Staff Sargeant William Fetterman, age 20.
Shortly before leaving for the war, Bill married his high school sweetheart Ruth.
Bill left on November 1, 1943. His plane was shot down in Burma (now known as Myanmar) just one month later on December 1, 1943. The Japanese buried him in Burma.
For more than 66 years, Ruth Garmong has thought daily of her beloved Bill, the high school sweetheart she wed just before he left for World War II. They met when Ruth was 14 and Bill was 15.
Ruth, now 85, was pregnant when Staff Sgt. William C. Fetterman perished in 1943. She remarried and had two more children, but her late second husband, with whom she shared most of her life, "always knew he was second choice."
Because of a second tragedy, though, Garmong was never able to bury Fetterman. In 1946, his remains were unearthed along with about 40 other American war dead buried in Burma by Japanese occupiers. They were put on a plane headed to India en route to the U.S. for a stateside burial, but that aircraft crashed too and was never found.
Never, that is, until three months ago, when Arizona adventurer Clayton Kuhles located its wreckage in the jungle of the eastern Indian state of Tripura. Researchers took the serial numbers he found and matched them last month with government records to determine that this was, in fact, the C-47 that had carried Garmong's husband's body.
to be continued
***I would like to thank LAB Find A Grave ID 47214616 for creating this memorial and also adding their gravesite photo to it***
***I would like to thank Breadlady45 from Chicago Find A Grave ID 46603826 for adding her photo of William to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Robin Slater Boyd Find A Grave ID 48616118 for adding their gravesite photo to it***
***I would like to thank Blaise Grdeń Find A Grave ID 48085781 for updating the death location information on this memorial***
Shortly before leaving for the war, Bill married his high school sweetheart Ruth.
Bill left on November 1, 1943. His plane was shot down in Burma (now known as Myanmar) just one month later on December 1, 1943. The Japanese buried him in Burma.
For more than 66 years, Ruth Garmong has thought daily of her beloved Bill, the high school sweetheart she wed just before he left for World War II. They met when Ruth was 14 and Bill was 15.
Ruth, now 85, was pregnant when Staff Sgt. William C. Fetterman perished in 1943. She remarried and had two more children, but her late second husband, with whom she shared most of her life, "always knew he was second choice."
Because of a second tragedy, though, Garmong was never able to bury Fetterman. In 1946, his remains were unearthed along with about 40 other American war dead buried in Burma by Japanese occupiers. They were put on a plane headed to India en route to the U.S. for a stateside burial, but that aircraft crashed too and was never found.
Never, that is, until three months ago, when Arizona adventurer Clayton Kuhles located its wreckage in the jungle of the eastern Indian state of Tripura. Researchers took the serial numbers he found and matched them last month with government records to determine that this was, in fact, the C-47 that had carried Garmong's husband's body.
to be continued
***I would like to thank LAB Find A Grave ID 47214616 for creating this memorial and also adding their gravesite photo to it***
***I would like to thank Breadlady45 from Chicago Find A Grave ID 46603826 for adding her photo of William to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Robin Slater Boyd Find A Grave ID 48616118 for adding their gravesite photo to it***
***I would like to thank Blaise Grdeń Find A Grave ID 48085781 for updating the death location information on this memorial***
Staff Sargeant William Fetterman, age 20.
Shortly before leaving for the war, Bill married his high school sweetheart Ruth.
Bill left on November 1, 1943. His plane was shot down in Burma (now known as Myanmar) just one month later on December 1, 1943. The Japanese buried him in Burma.
For more than 66 years, Ruth Garmong has thought daily of her beloved Bill, the high school sweetheart she wed just before he left for World War II. They met when Ruth was 14 and Bill was 15.
Ruth, now 85, was pregnant when Staff Sgt. William C. Fetterman perished in 1943. She remarried and had two more children, but her late second husband, with whom she shared most of her life, "always knew he was second choice."
Because of a second tragedy, though, Garmong was never able to bury Fetterman. In 1946, his remains were unearthed along with about 40 other American war dead buried in Burma by Japanese occupiers. They were put on a plane headed to India en route to the U.S. for a stateside burial, but that aircraft crashed too and was never found.
Never, that is, until three months ago, when Arizona adventurer Clayton Kuhles located its wreckage in the jungle of the eastern Indian state of Tripura. Researchers took the serial numbers he found and matched them last month with government records to determine that this was, in fact, the C-47 that had carried Garmong's husband's body.
to be continued
***I would like to thank LAB Find A Grave ID 47214616 for creating this memorial and also adding their gravesite photo to it***
***I would like to thank Breadlady45 from Chicago Find A Grave ID 46603826 for adding her photo of William to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Robin Slater Boyd Find A Grave ID 48616118 for adding their gravesite photo to it***
***I would like to thank Blaise Grdeń Find A Grave ID 48085781 for updating the death location information on this memorial***
Shortly before leaving for the war, Bill married his high school sweetheart Ruth.
Bill left on November 1, 1943. His plane was shot down in Burma (now known as Myanmar) just one month later on December 1, 1943. The Japanese buried him in Burma.
For more than 66 years, Ruth Garmong has thought daily of her beloved Bill, the high school sweetheart she wed just before he left for World War II. They met when Ruth was 14 and Bill was 15.
Ruth, now 85, was pregnant when Staff Sgt. William C. Fetterman perished in 1943. She remarried and had two more children, but her late second husband, with whom she shared most of her life, "always knew he was second choice."
Because of a second tragedy, though, Garmong was never able to bury Fetterman. In 1946, his remains were unearthed along with about 40 other American war dead buried in Burma by Japanese occupiers. They were put on a plane headed to India en route to the U.S. for a stateside burial, but that aircraft crashed too and was never found.
Never, that is, until three months ago, when Arizona adventurer Clayton Kuhles located its wreckage in the jungle of the eastern Indian state of Tripura. Researchers took the serial numbers he found and matched them last month with government records to determine that this was, in fact, the C-47 that had carried Garmong's husband's body.
to be continued
***I would like to thank LAB Find A Grave ID 47214616 for creating this memorial and also adding their gravesite photo to it***
***I would like to thank Breadlady45 from Chicago Find A Grave ID 46603826 for adding her photo of William to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Robin Slater Boyd Find A Grave ID 48616118 for adding their gravesite photo to it***
***I would like to thank Blaise Grdeń Find A Grave ID 48085781 for updating the death location information on this memorial***
Bio by: Breadlady45 from Chicago
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