Home > United States of America > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Parma > Polish National Catholic Cemetery > SSGT Melvin Lee Hamner

SSGT Melvin Lee Hamner

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Birth	:	29 May 1912 Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas, USA
Death	:	20 Dec 1943 Papua New Guinea
Burial	:	Polish National Catholic Cemetery, Parma, Cuyahoga County, USA
Coordinate	:	41.4118996, -81.7225037
Description	:	See memorial #10146296 From the web page: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/topic/resources/OLLibrary/Platte/pages/heros/hpcn0182.htm Staff Sergeant Melvin Hamner was born on May 29, 1912, at Concordia, Kansas, and was killed in action at noon on December 20, 1943, while on a bombing mission over the Japanese base at Alexishofen, New Guinea. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Hamner of Monroe, Nebraska. Mr. Hamner died June 14, 1943. A brother, C. Lewis Hamner, lives in Los Angeles, California. When six years of age, Melvin moved to Nebraska with his parents. He lived at Merchiston, and attended school at Fullerton in Nance County, Nebraska. He received his eighth... Read More	See memorial #10146296 From the web page: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/topic/resources/OLLibrary/Platte/pages/heros/hpcn0182.htm Staff Sergeant Melvin Hamner was born on May 29, 1912, at Concordia, Kansas, and was killed in action at noon on December 20, 1943, while on a bombing mission over the Japanese base at Alexishofen, New Guinea. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Hamner of Monroe, Nebraska. Mr. Hamner died June 14, 1943. A brother, C. Lewis Hamner, lives in Los Angeles, California. When six years of age, Melvin moved to Nebraska with his parents. He lived at Merchiston, and attended school at Fullerton in Nance County, Nebraska. He received his eighth grade diploma at Fullerton on May 28, 1926. He then moved to Grand Island with his parents. A year later, the Hamner family moved to Monroe where Melvin's father became the manager of the T. B. Hord plant. Melvin Hamner graduated at the Monroe High School with the class of 1930. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army, and served three years in the coast artillery. During this time, he was stationed in the Philippine Islands. He then returned to Monroe, Nebraska, and worked for one year at the T. B. Hord Grain Company. On October 9, 1935, at Garland, Nebraska, Melvin Hamner was married to Miss Lois Clare Watts, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Watts of Monroe, Nebraska. After their marriage, they returned to Monroe, Nebraska, where Melvin was employed for one year in the T. B. Hord Grain Company with his father. After severing his connection with the T. B. Hord Grain Company in 1936, Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Hamner went to Montana where he was employed for six years. He first worked for a construction company, and they lived at Kalispell, Montana, where they owned their home. Following this, he was employed by the Glacier Park Hotel Company at Glacier Park, Montana. He resigned his work in 1942, and returned to Monroe, Nebraska, for a visit; and on October 7, of that year, he joined the United States Air Force. His first flight training was at Harlingen Field, Texas, where he received his wings on December 14, 1942. He then was sent to Columbia, South Carolina, for advanced flight and gunnery training. From this base, he was assigned to a B-25 Billy Mitchell bomber as a radio top turret gunner. Sergeant Hamner left the Pacific Coast for New Guinea on June 14, 1943. He was attached to the Thirty-eighth Bombardment Group of the Fifth Air Force, and had completed thirty-three missions over Japanese targets, and was on his thirty-fourth mission over the Japanese base at Alexishofen, New Guinea, when he met his death at noon on December 20, 1943. Staff Sergeant Melvin Hamner, radio top turret gunner in the lead plane, at an altitude of one hundred feet, directly over the target, was engaged in bombing and strafing the target when his plane received a direct hit from the anti-aircraft batteries; and it crashed into the sea a few hundred feet from the shore, resulting in the loss of plane and crew. For his valiant service during combat, he was awarded the Air Medal, and the Silver Star for gallantry in action. These citations were presented to Mrs. Melvin Hamner on October 22, 1944, at a military ceremony held at the Santa Ana, California, Air Base. General Arthur Easterbrook presented the awards. Memorial services were held Sunday, May 6, 1945, at 2:30 p.m. at the Evangelical Church in Monroe, Nebraska, with Reverend Benjamin Hillier officiating at the religious service, and Hartman Post No. 84 of the Columbus American Legion, in charge of the military rite. Monroe veterans also participated in the service.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is SSGT Melvin Lee Hamner's memorial?
SSGT Melvin Lee Hamner's memorial is located at: Polish National Catholic Cemetery, Parma, Cuyahoga County, USA.
When did SSGT Melvin Lee Hamner death?
SSGT Melvin Lee Hamner death on 20 Dec 1943 in Papua New Guinea
Where are the coordinates of the SSGT Melvin Lee Hamner's memorial?
Latitude: 41.4118996
Longitude: -81.7225037

Family Members:

Parent

Charles Lee Hamner

(1884 - 1943)

Clara Jane Starkey Hamner

(1884 - 1973)

Siblings

PVT Charles Lewis Hamner

(1914 - 1993)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

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Coordinate: 41.4118996, -81.7225037

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15. Saint Peters Cemetery
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16. Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery
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Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, USA
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22. Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery
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23. Froehlich Family Cemetery
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