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Boyd D. Clements, Copilot, 833rd, 02 January

Boyd, 94, of Elmwood, was born in Elmwood, NE to Orley and Emma (Kunz) Clements on February 20, 1925. He had one older brother, Keith and younger sister, Norma. He graduated from Elmwood High School in 1942. Boyd married Donna Anderson on December 23, 1947. They had two children, Sandra and Rex. Boyd joined the Army Air Forces in 1943. He flew 14 missions as a co-pilot with the Burt Ward crew. Boyd was very proud to be a WWII Veteran.

After the war, Boyd and Donna moved to California where Boyd went to Cal Aero Tech and became an aeronautical engineer. They returned to Nebraska where he worked as an engineer at Cushman for 30 years, retiring in 1989. In Elmwood, Boyd spent a large portion of his spare time developing and operating Grandpa's Woods Golf Course, which he was very proud of.

He was a lifelong member of St. Paul United Methodist Church. Boyd and Donna enjoyed spending summers at North Lake in South Bend, NE and winters in South Padre Island, TX. He enjoyed fishing, family time, and taking multiple friends and family on the Clements Family homemade pontoon. He volunteered several hours with multiple service organizations including church, the American Legion, VFW and the 8th Air Force Historical Society. In his last years, he was instrumental in the creation of the Veterans Museum at the GAR Hall in Elmwood.

Esdorn O'quinn, 835th, 25 January

Esdorn, 96 years of age, of Branchville, was born June 24, 1923. He was born in Pritchardville, SC, a son of the late John C. and Elizabeth O’Quinn and grew up in Pritchardville. He graduated from Bluffton High School. He served 835th.

After the war, he worked for over 40 years with SCE&G where he retired as a district manager of the Allendale District. After retirement, he and his wife Mary Kate enjoyed traveling and they retired to Branchville.

Mr. O’Quinn was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Kate, four brothers, three sisters, and two grandchildren

Jerome D. Pecoraro, RO/G, 832nd, 26 March

Jerry was born on October 10, 1924 in an apartment on 1st Ave and 10th street in Manhattan, NY, to Vincent Pecoraro and Louisa (Verra) Pecoraro and was the youngest of 6 children. Jerry grew up in the Bronx and Newburgh, NY, (where, in the late 1930s, he met Franklin Delano Roosevelt). In 1933, at 8 years old, he won first prize in the 21st Annual John Wanamaker Children’s Drawing Competition, for the best drawing by any child under 15 years of age.

He was the radio operator and waist gunner on the Morris crew, 832nd. The crew flew on “The Old Yard Dog”. Jerry left the service at the rank of technical sergeant. At his death, he was the last surviving member of his 9-member crew.

After returning home, he met his future wife, Gloria Fragnito, while they were working in the same lamp factory. She always recounted that the first time she saw Jerry, she told her co-workers that he was the man she was going to marry. They met when she offered to sew a button back onto his coat (which he had purposely pulled off to get her attention). They were married on April 24, 1948 and soon moved to Hicksville, NY, on Long Island. It was there that they had their only child, Vincent Louis Pecoraro, in 1956. Because Vince was often sick, Jerry sold his advertising art studio (Berin-Pecor) in 1961, and the family moved to Southern California. They eventually bought a home in Canoga Park, CA and lived there for over 25 years.

Jerry worked for American Art Enterprises and as an independent freelance artist. He excelled across a variety of genres (including over a hundred original illustrations) while making book, magazine and video box covers. When Jerry retired from the commercial art business in 1989, he and Gloria relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina where they lived for another 25 years. During this time, Jerry accelerated his production of fine art pieces, composing over 40 original oil or acrylic works on canvas, wood or canvas board. In 2002, he displayed his artwork in “Pecoraro: A Retrospective” at Pierre-Paul Gallery in Ann Arbor. In 2014, Gloria and Jerry moved to Ann Arbor to live with Vince and his wife, Peggy Carver.

Over all these years, Jerry was a loving and devoted husband and father and cared meticulously for his wife during her long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease until her death on August 27, 2019.

Jerry had a wonderful sense of humor and an infectious smile, the brightness of which inspired his World War II nickname “teeth”. Jerry was preceded in death by his mother and father as well as his siblings Carmelo, Antoinette, Carmelo, Palmyra and Martino. He is mourned by his son and daughter-in-law, as well as by his nieces and nephews, for whom he served as a wonderful role model. Jerry passed away peacefully at his home in Ann Arbor on March 26, 2020, nearly 7 months after the death of his beloved wife. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Harry W. Bartlett, Crew Chief, 835th, 06 May 2020.

Harry passed away at the age of 104.

Harry was a man of many adventures, accomplishments, had many friends, and provided much service to his community and nation.

Harry was born in Springfield, Mass., in 1915 and moved with his family to Waterbury in the 1930s. He, his neighborhood pals and his brother Russ had many boyhood adventures that he recounted to his kids and challenged them to do likewise. He built a zipline over a pond, a communications system from house to house, and even his own travel trailer and sailboats

From a very early age, Harry was intrigued with flying and aircraft. He and his friends designed, built and flew a small glider that was launched by towing behind a car. He was piloting it on its last flight when it crashed.

While he was a young Scoutmaster, he asked one of his Scouts if he had a good-looking sister. That’s how he met Dot Cooper, his “Moonbeam,” the mother of his children, and his lifetime partner.

At the beginning of World War II, Harry answered the call by enlisting in the Air Corps, where he rose to the rank of master sergeant as a crew chief, ultimately with the 835th. His aircraft included B-17s, B-24s and A-26s. During training and before going overseas, he and Dot were married in Waterbury.

After the war, Harry and Dot started a family; he succeeded his father in owning Waterbury Photoengraving Co., and they built a home in Woodbury, where they lived until they moved to Masonicare in Wallingford in 2008.

He taught his kids to ski, camp, swim, explore, boat, and to not be afraid of trying something new. He was Cubmaster of Pack 54 in Woodbury and as a Waterbury Rotarian with 60 years of perfect attendance, he was active with the Rotary in sponsoring projects at Camp Mattatuck. He also published the Rotary monthly newsletter.

Swimming was always Harry’s passion. He swam on the Moses Brown Prep swim team in high school, was the waterfront director for Scout camp in his late teens, and later in life he joined the master’s swim program, where he competed in meets all over the country.

Harry held many Connecticut, U.S. and world records in the master’s in freestyle, breaststroke and relay events. Some records still stand! Harry swam competitively into his 90s! His display of ribbons and medals is like a huge rainbow!

Harry became a Freemason in 1966 and served as master of the Watertown Federal Lodge 17. Harry and Dot also were longtime members of Woodbury First Congregational Church. They served the congregation in many ways, especially building maintenance.

Because Harry was so active and adventurous, he always had an unlimited amount of stories to tell. He compiled many of them in a book he wrote and presented it to all of his children. They will always cherish those stories as they remember him. A full life!

His legacy to his children is not to be timid. Live life to its fullest. Try new things. Go places! We have all been touched by his encouragement and humor and have tried to rise to his challenge. His children each have their own experiences and stories now that have been inspired by his.

Harry will be buried alongside his beloved Moonbeam, as well as his mother and father in Woodbury Cemetery.

Major James W. Brooke, Group Surgeon: 21 May 2020

MAJ Brooke lived in Grand Rapids. The day before his Last Flight, was the anniversary of an event that led to him being awarded the Soldier’s Medal. His citation read:

At a bomber base in England on May 20, 1944, a B-24 aircraft with crewmen aboard crashed and burst into flames. The fire spread rapidly and there were multiple explosions of .50 caliber ammunition.

He rushed to the scene and, fully aware of the danger involved, courageously entered the blazing wreckage and helped to extricate the wounded and unconscious crew members.

The bravery and complete disregard for personal safety displayed by him on this occasion reflect highest credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States.

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