Marine Corps PFC Ronald William Vosmer, 22, killed in World War II, was finally returned to his family and, on October 8, 2016, laid to rest – in American soil – with full military honors.
Welcomed into this world on June 1, 1921, Ronald was the youngest of 2 and only son born to Denver-natives Henry Ronald and Viola Evelyn (nee Warwick) Vosmer.
During his early years, the Vosmers lived next door to Viola's sister Anna Marguerite and her husband Albert Higginbottom on South Lincoln Street, so naturally Ronald and his sister Elaine grew up playing and attending the local schools with their cousins, Bernice and Raymond.
The 21-year-old enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on September 4, 1942. He would go through training with the Tenth Recruit Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and then to nearby Camp Elliott. Ronald would ship out into the Pacific Theater as part of A Battery, 2nd Antitank Battalion, arriving soon after in New Zealand to prepare for their first battle.
Private First Class Vosmer was with his brothers in Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 8th Marines (Easy-2/8) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
It was November 20, 1943 (D-Day for the "Battle of Tarawa"), when young Ron – just 22 years old – perished. He was reportedly buried in a Marine cemetery on Betio - a temporary location until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son or husband off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his service and sacrifice, his parents accepted the Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation.
On January 10, 1944, page 4 of the Greeley Tribune began its column of Casualties with "Marine Pvt. Ronald Vosmer, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Vosmer of 1563 Williams St, Denver, killed fighting somewhere in the Pacific".
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. In 1946 and 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio, but PVT Vosmer's remains were not recovered. On February 8, 1949, a military review board declared Ronald "non-recoverable".
For almost 72 years, PFC Vosmer remained buried - indeed, lost - on that island where he and so many of his brothers-in-arms fell.
In June 2015, a partner of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, History Flight, notified the DPAA that they had discovered a burial site on Betio Island and recovered the remains of what they believed were 35 U.S. Marines who fought during the battle in November 1943. The remains were turned over to DPAA in July 2015.
On April 12, 2016, PFC Ronald William Vosmer was officially accounted-for and soon after his niece and nephew, Lulane and Ron, received the news that they never thought would come; rather than a telegram bearing such horrible heartache and grief, there was a knock at the door and the Marines letting them know that the wait was over.
To identify Vosmer's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched his niece; laboratory analysis, including dental analysis and anthropological comparison, which matched Vosmer's records; as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Ronald was finally returned to his family and, on October 8, 2016, laid to rest near his parents with full military honors.
PFC Vosmer's name can be found on Panel: 3, Column: 5, Row: 72 of the Colorado Freedom Memorial.
Marine Corps Private First Class Ronald William Vosmer is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although PFC Vosmer has now been recovered and identified, his name shall remain permanently inscribed within Court 4 of the "Courts of the Missing" (56134431, a cenotaph). A rosette has been placed next to his name to verify that Ron is no longer missing.
SOURCES
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 16-076 (Sept. 30, 2016)
DPAA Recent News & Stories (Aug. 8, 2016)
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
Welcomed into this world on June 1, 1921, Ronald was the youngest of 2 and only son born to Denver-natives Henry Ronald and Viola Evelyn (nee Warwick) Vosmer.
During his early years, the Vosmers lived next door to Viola's sister Anna Marguerite and her husband Albert Higginbottom on South Lincoln Street, so naturally Ronald and his sister Elaine grew up playing and attending the local schools with their cousins, Bernice and Raymond.
The 21-year-old enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on September 4, 1942. He would go through training with the Tenth Recruit Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and then to nearby Camp Elliott. Ronald would ship out into the Pacific Theater as part of A Battery, 2nd Antitank Battalion, arriving soon after in New Zealand to prepare for their first battle.
Private First Class Vosmer was with his brothers in Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 8th Marines (Easy-2/8) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
It was November 20, 1943 (D-Day for the "Battle of Tarawa"), when young Ron – just 22 years old – perished. He was reportedly buried in a Marine cemetery on Betio - a temporary location until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son or husband off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his service and sacrifice, his parents accepted the Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation.
On January 10, 1944, page 4 of the Greeley Tribune began its column of Casualties with "Marine Pvt. Ronald Vosmer, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Vosmer of 1563 Williams St, Denver, killed fighting somewhere in the Pacific".
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. In 1946 and 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio, but PVT Vosmer's remains were not recovered. On February 8, 1949, a military review board declared Ronald "non-recoverable".
For almost 72 years, PFC Vosmer remained buried - indeed, lost - on that island where he and so many of his brothers-in-arms fell.
In June 2015, a partner of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, History Flight, notified the DPAA that they had discovered a burial site on Betio Island and recovered the remains of what they believed were 35 U.S. Marines who fought during the battle in November 1943. The remains were turned over to DPAA in July 2015.
On April 12, 2016, PFC Ronald William Vosmer was officially accounted-for and soon after his niece and nephew, Lulane and Ron, received the news that they never thought would come; rather than a telegram bearing such horrible heartache and grief, there was a knock at the door and the Marines letting them know that the wait was over.
To identify Vosmer's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched his niece; laboratory analysis, including dental analysis and anthropological comparison, which matched Vosmer's records; as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Ronald was finally returned to his family and, on October 8, 2016, laid to rest near his parents with full military honors.
PFC Vosmer's name can be found on Panel: 3, Column: 5, Row: 72 of the Colorado Freedom Memorial.
Marine Corps Private First Class Ronald William Vosmer is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although PFC Vosmer has now been recovered and identified, his name shall remain permanently inscribed within Court 4 of the "Courts of the Missing" (56134431, a cenotaph). A rosette has been placed next to his name to verify that Ron is no longer missing.
SOURCES
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 16-076 (Sept. 30, 2016)
DPAA Recent News & Stories (Aug. 8, 2016)
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
Marine Corps PFC Ronald William Vosmer, 22, killed in World War II, was finally returned to his family and, on October 8, 2016, laid to rest – in American soil – with full military honors.
Welcomed into this world on June 1, 1921, Ronald was the youngest of 2 and only son born to Denver-natives Henry Ronald and Viola Evelyn (nee Warwick) Vosmer.
During his early years, the Vosmers lived next door to Viola's sister Anna Marguerite and her husband Albert Higginbottom on South Lincoln Street, so naturally Ronald and his sister Elaine grew up playing and attending the local schools with their cousins, Bernice and Raymond.
The 21-year-old enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on September 4, 1942. He would go through training with the Tenth Recruit Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and then to nearby Camp Elliott. Ronald would ship out into the Pacific Theater as part of A Battery, 2nd Antitank Battalion, arriving soon after in New Zealand to prepare for their first battle.
Private First Class Vosmer was with his brothers in Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 8th Marines (Easy-2/8) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
It was November 20, 1943 (D-Day for the "Battle of Tarawa"), when young Ron – just 22 years old – perished. He was reportedly buried in a Marine cemetery on Betio - a temporary location until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son or husband off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his service and sacrifice, his parents accepted the Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation.
On January 10, 1944, page 4 of the Greeley Tribune began its column of Casualties with "Marine Pvt. Ronald Vosmer, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Vosmer of 1563 Williams St, Denver, killed fighting somewhere in the Pacific".
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. In 1946 and 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio, but PVT Vosmer's remains were not recovered. On February 8, 1949, a military review board declared Ronald "non-recoverable".
For almost 72 years, PFC Vosmer remained buried - indeed, lost - on that island where he and so many of his brothers-in-arms fell.
In June 2015, a partner of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, History Flight, notified the DPAA that they had discovered a burial site on Betio Island and recovered the remains of what they believed were 35 U.S. Marines who fought during the battle in November 1943. The remains were turned over to DPAA in July 2015.
On April 12, 2016, PFC Ronald William Vosmer was officially accounted-for and soon after his niece and nephew, Lulane and Ron, received the news that they never thought would come; rather than a telegram bearing such horrible heartache and grief, there was a knock at the door and the Marines letting them know that the wait was over.
To identify Vosmer's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched his niece; laboratory analysis, including dental analysis and anthropological comparison, which matched Vosmer's records; as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Ronald was finally returned to his family and, on October 8, 2016, laid to rest near his parents with full military honors.
PFC Vosmer's name can be found on Panel: 3, Column: 5, Row: 72 of the Colorado Freedom Memorial.
Marine Corps Private First Class Ronald William Vosmer is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although PFC Vosmer has now been recovered and identified, his name shall remain permanently inscribed within Court 4 of the "Courts of the Missing" (56134431, a cenotaph). A rosette has been placed next to his name to verify that Ron is no longer missing.
SOURCES
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 16-076 (Sept. 30, 2016)
DPAA Recent News & Stories (Aug. 8, 2016)
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
Welcomed into this world on June 1, 1921, Ronald was the youngest of 2 and only son born to Denver-natives Henry Ronald and Viola Evelyn (nee Warwick) Vosmer.
During his early years, the Vosmers lived next door to Viola's sister Anna Marguerite and her husband Albert Higginbottom on South Lincoln Street, so naturally Ronald and his sister Elaine grew up playing and attending the local schools with their cousins, Bernice and Raymond.
The 21-year-old enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on September 4, 1942. He would go through training with the Tenth Recruit Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and then to nearby Camp Elliott. Ronald would ship out into the Pacific Theater as part of A Battery, 2nd Antitank Battalion, arriving soon after in New Zealand to prepare for their first battle.
Private First Class Vosmer was with his brothers in Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 8th Marines (Easy-2/8) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
It was November 20, 1943 (D-Day for the "Battle of Tarawa"), when young Ron – just 22 years old – perished. He was reportedly buried in a Marine cemetery on Betio - a temporary location until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son or husband off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his service and sacrifice, his parents accepted the Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation.
On January 10, 1944, page 4 of the Greeley Tribune began its column of Casualties with "Marine Pvt. Ronald Vosmer, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Vosmer of 1563 Williams St, Denver, killed fighting somewhere in the Pacific".
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. In 1946 and 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio, but PVT Vosmer's remains were not recovered. On February 8, 1949, a military review board declared Ronald "non-recoverable".
For almost 72 years, PFC Vosmer remained buried - indeed, lost - on that island where he and so many of his brothers-in-arms fell.
In June 2015, a partner of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, History Flight, notified the DPAA that they had discovered a burial site on Betio Island and recovered the remains of what they believed were 35 U.S. Marines who fought during the battle in November 1943. The remains were turned over to DPAA in July 2015.
On April 12, 2016, PFC Ronald William Vosmer was officially accounted-for and soon after his niece and nephew, Lulane and Ron, received the news that they never thought would come; rather than a telegram bearing such horrible heartache and grief, there was a knock at the door and the Marines letting them know that the wait was over.
To identify Vosmer's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched his niece; laboratory analysis, including dental analysis and anthropological comparison, which matched Vosmer's records; as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
Ronald was finally returned to his family and, on October 8, 2016, laid to rest near his parents with full military honors.
PFC Vosmer's name can be found on Panel: 3, Column: 5, Row: 72 of the Colorado Freedom Memorial.
Marine Corps Private First Class Ronald William Vosmer is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although PFC Vosmer has now been recovered and identified, his name shall remain permanently inscribed within Court 4 of the "Courts of the Missing" (56134431, a cenotaph). A rosette has been placed next to his name to verify that Ron is no longer missing.
SOURCES
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 16-076 (Sept. 30, 2016)
DPAA Recent News & Stories (Aug. 8, 2016)
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
Inscription
RONALD W VOSMER
PFC US MARINE CORPS WWII
JUN 1 1921 NOV 20 1943
PURPLE HEART KIA / BATTLE OF TARAWA / SEMPER FI
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