Melvin was one of 4 children born to Lena Claus and Levi Graper.
Clarence Wesley Graper (1912 - 1993)
Melvin Henry Graper (1917 - 1944)
Elfie (Alpha) Graper (1919 -
Orland Ralph Graper (1925 - 1945)
His mother died in 1926 and he and Elfie were sent to live with his Aunt Lydia and Uncle Henry Tabbert and family of Rock, Iowa.
After 1 year of College, Melvin enlisted in the Army Air Corps, 17 Jan 1942, at Jacksonville, Florida. (Serial # 0-793760)
Melvin married Marguarite Hoffman on 7 Nov, 1942 at Columbus, Missippi, before his deployment to England.
Melvin became a Capt and was Operations Officer of the 577th Squadron 392nd Bomb group, 8th Air Force, Army Air Corps, and was one of the original 392nd pilots. He was added as a Pilot for the lead plane/crew on missions. On June 23rd, he was added to crew the plane 42-95027, as Lead Plane, for the mission #121, of the bombing of Leon-Athies Air Field(France). After dropping the bombs, at the target, the plane took a direct hit by flack in engine # 3 and the bomb bay and went immediately into a dive, pulled up slightly and went out of control. It was one of 2 planes lost. Capt Graper split the medical kit with 2/Lt Rich (My Dad)and jumped. He made a safe jump but reportedly pulled a pistol when Germans approached. German supplementary report stated that Graper required hospitalization at German War Hospital in Reims. Graper died 16 days later of wounds due to multiple shell fragment wounds; severe muscle lacerations of both upper legs which required amputation; extreme weakness due to lack of blood circulation. When Capt Graper died he was given a military funeral and was buried at 1200 hours within the hospital walls, Thursday, July 13, 1944. On Aug 29, the Germans evacuated the hospital and the US 5th division took over.
Capt Graper was survived by his wife, Marguerite in Iowa.
For his service to his country Capt Graper was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters and was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross.
MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #06215 AIRCRAFT: #42-95027 (NO NICKNAME) "B-PIus" 17th Mission
AIRCREW: WHITTEMORE (CA: GRAPER) * SQUADRON: 577th
CREW POSITIONS AND STATUS:
P (C)CAPT Graper, Melvin H. KIA
P 1/LT Whittemore, Warren T. POW
CP 2/LT Ackerman, James M. POW
N 2/LT Rich, Clarence B. EVD
B 2/LT Issenberg, Milton POW
NG/N 2/LT Birnbaum, Standford I. KIA
R/O S/S Ammon, Robert H. KIA
EnG T/S Peterson, Carl L. KIA
WG S/S Altemus, Charles V. POW
WG S/S Lampe, Maurice POW
TG S/S Tremlett, Robert S. KIA
After the War Act of 1948, Capt Graper's body was recovered from France (along with crew mates; Ammon, Birnbaum, Peterson, and Tremlett). His brother Clarence escorted the body from France to Arlington for reburial.
Capt Melvin Henry Gaper ~ Arlington
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarence Wesley Graper (1912 - 1993)
Melvin Henry Graper (1917 - 1944)
Elfie (Alpha) Graper (1919 -
Orland Ralph Graper (1925 - 1945)
His mother died in 1926 and he and Elfie were sent to live with his Aunt Lydia and Uncle Henry Tabbert and family of Rock, Iowa.
After 1 year of College, Melvin enlisted in the Army Air Corps, 17 Jan 1942, at Jacksonville, Florida. (Serial # 0-793760)
Melvin married Marguarite Hoffman on 7 Nov, 1942 at Columbus, Missippi, before his deployment to England.
Melvin became a Capt and was Operations Officer of the 577th Squadron 392nd Bomb group, 8th Air Force, Army Air Corps, and was one of the original 392nd pilots. He was added as a Pilot for the lead plane/crew on missions. On June 23rd, he was added to crew the plane 42-95027, as Lead Plane, for the mission #121, of the bombing of Leon-Athies Air Field(France). After dropping the bombs, at the target, the plane took a direct hit by flack in engine # 3 and the bomb bay and went immediately into a dive, pulled up slightly and went out of control. It was one of 2 planes lost. Capt Graper split the medical kit with 2/Lt Rich (My Dad)and jumped. He made a safe jump but reportedly pulled a pistol when Germans approached. German supplementary report stated that Graper required hospitalization at German War Hospital in Reims. Graper died 16 days later of wounds due to multiple shell fragment wounds; severe muscle lacerations of both upper legs which required amputation; extreme weakness due to lack of blood circulation. When Capt Graper died he was given a military funeral and was buried at 1200 hours within the hospital walls, Thursday, July 13, 1944. On Aug 29, the Germans evacuated the hospital and the US 5th division took over.
Capt Graper was survived by his wife, Marguerite in Iowa.
For his service to his country Capt Graper was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters and was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross.
MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #06215 AIRCRAFT: #42-95027 (NO NICKNAME) "B-PIus" 17th Mission
AIRCREW: WHITTEMORE (CA: GRAPER) * SQUADRON: 577th
CREW POSITIONS AND STATUS:
P (C)CAPT Graper, Melvin H. KIA
P 1/LT Whittemore, Warren T. POW
CP 2/LT Ackerman, James M. POW
N 2/LT Rich, Clarence B. EVD
B 2/LT Issenberg, Milton POW
NG/N 2/LT Birnbaum, Standford I. KIA
R/O S/S Ammon, Robert H. KIA
EnG T/S Peterson, Carl L. KIA
WG S/S Altemus, Charles V. POW
WG S/S Lampe, Maurice POW
TG S/S Tremlett, Robert S. KIA
After the War Act of 1948, Capt Graper's body was recovered from France (along with crew mates; Ammon, Birnbaum, Peterson, and Tremlett). His brother Clarence escorted the body from France to Arlington for reburial.
Capt Melvin Henry Gaper ~ Arlington
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melvin was one of 4 children born to Lena Claus and Levi Graper.
Clarence Wesley Graper (1912 - 1993)
Melvin Henry Graper (1917 - 1944)
Elfie (Alpha) Graper (1919 -
Orland Ralph Graper (1925 - 1945)
His mother died in 1926 and he and Elfie were sent to live with his Aunt Lydia and Uncle Henry Tabbert and family of Rock, Iowa.
After 1 year of College, Melvin enlisted in the Army Air Corps, 17 Jan 1942, at Jacksonville, Florida. (Serial # 0-793760)
Melvin married Marguarite Hoffman on 7 Nov, 1942 at Columbus, Missippi, before his deployment to England.
Melvin became a Capt and was Operations Officer of the 577th Squadron 392nd Bomb group, 8th Air Force, Army Air Corps, and was one of the original 392nd pilots. He was added as a Pilot for the lead plane/crew on missions. On June 23rd, he was added to crew the plane 42-95027, as Lead Plane, for the mission #121, of the bombing of Leon-Athies Air Field(France). After dropping the bombs, at the target, the plane took a direct hit by flack in engine # 3 and the bomb bay and went immediately into a dive, pulled up slightly and went out of control. It was one of 2 planes lost. Capt Graper split the medical kit with 2/Lt Rich (My Dad)and jumped. He made a safe jump but reportedly pulled a pistol when Germans approached. German supplementary report stated that Graper required hospitalization at German War Hospital in Reims. Graper died 16 days later of wounds due to multiple shell fragment wounds; severe muscle lacerations of both upper legs which required amputation; extreme weakness due to lack of blood circulation. When Capt Graper died he was given a military funeral and was buried at 1200 hours within the hospital walls, Thursday, July 13, 1944. On Aug 29, the Germans evacuated the hospital and the US 5th division took over.
Capt Graper was survived by his wife, Marguerite in Iowa.
For his service to his country Capt Graper was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters and was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross.
MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #06215 AIRCRAFT: #42-95027 (NO NICKNAME) "B-PIus" 17th Mission
AIRCREW: WHITTEMORE (CA: GRAPER) * SQUADRON: 577th
CREW POSITIONS AND STATUS:
P (C)CAPT Graper, Melvin H. KIA
P 1/LT Whittemore, Warren T. POW
CP 2/LT Ackerman, James M. POW
N 2/LT Rich, Clarence B. EVD
B 2/LT Issenberg, Milton POW
NG/N 2/LT Birnbaum, Standford I. KIA
R/O S/S Ammon, Robert H. KIA
EnG T/S Peterson, Carl L. KIA
WG S/S Altemus, Charles V. POW
WG S/S Lampe, Maurice POW
TG S/S Tremlett, Robert S. KIA
After the War Act of 1948, Capt Graper's body was recovered from France (along with crew mates; Ammon, Birnbaum, Peterson, and Tremlett). His brother Clarence escorted the body from France to Arlington for reburial.
Capt Melvin Henry Gaper ~ Arlington
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarence Wesley Graper (1912 - 1993)
Melvin Henry Graper (1917 - 1944)
Elfie (Alpha) Graper (1919 -
Orland Ralph Graper (1925 - 1945)
His mother died in 1926 and he and Elfie were sent to live with his Aunt Lydia and Uncle Henry Tabbert and family of Rock, Iowa.
After 1 year of College, Melvin enlisted in the Army Air Corps, 17 Jan 1942, at Jacksonville, Florida. (Serial # 0-793760)
Melvin married Marguarite Hoffman on 7 Nov, 1942 at Columbus, Missippi, before his deployment to England.
Melvin became a Capt and was Operations Officer of the 577th Squadron 392nd Bomb group, 8th Air Force, Army Air Corps, and was one of the original 392nd pilots. He was added as a Pilot for the lead plane/crew on missions. On June 23rd, he was added to crew the plane 42-95027, as Lead Plane, for the mission #121, of the bombing of Leon-Athies Air Field(France). After dropping the bombs, at the target, the plane took a direct hit by flack in engine # 3 and the bomb bay and went immediately into a dive, pulled up slightly and went out of control. It was one of 2 planes lost. Capt Graper split the medical kit with 2/Lt Rich (My Dad)and jumped. He made a safe jump but reportedly pulled a pistol when Germans approached. German supplementary report stated that Graper required hospitalization at German War Hospital in Reims. Graper died 16 days later of wounds due to multiple shell fragment wounds; severe muscle lacerations of both upper legs which required amputation; extreme weakness due to lack of blood circulation. When Capt Graper died he was given a military funeral and was buried at 1200 hours within the hospital walls, Thursday, July 13, 1944. On Aug 29, the Germans evacuated the hospital and the US 5th division took over.
Capt Graper was survived by his wife, Marguerite in Iowa.
For his service to his country Capt Graper was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters and was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross.
MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #06215 AIRCRAFT: #42-95027 (NO NICKNAME) "B-PIus" 17th Mission
AIRCREW: WHITTEMORE (CA: GRAPER) * SQUADRON: 577th
CREW POSITIONS AND STATUS:
P (C)CAPT Graper, Melvin H. KIA
P 1/LT Whittemore, Warren T. POW
CP 2/LT Ackerman, James M. POW
N 2/LT Rich, Clarence B. EVD
B 2/LT Issenberg, Milton POW
NG/N 2/LT Birnbaum, Standford I. KIA
R/O S/S Ammon, Robert H. KIA
EnG T/S Peterson, Carl L. KIA
WG S/S Altemus, Charles V. POW
WG S/S Lampe, Maurice POW
TG S/S Tremlett, Robert S. KIA
After the War Act of 1948, Capt Graper's body was recovered from France (along with crew mates; Ammon, Birnbaum, Peterson, and Tremlett). His brother Clarence escorted the body from France to Arlington for reburial.
Capt Melvin Henry Gaper ~ Arlington
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
