2nd Lt. Vincent Paul Howard in Saint Louis, Missouri, on November 30, 1917, to Frank and Edna Howard, and had two sisters and two brothers. The family resided at 917 South Twenty-second Avenue in Bellwood, Illinois, and he graduated from St. Eulalia Catholic School and Proviso Township High School in 1936. After high school he worked at Inland Press Company. He registered when the Selective Service Act took effect on October 16, 1940, and named his mother as his contact person.
On February 23, 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet and was given the serial number 16 058 009. He trained at various bases but the exact order is not known. He trained at Santa Ana, California, Visalia Airfield, California, where he was hospitalized for three days after breaking his arm. He also trained at Stockton Airfield, California, and Merced Army Airfield, California, for flight school. He then was sent to Fort Sumner Airfield, New Mexico and qualified as a pilot in August 1942 and was commissioned a second lieutenant and received the serial number O 731 995.
Vincent was assigned to 36th Squadron, 316th Troop Carrier Group which was assigned to the 9th Air Force. It is known that they flew C-47s aircraft. The 36th Squadron left the United States in October 1942. He may have been a replacement or he may have gone overseas with the 36th. The squadron carried airborne troops, and it’s first base of operation was at Fayid, Egypt in January 1943. The 36th moved to Nouvion, Algeria on May 9, 1943, and to Guercio, French Morocco on May 29, 1943. The unit was moved to Enfidaville, Tunisia on June 21, 1943, and carried airborne troops in the Battle North Africa and during the Invasion of Sicily it dropped members of the 82nd Airborne Division. What is known is that on July 2, 1943, his plane was hit by friendly fire during the invasion and crashed killing Vincent and the six other members of his crew about two miles north or northwest of Scaglietti, Sicily.
FRANK HOWARD
2007 SOUTH 8TH AVENUE MAYWOOD IL
THE SECRETARY OF WAR DESIRES ME TO EXPRESS HIS DEEPEST REGRET THAT YOUR SON SECOND LIEUTENANT VINCENT P HOWARD WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON SECOND JULY IN ITALY LETTER FOLLOWS
ULIO THE ADJUTENT GENERAL
A follow up letter was also sent.
Five of the crew members were buried, on July 12, 1943, in a common grave since their remains were in poor condition. Vincent’s parents learned of his death in a telegram from the Office of the Quartermaster General which was followed by a letter. In the letter, it was stated that when information was available, they would be informed of the location of his grave.
On March 27, 1944, Vincent’s parents wrote The Quartermaster General’s Office since they were never informed about where he was buried. They received a letter from the OQMG.
27 March 1944
Mr. and Mrs. Howard:
2007 South 8th Avenue
Maywood, Illinois
Acknowledgment is made of your letter of 27 March 1944, requesting information concerning the burial of your son, the late Second Lieutenant Vincent Paul Howard.
The records of this office show that the remains of your son were temporarily interred in the United States Military Cemetery #2, Gala, Sicily, Grave 498, Row 42, Section “D”, with appropriate burial services conducted at the grave by an Army Chaplain. A temporary marker with appropriate inscription thereon, has been erected, and the grave properly recorded. The cemetery is well cared for and under immediate supervision of our military authorities.
My deepest sympathy is with you in the loss of your son. May you come to bear your grief bravely and proudly because of the courage and ideals that your son’s life and service for country exemplified.
For The Quartermaster General:
Sincerely yours,
(signed)
R. P. HARBOLD
Colonel, Q.M.C.
Assistant.
After the war, when the crew members were exhumed, dental records were used to identify each man’s remains and they were moved to United States Military Cemetery #2-S, Gela, Sicily, in a wooden box, in Plot D. Row 42, Grave 498, on April 10, 1947.
In a letter dated February 28, 1947, his mother was sent a photo of Vincent’s grave at the USMC Gela, Sicily. She was also informed that this was a temporary cemetery and that his remains, at some time in the futured, would be moved to a permanent cemetery or wherever the family requested he be buried. His remains again were moved to Mount Soprano, Italy, to Plot TGD, Row 42, Grave 498, since the military was consolidating the burials into larger permanent cemeteries. His mother received a letter, dated March 6, 1947, telling her of her options for Vincent’s final burial. She was asked to fill-out and return an enclosed form indicating where she wanted him buried. The form was returned to the OQMG, Washington DC, indicating signed by his father, indicated his parents wanted his remains returned to Maywood, but that they wanted Howard buried in St. Louis, Missouri.
Vincent’s remains were exhumed, on June 4, 1948, from the USMC, Mt. Soprano, Italy, and moved to the Naples Port Morgue where they were casketed. On June 24th, his remains were placed on the USAT Carroll Victory which sailed the same day. His casket arrived in the New York Port of Entry on July 6, 1948, and remained there for several days before being sent by train to the Quartermaster Corps’ Distribution Center #8, Chicago, arriving on July 12th. In a military hearse his casket was transported to the Suburban Funeral Home, Maywood , arriving there on August 17th. From Maywood, by train, his casket was sent to St. Louis, Missouri, where on August 20, 1948, 2nd Lt. Vincent P. Howard was buried at the Calvary Cemetery,
