Vietnam. I lost friends, acquaintances, and home unit members in Afghanistan. I remember them all today.

My brother/ best friend from my time in the Marines passed 3 yeas ago

Shirley F Sutherburg

October 24, 1923 ~ May 19, 2018 (age 94)

Shirley Frederick Sutherburg, 94, died peacefully at his home in Jefferson on May 19, 2018.

Born October 24, 1923, in Durham, Maine, to John Frederick Sutherburg and Beatrice Merrill Richardson Sutherburg. He grew up in the Newcastle and Pittston areas.

Even as a young boy, Shirley was a hard worker. Along with family chores, he was hired to work as a farmhand. He worked long hours chopping wood, haying, milking cows and caring for the farmer’s animals.

Shirley joined the Army at the age of 17, just before World War II began. He served in the South Pacific Theater from 1940 to 1945. Shirley had a variety of positions, including cook and machine gunner. He also did some boxing as a private earning the respect of the men he served with. He had two brothers in the same outfit, Russell and Walfred. Walfred, just a year older than Shirley, decided that he wanted to be a paratrooper and soon transferred out of their outfit. Walfred was injured and sent to a field hospital, where a booby-trapped heating stove exploded killing him and many others. This was extremely hard for Shirley as they were very close growing up.

Shirley was injured in battle receiving shrapnel wounds in his leg. As a result of his wounds, he received an Honorable Medical Discharge. He also did a stint in the Marines during the Korean War as an instructor, also receiving an Honorable Discharge.

After being discharged, Shirley came back to Maine to build a life for himself. He married, started a family and worked at several different jobs. He worked at the Gardiner Winery, was a milk man, coached little league, was a cook at Togus for a few years and operated a small store with a taxicab stand. Then he moved to Colorado for five years where he worked as a construction foreman, then as a miner in the Climax Molybdenum Mine at Leadville, Colorado.

Upon moving back to Maine, he went to work at the Brunswick Naval Air Station, staying there for 27 years. When he retired, Shirley drove school bus for both, Somerville and Jefferson Schools for 12 years before retiring again.

Shirley was predeceased by three children, Lana Williams, Kevin Sutherburg, and Dean Sutherburg, brothers Russell H., John F. Jr., Walfred F., Bruce M., Roderick V, and Byron W., sisters Frieda Buckley, Lucretia Hassan, Laurine Grover, Geraldine Hassan.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Elaine Adams Sutherburg, sons Tommy Sweetzer, Walfred Sutherburg and wife Laura, Lyman Sutherburg, Lee Sutherburg, Kurt Sutherburg and Wife, Michelle, daughters Sandra Wallace, Karen Deuso and Dawn Amey, brother Terrance and wife Dianne Sutherburg, sister Roberta Humason. There are also, numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.

My Daddy: Riley Jennings Ledbetter
B: 9/11/1924
D: 8/19/2012
SSgt USMC - WWII and Korea