More than 8,300 Americans lie in an American cemetery in Maastricht, Holland.
Each one has been adopted by a Dutch family who tends his grave and keeps his memory alive to this day. To honor him for giving his life in the liberation of Holland in 1944.
Twelve young men from Leelanau County lost their lives in World War II, so this briefly chronicles who they were and where and when they died, because few today in their own county remember them or their sacrifice.
The first was Glenn Bork Kirt, 21, from Lake Leelanau who died on December 10, 1941, three days after Pearl Harbor. He was an Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class in the U.S. Navy based near Manila, Philippine Islands. How he lost his life is unknown, perhaps a Japanese bomb, but he is memorialized on the “Walls of the Missing” in the American Military Cemetery near Manila.
The next man killed was Army Air Corps SSgt Alden L. Lackie, Jr, 28, from Northport. A member of Headquarters Squadron in the 19th Bombardment Group, Lackie received the Air Medal for being in the first American contingent of B-17 “Flying Fortress” bombers to land in the Philippines in 1940. His death is listed as July 31, 1942, somewhere in those islands. With their bombers destroyed or flown to Australia, U.S. Army Air Corps members fought as infantrymen against the invading Japanese until killed, captured, or evaded. His ultimate fate is unknown and he is memorialized on the “Walls of the Missing” at the American Military Cemetery near Manila.
The third county man to give his life was Army PFC Elmer J. Amore, 25, from Lake Leelanau, an infantryman in the 32nd “Red Arrow” Division, a unit made up of National Guardsmen from Michigan and Wisconsin and part of MacArthur’s Southwest Pacific forces. Amore was killed in action during the Battle of Buna in New Guinea on Dec 29, 1942, four days after being trapped behind Japanese lines for two days before he escaped to American lines. He is buried in the American Military Cemetery near Manila. A secondary road linking French Road and South Lake Shore Drive is named E. Amore Road. Elmer was a farm laborer in civilian life.
Two Denoyer brothers from Lake Leelanau, Albert J. and Emil W. were killed in 1943. Emil, 22, Navy Seaman 2nd class, was lost at sea in the Pacific on July 26 and Albert, 27, Army Pvt, 82nd Airborne, died in service on Oct. 10 in a barracks explosion in Naples, Italy. Albert is buried in the American Military Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy. Emilismemorializedon the “Tablets of the Missing” in Honolulu.
Number 6 is Army Sgt Sylvester “Fritz” La Bonte, 28, from Lake Leelanau, who died in service (non-combat) in New Guinea on May 17, 1944. He was a member of the 32nd “Red Arrow” Division and a part of MacArthur’s Southwest Pacific Command. Prior to the war he was in the trucking business. He is buried in the American Military Cemetery in Manila.
Number 7 is 1stLt Dale M. Fisher, 25, 303rd Bomb Group, US Army 8th Air Force, from Glen Arbor. Fisher was trying to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force prior to Pearl Harbor. The next day, Dec. 8, 1941, Dale enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and trained as a B-17 “Flying Fortress” bomber pilot. Sent overseas in May 1944, he was shot down by flak and killed on his 7th mission over western Germany on June 22, 1944. Only the radio operator escaped death. His B-17, “Old Glory”, crashed at Le Pont de Tressin in France, where the locals erected a monument to him and his crew in 1994. He left a wife and son. Dale is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Traverse City.
The eighth county man to give his life was Army Sgt. Elmer J “Red” O’Brien, 26, 1st Armored Division, from Lake Leelanau, killed In action near Rome,ItalyonJuly2,1944. A former employee of Standard Oil in Lake Leelanau,O’Brien earned a Bronze Star for valor in combat and Soldier’s Medal for selflessly risking his life while re-securing tanks which had broken their chains on board his transport ship in a storm. He is buried in the American Military Cemetery in Florence, Italy.
Ninth is Army SSgt John E Fisher, 24, Glen Arbor, Dale’s younger brother, killed in action in Normandy, France on July 16, three weeks after Dale. An infantryman with the 30th “Old Hickory” Division, John also lies today in Oakwood Cemetery in Traverse City. John left a wife and son. Dale and John worked at Traverse City Auto before the war.
Number 10 is Army Pvt. Willard A. Plamondon, 18, from Lake Leelanau. Willard, an infantryman inducted in November 1943, was killed in action on July 29, 1944, six weeks after his arrival in the European theater and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Eleventh to die was Army PFC Raymond W Parker, 21, 35th Infantry Division, from Leland. Parker received the Silver Star for attacking and wiping out a German machine gun nest which was blocking his company’s advance. He was killed in action shortly thereafter on November 11, 1944. Today Parker rests in the American Military Cemetery in Saint Avold, France.
Last was Army PFC Philip J O’Brien, 20, from Lake Leelanau, Elmer’s younger brother, who died in a train wreck in France on May 28, 1946, but is still considered a WWII casualty. He earned the Bronze Star. He is buried in the American Military Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France.
Lake Leelanau paid the heaviest county price during WWII with eight men killed. Only Suttons Bay was spared, although many, like Owen Bahle, Leroy Allington, Rudy and Kermit Raftshol, and Kenny Nelson, served with honor and distinction.
