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PFC John Thomas Abell

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Birth	:	2 Sep 1923
Death	:	10 Jun 1945
Burial	:	Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate	:	38.3084602, -76.6644516
Description	:	Son of Thomas Hogan Abell and Violet A. Ching. WWI, WWII, and Korean War Casualty Listings Name: John T. Abell Death Date: 10 Jun 1945 Cemetery Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery Cemetery Burial Plot Missing in Action or Buried at Sea Cemetery City Henri-Chapelle Cemetery Country Belgium War World War II Title Private First Class Rank Private First Class Service U.S. Army Service ID33563775 Division 373rd Engineer General Service Regiment Data Source World War II Honor Roll **************************************************************** The Washington Post; Washington, D.C., November 26, 2009 Nephew sets out to learn... Read More	Son of Thomas Hogan Abell and Violet A. Ching. WWI, WWII, and Korean War Casualty Listings Name: John T. Abell Death Date: 10 Jun 1945 Cemetery Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery Cemetery Burial Plot Missing in Action or Buried at Sea Cemetery City Henri-Chapelle Cemetery Country Belgium War World War II Title Private First Class Rank Private First Class Service U.S. Army Service ID33563775 Division 373rd Engineer General Service Regiment Data Source World War II Honor Roll ************************************************************** The Washington Post; Washington, D.C., November 26, 2009 Nephew sets out to learn uncle's fate in WWII At a cemetery, a simple stone with a cross on top is inscribed with Abell's name, birth date and the date he was reported missing in action, along with the inscription "In memory of," required by the Department of Veterans Affairs for graves that do not contain remains. Family members of U.S. Army Pfc. Class John Thomas Abell had a memorial service for him Nov. 14, 64 years after he was listed as missing in action in World War II. Abell, born in Leonardtown on Sept. 2, 1923, joined the Army at 19 and was declared missing in action about two years later. He has never been found. In spite of this, family members said they decided to conduct a service as a way to honor Abell after his nephew David Abell began researching his uncle's past and discovered several clues as to what might have happened to him. At a cemetery, a simple stone with a cross on top is inscribed with Abell's name, birth date and the date he was reported missing in action, along with the inscription "In memory of," required by the Department of Veterans Affairs for graves that do not contain remains. "As of today, he is no longer missing in action. He is found, and he has come home," the Rev. John Mattingly of St. Francis Xavier Church in Compton said during the service at Charles Memorial Gardens in Leonardtown. Abell enlisted in the Army in Baltimore on March 12, 1943, not long after graduating from Margaret Brent High School in Helen, Md. He was reported missing in action after serving about two years, leaving his family with not much more than the memory of a young man who signed up, like many of his era, to defend his country. David Abell began looking into a way to memorialize his uncle after he found his name on the World War II monument placed in the Leonardtown town square in 2001."My uncle is the first one that's listed," he said. From the monument, he was able to learn his uncle's serial number. He had heard his family speak about John Abell over the years, but no one knew much about his circumstances in the war with Germany, nor had a gravesite been established. The only picture he has of his uncle is one of him in an Army helmet holding a rifle, a snapshot David Abell's father carried in his wallet until his death several years ago. "The family never spoke of [his uncle as] MIA," David Abell said. He contacted the American Battles Monument Commission, which oversees numerous memorials and cemeteries around the world for U.S. servicemen. The commission told him that his uncle's name appears at the Henri-Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium, seven miles from the German border, as one of 450 World War II servicemen missing in action. David Abell said he still does not know how his uncle came to be missing in action. Through online research he has discovered some clues: He was a private first class in Company D of the 373rd Engineer General Service Regiment. He was listed as missing June 10, 1945, about a month after the war in Europe had ended. David Abell is unsure how that date was determined, and said he would like to find out more about what happened to his uncle. "I'm going to continue to find out about this Company D and the 373rd Division," he said. He learned from Army records that investigations of the missing were conducted in 1946, but no results were found that were connected to John Abell. During the ceremony Nov. 14, which drew a few dozen family members and friends, two servicemen folded and presented a U.S. flag to John Abell's surviving younger brother, C. Roger Bussler. "That's what we're here for, to help bring closure," Staff Sgt. Michael Edwards said after playing taps at the ceremony. Tommy Howe was one of four color guards from the American Legion post in Avenue to participate in the service. He said it was a pleasure to participate in the service with David Abell, who also is a member of the legion. "I think it's fantastic" to honor a veteran missing in action, even so many decades later, said Howe, a Vietnam veteran. David Abell said he hopes the story of his search will influence others to begin looking for relatives who are missing in action. Through a short piece in National Geographic, David Abell learned about the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command, based in Hawaii, which works to link remains found at battle sites with DNA from relatives. David Abell sent DNA swabs from two of John Abell's sisters to keep on file with JPAC. No matches have been found. The agency works on about 700 active cases every month, according to an article in National Geographic's June edition. The agency says more than 78,000 U.S. service members from World War II are still listed as missing in action, far more than in any war since. Credit: The Enterprise Word count: 810 Copyright The Washington Post Company Nov 26, 2009 ********************************************************* https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56278918#source

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is PFC John Thomas Abell's memorial?
PFC John Thomas Abell's memorial is located at: Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA.
When did PFC John Thomas Abell death?
PFC John Thomas Abell death on 10 Jun 1945 in
Where are the coordinates of the PFC John Thomas Abell's memorial?
Latitude: 38.3084602
Longitude: -76.6644516

Family Members:

Parent

Violet A Ching Bussler

(1894 - 1982)

Siblings

Frank Thomas Abell

(1917 - 2004)

Annie Elizabeth Abell McCully

(1919 - 2014)

Mary Lorena Abell Tennyson

(1921 - 2017)

Francis Arlee Abell

(1925 - 2009)

George Hoover Bussler

(1929 - 2008)

Katie Dolores Bussler Kozak

(1930 - 2015)

Carroll Roger Bussler

(1936 - unknow)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Charles Memorial Gardens
Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3084602, -76.6644516

2. Charles Memorial Gardens Pet Cemetery
Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3082390, -76.6662064

3. First Saints Community Church Cemetery
Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2997017, -76.6414032

4. Old Saint Aloysius Cemetery
Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3210983, -76.6382980

5. Saint Marys County War Memorial
Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2908516, -76.6359329

6. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic Cemetery
Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2916985, -76.6327972

7. Ellenborough Cemetery
Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2956505, -76.6238632

8. Xaverian Brothers Cemetery
Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2859383, -76.6246719

9. Stauffer Mennonite Cemetery
Loveville, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3504040, -76.6874632

10. Saint Francis Xavier Church Cemetery
Compton, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2630997, -76.6983032

11. Our Ladys Church at Medleys Neck Cemetery
Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2606010, -76.6213989

12. All Saints Episcopal Church Cemetery
Oakley, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2882996, -76.7416992

13. Old Saint Josephs Cemetery
Morganza, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3746986, -76.6932983

14. Saint Josephs Parish Cemetery
Morganza, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3767014, -76.6971970

15. Galilee United Methodist Cemetery
Oakville, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3918991, -76.6650009

16. Saint Marys Queen of Peace Cemetery
Helen, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3746986, -76.7332993

17. Hollywood Church of the Nazarene Cemetery
Hollywood, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3462410, -76.5660629

18. Saint John Francis Regis Cemetery
Hollywood, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3335991, -76.5594025

19. Deep Falls Cemetery
Chaptico, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3576600, -76.7573170

20. Summerseat Cemetery
Laurel Grove, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3979300, -76.6634000

21. Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church Cemetery
California, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2881012, -76.5519028

22. Joy Chapel Cemetery
Hollywood, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3381004, -76.5457993

23. Reeder Burial Ground
Laurel Grove, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4065138, -76.6766289

24. Sacred Heart Cemetery
Bushwood, St. Mary's County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3016586, -76.7915192