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name
BALEN, William Francis - Date of
birth
10 March 1920 -
Age
24 -
Place of birth
Absher, Musselshell County, Montana -
Hometown
Little Lake, Mendocino County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
39012138 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Armorer Gunner -
Unit
764th Bombardment Squadron,
461st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
4 October 1944 - Place of
death
Near Munich, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Epinal - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Emil H. Balen (father)
Mary G. (Padrick) Balen (mother)
More information
Sgt William F. Balen attended high school for 1 year before he joined the Regular Army in Presidio of Monterey, California on 13 October 1941.His father immigrated from Russia and was called Emil Belan. His parents divorced in 1929 and his mother remarried with Walter Franklin Swinney. His father remarried with Evelyn Weathers.
Maj Windle D. Reel:
Directly over target area the plane was directly hit either by bomb from a plane flying above or by flak, causing the plane to explode and blowing both plane and occupants to bits.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Astrid van Erp, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov – WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com – Tigges Onken Mattes Heuton and so many more, family tree, www.fold3.com, www.findagrave.com
Photo source: www.findagrave.com – Have Paws will travel