WAR STORIES: Joel Gilfert of Eldred tells us the first three
casualties from McKean County during WWII took place in January
1942. In fact, a total of 30 men from the county died that year
alone.
The first three casualties were: Sgt. Edgar P. Condgon of
Bradford who was listed Missing in Action on Jan. 24 fighting the
Japanese in the Philippines; Torpedoman’s Mate 2/Class William C.
Seibert of Duke Center killed aboard the submarine S-26 which was
sunk on Jan. 27 when it collided with another Navy ship on patrol
in the Gulf of Panama; and Hospital Apprentice 1/Class Evan L.
Fields of Kane killed Jan. 30 aboard the USS Wakefield when it was
attacked by Japanese dive bombers in Singapore. He was buried at
sea.
On a related subject, we hear from George T. Howard of Peachtree
City, Ga.: “Your recent article on Bill Kearney and the Zippo
lighter prompts me to write this follow-up story. First, Bill is my
cousin and we were like brothers growing up in Bradford.”
“Second, I had a similar experience with George Blaisdell. In
World War II, I was stationed in England as a member of a 10-man
B-24 crew. I had a pre-war Zippo. (During the war all Zippos were
in a black case.) When I told my crew members that I knew George
Blaisdell they asked if I could get them a pre-war lighter. I wrote
to Mr. Blaisdell and within two or three weeks I received a package
with nine new pre-war Zippos in a silver case. George Blaisdell was
a generous man.”
IRAQ WAR: Fast forward to our Iraq War. The March issue of the
VFW magazine featured Jamie Dana and her military dog, Rex, in a
story on women in today’s military.
“Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dana and her bomb-sniffing dog, Rex,
had been working together for three years when a roadside bomb
exploded under the Humvee in which they were riding on June 25,
2005, in Iraq.
“Despite collapsed lungs, organ damage and internal bleeding,
Dana was concerned only for Rex, whom others said had died in the
explosion.”
As we all know, Jamie learned later that Rex had survived the
blast. Though an act of Congress, Rex was allowed to retire early
from the military so she could help Jamie’s recovery.
