A Memorial Day tribute to soldiers

Watch slide show ~Two hundred and thirty-seven.

~Count the names yourself.

~Different backgrounds. Different ages. Different wars.

~But with two things in common: All are from Cape Girardeau County. And all gave their lives in service to the U.S. military.

The Purple Heart Medal, one of the most important decorations a soldier can receive, was created in 1782 to honor soldiers wounded in battle. (Submitted by Herbert Brase).

Schuchert's Band from Cape Girardeau joined the Army en mass during World War I, becoming the official band of the 6th Missouri Regiment. This file photo was taken in the 200 block of Broadway in front of The Daily Republican building on June 21, 1917.

WORLD WAR I

Alt, George E.

Altenthal, Clarence

Baker, Florence

Baker, Ivy "Cleveland"

Bridges, Harry W.

Caldwell, Ellis

Coleman, James M.

Crader, Ray T.

Crass, Charles A.

Crumb, Harry

Davidson, Wilton

Dearmont, Julien

Eggers, Ben

Enderle, Charles

Estes, Cephas

Fitzgerald, Jesse

Friedhoff, Louis

Graden, Arthur

Hovis, Henry L.

Joerns, Clark A.

Jones, Dephonia

Jones, Harry J.

Juden, Louis K.

King, Roy U.

Knight, Robert W.

Koch, Joseph F.

Lacey, George W.

Mattingly, Randall A.

Meador, Ruel C.

Medley, Ralph "Ray"

Neal, John E.

Pearson, John R.

Poe, Charles H.

Rasico, Paul E.

Reed, Charles

Smith, Fred

Snider, William

Spradling, Thomas "Frank"

Stidham, William "Henry"

Tucker, Richard

Tyler, Ezra

Underwood, Clyde S.

Walker, Birtie R. "Bird"

Wasem, Louise J.

Winter, Arthur

Wunderlich, Ben

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The Normandy Medal of the Jubilee of Liberty was awarded in 1999 to veterans who participated in the Normandy Invasion from June 6 to Aug 31, 1944. (Submitted by Raymond Niswonger).

American Marines, including Pfc. Kenny Kasten from Southeast Missouri, top left, display a Japanese flag at the end of the Okinawa battle.

WORLD WAR II

Abbott, Charles W.

Adams, Thomas R.

Amos, Calvin J.

Andrews, Mitchell E.

Atkins, Floyd C.

Baltz, Harold W.

Barenkamp, Edward W.

Bergmann, Otto J.

Biri, Henry F.

Birk, Richard O.

Bohnsack, Robert L. "Bob"

Borgard, Fred G.

Bowers, Burnell C.

Brant, Gerald J.

Bremer, Earl

Bruene, Alvin H

Bucy, Wldon E.

During World War II, what is currently Cape Girardeau Regional Airport served as the Army Air Corps' Harris Field.

Bueltemann, Leonard W.

Burgfeld, Walter

Button, Charles

Clippard, Lloyd D.

Clore, Charles S.

Clore, William T.

Cole, John W.

Colmar, Kenneth

Copen, Clinton H.

Cox, Ruskin M.

Craft, Oran E.

The Philippine Liberation Medal was awarded to those who assisted in liberating the Philippines. (Submitted by Scotty Telle).

Criswell, Joe

Crites, Loren

Crites, Loy L.

Cunningham, Jesse H.

Daily, Garland D.

Dalton, Charles E.

Davis, Lawrence E.

Deck, Bill R.

DeLassus, Joseph F.

Denton, Allan C.

Donnewald, Richard "Dick"

Dougan, Wallace H.

Drum, Verlin E.

S-Sgt. George Goodson while stationed in India (submitted by Jewel Goodson).

Eddleman, William H.

Eisemann, Alfred

Exler, Paul T.

Farr, Nemus N.

Faurot, Robert

Fee, Ray C.

The World War II Victory Medal was awarded to those who served between Dec. 7, 1941 and Dec. 31, 1946. (Submitted by Sandy Riehn).

Foeste, Fred O.

Ford, Harold

Fornkohl, Raymond

Frazier, Vurtle A.

Friedrich, Raymond J.

Goebel, Albert M.

Goodwin, William M.

Googe, Freeman L.

Grebe, Lawrence W.

Grebe, Nelson L. Jr.

Greer, Gilliland "Paul"

Hanf, Roy E.

Harnes Paul F.

Harper, Wallace L.

Harris, Noble B.

Hellwege, Ira E.

Hesse, Albert A.

World War II service board that tracked local service men and women. (File photo).

Hinkebein, Glennon L.

Hinman, Bobbie L.

Hobbs, Lester

Hoffman, Joe L.

Holshouser, Charles M.

Huebel, Benjamin Jr.

Huffman, Gordon W.

Hunter, Clarence W.

Hunter, William J. Jr.

Hutchison, Hosie Jr.

Ivey, Jack

Jones, Freddie E.

Kaiser, George W.

Karpass, Dr. Victor H.

Keller, Walter

Kester, Paul H.

Kiehne, H. Howard

Kieninger, Melvin B.

Klobe, John T

Koch, Douglas A.

Kuebel, Benjamin

Kuecker, Norbert R.

Lance, George A. "Bud"

Landgraf, Edmund H.

Leming, William E.

Litzelfelner, Odus C.

Loberg, Dewey

Long, Wayne W.

Lunsford, Francis G.

McBee, Edward L.

McClard, Willard B.

McClendon, William J.

McNeil, Jack E.

Middleton, Oscar W.

Mills, Elwood J.

Morrison, John R.

Murphy, Charles E.

Nance, Leon L.

Nicholas, Harry

T-Sgt. Homer Schurbusch in a hospital bed in Russia after his plane, the "Ditney Hill" was shot down in World War II.

O'Mara, William

Pankey, Rudolph

Patrick, Vernon W.

Patterson, Allen O.

Patterson, Thomas E. "T.E."

Penrod, Ray O. *

Penrod, Thomas L.

Pippin, John H.

Pletcher, Leo Jr.

Pool, Virgil W.

Propst, Halbert W.

Randol, Mack W.

Redding, J.W.

Riggs, Donald K.

Roberts, Don D.

Roth, John R.

Runnels, Cletus M.

Sailors, George W.

Schaefer, Louis

Soldiers could qualify for the Expert Rifleman MEdal upon completion of training during World War II. (Submitted by Gene Nothdurft).

Scholl, Elmer A.

Schreiner, Paul.

Seabaugh, R.T.

Seabaugh, Truman

Sewing, Dale K.

Sides, Dallman G.

Sieck, John G. "Gib"

Smith, Leon C.

Southard, Willard C.

Southern, James W.

Staley, Darrell S.

Stallings, Everett S. Jr.

Stevenson, James L.

Sullivan, Paul A.

Taylor, Claude E.

Thacker, Harold A.

Todd, Joseph M.

Tweedy, Paul E.

Vancil, Kenneth A.

Vandivort, Arthur C.

Watkins, Lyman W.

Webb, Rupert C.

Welker, Loy J.

Wessell, G. William

The Navy's Good Conduct Medal was awarded for three years of continuous service displayinga credible, above-average nature in professional performance, military behavior, leadership, military appearance and adaptibility. (Submitted by Kenneth Aldrich.)

Whitworth, Glenn

Wilkinson, Donald H.

Wilson, Harry L.

Windsor, Robert

Wyatt, Raymond L.

Draftees from the Cape Girardeau district prepared to leave for St. Louis for induction into the armed forces during the Korean War. (File photo, 1951.)

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KOREAN WAR

Bonney, Buddy J.

Brockmire, William

Photograph of local veterans of the Spanish-American War. (file photo taken in 1955).

Foster, Bobby

Giroir, Jean L. Jr.

Hanna, Robert D.

Helderman, Arthur W.

Hunter, John L.

Johnston, Donald R.

Loos, Lawrence E.

Lynch, John A.

McManus, Billy E.

Monroe, Bill J.

Scholl, Harold C.

Schwach, James K. (Cash-Book )

Draftees from Cape Girardeau prepared to leave for St.Louis in September 1950 during the Korean War.

Siemers, Clarence A.

Sparks, Ralph L.

Trantham, Archie P.

Willa, Lionel w.

Wilson, Richard G.

Woods, William E.

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VIETNAM WAR

Benton, Carroll J.

Brock, Terrance L.

Burford, John S.

Busch, Elwin H.

Eakins, Marion T.

Emrick, Ervin J. Jr.

A POW/MIA bracelet with the name of Cape Girardean Lt. Earl Lewis Jr. Lewis, a Navy pilot, was captured by the enemy Oct. 24, 1967 during the Vietnam War. He was released in 1973.

Finley, Charles R.

Gregory, Robert R.

Hogan, William J.

McCallister, Robert L.

McFall, Robert D.

Peel, Stephen B.

Pinkerton, Benjamin R.

Price, Garry O.

Schemel, Gary L.

Stepp, William D.

Taylor, Robert L. Jr.

Tharp, Earl W. Jr.

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IRAQ WAR

Shank, Jeremy

Davis, Robert Jr.

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These names were compiled from the Southeast Missourian archives and other historical records.