I created this video dedicated to my grandfather, Ralph Williams Jr., the USS LCI(L)-11 crew, and their families using Apple iMovie ’11. I hope you enjoy it. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. If you’d like to subscribe to my YouTube channel, click here.

Brian Davis – Christine (Williams) Davis – Ralph Williams Jr.

Dick Waits

Many thanks to my cousin, Jane Mason, for scanning and sending this portrait of my great grand uncle, Charles Richard “Dick” Waits. I am currently working on a project dedicated to his life and military service. It will be published in the coming months.

Brian Davis – Christine (Williams) Davis – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth (Waits) Williams (sister of Charles Richard “Dick” Waits)

Harold Dahlberg

Harold Dahlberg

The following article appeared in an unknown newspaper [after November 7, 1943]:

AVIATION CADET HAROLD W. DAHLBERG

Before joining up as an Aviation Cadet Harold was employed as Aviation Mechanic at Duncan Field. He is married, and has one son, Harold Paul. His home address is 816 Austin Street, Luling, Texas. His mother, Mrs. J. E. Dahlberg resides on Route 1, near Kingsbury. Harold hasn’t done so badly for himself, as he has moved up from Private to Aviation Cadet, and that is quite an accomplishment in any Man’s Army. He is a graduate of the Prairie Lea School, and was 27 years old Nov. 7th. His present station is at Albany, Ga.

Harold Dahlberg (Bottom R) and Unknown Crew Photo

The following article appeared in the November or December 16, 1945 edition of an unknown newspaper:

1ST LIEUT. HAROLD WALTER DAHLBERG KILLED IN PLANE CRASH ON GUAM

First Lieut. Harold Walter Dahlberg was killed in a plane accident on Guam, Nov. 7, 1945, according to a telegram received this week from the acting Adjutant General of the Army, by Mrs. Dahlberg. The message stated that a letter would follow.
Lt. Dahlberg has been overseas for the past ten months, and in a letter to his wife, the former Miss Evelyn Cartwright, dated Oct. 22nd, he said that he would be leaving for home soon.
Lt. Dahlberg entered the service in February, 1943, and received his wings in Columbus, Miss., in April, 1944. He attended school in Prairie Lea, and was employed as an aviation mechanic before going into the service. His training stations were in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and California.
In addition to his wife he is survived by a little son, Paul; father, O. Z. Dahlberg of Darst Creek; mother, Mrs. J. E. Dahlberg of Kingsbury; sister, Mrs. W. W. Bingham, Luling; three brothers: Albert, San Antonio; Oscar, Raymondville; and Clifford, Ft. Worth.

According to the Brief of Aircraft Accident, Harold Dahlberg was piloting B-24M, No. 44-51874. The aircraft took off from Harmon Field, Guam at 1202Z [Zulu Time]. At 1203Z, approx. 1.5 miles SE of Harmon Field, the Consolidated B-24M Liberator crashed and exploded on impact. They were on a ferry mission from Guam to Kwajalein. Harold, 2nd Lt. James R. Rouse (Wollaston, MA), 1st Lt. Hugh M. “Billy” Branham (Chestertown, MD), S/Sgt Edmund John Hudo (Filion, MI), and 1st Lt. Bradley O. Irwin (Yuma, AZ) were all killed in the accident. 2nd Lt. Robert V. Callson (Tacoma, WA), T/Sgt Ernest J. LeBlanc (Tupper Lake, NY), T/Sgt Charles D. McLaughlin (Edwin, AL), and T/Sgt Marvin L. Hawk (South Bend, IN) all sustained injuries. The cause of the accident was unknown, but may have been due to engine failure.

The following article appeared in the January 14, 1949 edition of an unknown newspaper:

REBURIAL SERVICES SET FOR SUNDAY FOR FIRST LT. HAROLD W. DAHLBERG

The body of First Lt. Harold Walter Dahlberg, who was killed in a plane accident on Guam on November 7, 1945, will arrive in Luling Saturday afternoon and funeral services will be conducted at the First Baptist Church Sunday at 2 p. m.
Burial will be in the City Cemetery with Benton I. McCarley Post in charge of the graveside services.

Harold and Jennie Dahlberg Headstone

On July 10, 2010, I received the following message from Jennifer Danvers on Ancestry.com:

I was searching on Ancestry.com and found that you have some connection to Harold W. Dahlberg. I recently found a headstone for a Harold W. Dahlberg, born November 7, 1916, died November 7, 1945. It was a military headstone. It was behind someone’s house and had been left there by some previous resident. Are you family to Mr. Dahlberg? Do you know where he is actually buried and if his monument is missing?

I contacted Steve Dahlberg, Harold’s grand nephew, regarding the headstone. Harold’s grandson picked up the headstone and had it placed in Luling City Cemetery.

Harold Dahlberg Military Headstone

Many thanks to Gary W. Adams for posting the above photo to Find A Grave.

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis – James Nead Davis – Margie (Kirkpatrick) Davis [sister of Bonnie Mae (Kirkpatrick) Dahlberg (sister-in-law of Harold Walter Dahlberg)]

Dick Waits 18th Armored Replacement Battlion Retouched Picture (Framed)

I had the retouched photograph of United States Army Company B, 18th Armored Replacement Battalion taken January 1941(42?) at Fort Knox, Kentucky framed at Aaron Brothers in Sugar Land, Texas. My great grand uncle, Charles Richard “Dick” Waits, KIA on April 6, 1945, is on the far right, third row from-the-top.

It looks great and will make an outstanding addition to our study. Thanks again to Sue Rizvi for finding and sending the original.

Sue Rizvi contributed these photos of United States Army Company B, 18th Armored Replacement Battalion, taken 1/1941 at Fort Knox, Kentucky.  My great grand uncle, Charles Richard “Dick” Waits is on the far right, third row from the top.

Rolled-up, with creases and many signs of wear, the original photo was found in the home of Paul and Bette Hang in Circleville, Ohio. Bette was Dick’s sister-in-law until he was KIA on 4/6/45 in Germany. Sue, Bette’s daughter, was kind enough to scan the original photo into four separate files (the photo is too large to fit on a standard flatbed scanner) and email them to me. I decided to have the photos retouched and put back together.  I contacted Miles Abernathy at 399Retouch for the picture retouch.  For an affordable price and fast turnaround time, I thought they did an outstanding job.

Dick Waits 18th Armored Replacement Battalion Retouched Picture

Brian Davis – Christine (Williams) Davis – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth (Waits/sister of Charles Richard Waits) Williams

I created this short video about the life of my great grand uncle using Apple iMovie ’09. I hope you enjoy it. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.  If you’d like to subscribe to my YouTube channel, click here.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits/sister of Charles Richard Waits)

This obituary is of my great grand uncle, Charles Richard “Dick” Waits, and was most likely featured in The Circleville (OH) Herald:

Charles Waits Listed Killed Fighting Nazis

Mrs. Charles R. Waits, Circleville, received word Thursday from the war department that her husband Cpl. Charles R. Waits had been killed in action.

Cpl. Waits has been in the Army three years, 26 months overseas. He was in the African, Sicilian, Italian campaigns. He was also in the French invasion.

At the time of his death he was assigned to General Patch’s Seventh Army in Germany. Mrs. Waits, who is employed at Isaly’s, last heard from him by letter dated March 30. The War Department announcement stated that he had been killed about April 6.

Cpl. Waits was a resident of Lancaster at the time of his enlistment in the Army. His wife is living with her sister, Mrs. Paul Hang, Scioto street. Pfc. Hang is now home on furlough from the European theatre of war.

Many thanks to Paul Hang for providing the article and picture. On the back of the picture, it reads, “Hi Red!” The picture was sent from Dick to his wife, Margaret Ann “Peggy” Waits (Phillips), who had “strikingly” red hair.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits/sister of Charles Richard Waits)

My maternal grandfather, Ralph Scott Williams Jr., served with the United States Navy during World War II.  At the time this V-Mail was written, Ralph was aboard LCI(L)-11, possibly in Bizerte, Tunisia, North Africa (ATB Bizerte).  He was temporarily stationed there from 11/1/1943 until the assault landings at Anzio, Italy on 1/22/1944.  The V-Mail is addressed to his aunt, Florence Miller (Waits), and her husband, Ernest, in Muskegon, Michigan.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr.

Emmit Rowland “E. R.” Gibson, my first cousin three times removed, was born 1/11/1894 in Smith County, Texas. He was KIA in France on 11/2/1918 (nine days before the armistice 11/11/1918) during World War I.  Emmit served as a Private in Company A of the 360th Infantry 90th Division. His gravesite is located at Noonday Cemetery in Noonday, Texas.  Many thanks to Gary Mosley for the pictures and information.

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis – James Nead Davis – Margie Leaine Davis (Kirkpatrick) – Burla Eugene Kirkpatrick (Gibson/aunt of Emmit Rowland Gibson)

Lt. Col. Ewing Stuart Watson, the father of my aunt, Fran Davis (Watson), was born in Bowie, Texas, on 5/21/1918.  Stuart served during World War II as a B17 pilot in the 533rd Bombardment Squadron, 381st Bomb Group.  He flew 47 B17 missions over Europe and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal with 6 Bronze Service Stars.  Stuart passed away 1/13/2008 and is buried in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

Ewing Stuart Watson and Crew Picture

Many thanks to Fran and Paul Watson for providing many pictures, documents, and information on their father’s service for my family tree World War II project. Please check back periodically for updates on the project. If you have anything you’d like to contribute, please send me an email.

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis [brother of Kenneth Allan Davis (son-in-law of  Ewing Stuart Watson)]