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Personal info

Full name
BEERMAN, Milan C
Date of birth
18 March 1922
Age
22
Place of birth
Paullina, O'Brien County, Iowa
Hometown
Paullina, O'Brien County, Iowa

Military service

Service number
O-551067
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Navigator
Unit
310th Squadron,
315th Troop Carrier Group
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
21 September 1944
Place of death
In a meadow at the Reethsestraat/Oude Rijksweg
Buurschap Reeth (community of Elst), The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
G 3 9

Immediate family

Members
John L. Beerman (father)
Anna M. (Oldewurtel) Beerman (mother)
Bernice A. Beerman (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
43-15612
Data
Type: C-47A
Nickname: Sea-Ration
Destination: Drop zone K, Driel, the Netherlands
Mission: Paratrooper drop
MACR: 10284

More information

2nd Lt Milan C. Beerman joined the infantry of the U.S. Army Reserve in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 24 June 1942. He attended Coe College where he was a member of the ROTC for 2 years and was working in the production of bakery products before he joined the army.

Statement of Capt Norman A. Greene:
"I was flying in a C-47 airplane No. 42-93085 at 17.21 hrs. 1 September 1944. I noticed that airplane no. 43-15612 was in distress. He was hit just before he got to Elst. After crossing the Waal he was turning towards Nijsengen at 50 to 100 feet going into a crash landing not on fire or the airplane was out of control."

The airplane carried paratroopers of the 1st or 2nd Battalion of the Polish 1st Para Brigade and was shot down after dropping the paratroopers.

The entire crew was killed. Right after the crash, their bodies were buried at the crash site by glider pilots.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, André Koch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - WWII Bonus Case File / Family Tree

Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, Richard R. Radtke