Memorial

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F/O Joseph F. De Lassus attended Central High School at Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri State Teachers College in Cape Girardeau and was an employe of the postfoffice when he enlisted on 8 Mai 1942. He trained in California, Texas, Kentucky and North Carolina before he was sent overseas on 18 March 1944.

Statement from Capt Norman G. Statham who was the pilot of the C-47 that towed the glider:
"I last saw the glider I was towing as it crashed on the ground. I believe F/O De Lassus was shot because spiraled down and crashed after suddenly lurching, and when I circled to see what happened it looked as if the glider was in good condition. Upon reaching the ground the glider crashed on its right wing with such force that I believe that the pilot must have been killed."

According to Mr Willekens, a citizen of Reusel, German troops had dug in near the road from Reusel to Postel (Belgium). They took the planes, steadily under fire with machineguns. He saw how a glider turned loose, made a curve coming down and flying back in the direction in the direction of the mentioned road. After he lost sight of the glider beacuse of pine trees, he heard machinegun fire supposed to be pointed on the descending or already grounded plane. On 22 September, when the Germans had left, he went together with the chief of police and another policeman to the crash site. They found one grave with two crosses and one grave with one cross on which helmets rested. No names were on them. Everything but the wreckage of the glider was robbed by the Germans.

About ten days later, Mr. Wouters, also a local citizen, placed wooden crosses on the graves. He thought the soldiers were English and had the crosses marked "British Soldier 17-8-44".

The pilot, F/O De Lassus was the only crew member. There was no co-pilot on board. The glider carried six members of HQ Battery of the 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, 101st Airborne Division and equipment. Crew and two passengers were killed in the crash, two men died of wounds a day later. Two men were taken prisoner. Pvt John J. Elliot Jr is buried at Ardennes, Pvt Charles A. Lodge is buried at Margraten.

On 5 January 1946 the bodies of the three soldiers were disinterred. The remains of F/O De Lassus were initially marked as Unknown X-2883.

After identification, F/O De Lassus was initially buired in a temporary grave at Margraten in 14 March 1946 and was given his final resting place on 10 February 1949.