Remembering Our War Dead

REMEMBERING
RICHARD LLOYD EGGERS

Number Ten in a series in remembrance of our World War II dead

By Joe C. Fling

One of the more interesting gravestones for one of Eagle Lake's war dead is the tombstone of Richard Lloyd Eggers in the Lakeside Cemetery. In addition to the usual information of dates of birth and death and branch of the military that Eggers served in, the stone is engraved with the image of a submarine conning tower with sea creatures swimming beside, which further indicates Eggers' military service.

Twenty year old Richard Eggers was serving aboard a submarine, stationed at San Diego, California in the fall of 1943, when he met his death in a freak accident.

Eggers was born August 13, 1923 in Bonus, the son of Richard L. and Geraldine Eggers. Eggers' father was killed in 1927 in an equally unusual threshing accident on Ernest Seaholm's farm. By the time of her son's entry into the service, Geraldine had remarried, to George Cason and had another son, George, Jr.

Submarines relied heavily on their batteries for underwater operations, and as such they were a major security concern, being as was supposed, a prime target for saboteurs. Eggers, who had reached the rank of electricians mate 3rd Class was on guard duty looking after the sub's batteries. Ironically, Eggers had just received promotion from EM-2c, on December 1st, the day of the accident that claimed his life. When his shift ended, another sailor came on duty to relieve him. As that man, following regulations, checked and adjusted his .45 automatic sidearm, the gun went off and the bullet hit Eggers in the abdomen.

Eggers was rushed to the naval base hospital in San Diego. Word quickly reached Eagle Lake. According to the Headlight, local physician J.R. Laughlin telephoned the base hospital on behalf of Eggers' mother but could not obtain any concrete information about Eggers' condition. Thereupon David Wintermann, who was at that time head of the local Red Cross arranged for Mrs. Cason to fly to California to be with her son.

Eggers' mother arrived at his side on December 2. Eggers was reportedly able to talk to his mother, and scores of visitors from among his shipmates but he died on the following Sunday afternoon, December 5, 1943 in that navy hospital.

Geraldine Cason holds a unique distinction among the mothers of men who died in World War II from Colorado County. Only she was able to go to her wounded son's side before he died and speak to him. All others got the news by telegram, weeks or months later, or found their sons listed only as "missing" for over a year before being classified as "lost" or "killed in action." And for most, the funerals were years after death, some as late as 1950, and many were never returned home for burial, and a few were never recovered from the sea.

In fact, Eggers was only the second war-time burial of a serviceman in the city of Eagle Lake (John Westmoreland being the first in January, 1943) and would be the last until Maurice Parker was brought home from Bermuda and laid to rest in the Masonic cemetery December 9, 1947. The intervening four years saw countless memorial services and news of burials in foreign lands, but no actual funerals in the city for any war dead.

Mrs. Cason arrived back in Eagle Lake two days after her son's death on the train bearing Richard's remains, accompanied by a military escort. The funeral was held at Colley Memorial Methodist Church in Eagle Lake on December 11, with Rev. J.N. Thompson, pastor of Garwood Methodist officiating. Ten sailors came from California to guard and bear the casket. A 13 year old bandsman, Draper Stephens played "taps" on the bugle. Eggers' body was laid to rest near the top of the hill in Lakeside Cemetery, where he would be joined on November 10, 1947 by his cousin Glenn E. Eggers, who gave his life serving in an armored regiment in China. Eggers was survived by his mother and ten year old George, Jr.

REMEMBERING

ROBERT W. BROWN

Number Eleven in a series in remembrance of our World War II dead

By Joe C. Fling

The tiny village of Lissie gave more than its share to the effort in World War II. Among those who gave their lives with ties to this tiny hamlet were Billy Cook, Johnnie D. Hutchins and Robert W. Brown. In addition Preston Brasher and Everitt Wright had lived in the Lissie/Chesterville area.

Robert W. Brown, Jr. was born at Sheridan and moved to Lissie as a small child. Like most of the others from Lissie who were killed in the war, Robert attended school in Eagle Lake, where he graduated in 1940.

Brown enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 14, 1940 and must have performed well. Most of the men who became pilots in World War II had had some college, but Brown had not. Nevertheless he was recommended for officer's candidate school and became a multi-engine pilot. His training included the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. As before, I recommend Stephen Ambrose's The Wild Blue. There is no better book on the mechanics and operation of the B-24; the character of the men who flew them; and the importance of their missions against Nazi Germany. Read this book and you will understand what Robert W. Brown and men like him did. How unnerving and physically demanding it was to pilot the huge Liberator. How unrelenting and dangerous the missions against Nazi targets were.

The Heavy bombers were one of America's primary ways of taking the war to the enemy. They performed tactical and strategic bombing and delivered fear, perhaps even a more palpable weapon than their 1,000 pound bombs. The bombers flew on missions of over 1000 miles, which took as much as 12 hours to fly; and struck fear deep into the heart of Nazi Germany and its conquered territories.

Brown's outfit, the 515th Bomber Squadron of the 376th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force left the United States and arrived in North Africa in November, 1943. Brown would have been involved in missions similar to those in which Bill Foster of Garwood lost his life that same month. The Americans had jumped from North Africa to Sicily and on to Italy. Soon Brown's squadron was transferred to a new Italian base.

On December 20, 1943, Brown's plane participated in a bombing mission over eastern Bulgaria. His aircraft came under anti-aircraft fire, then collided with an enemy fighter in mid-air and fell to earth.

A notice came from the War Department listing Brown as missing in action over Bulgaria. Brown's death was later confirmed. He was survived by his parents, his wife of Blytheville, Arkansas, and a sister Esther Raasch of Lissie. Brown is buried in the American Cemetery in Florence, Italy. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Air Medal.

Robert W. Brown was an exemplary young man. His peers and superiors recognized this and entrusted him with a mighty battle machine and a crew of men under his care. The U.S. Air Army Air Corps entrusted to hundreds of men like Brown the mission of strategic bombing: the breaking of the Nazis ability and will to make war. His name is recorded on the Wharton County Veterans monument and the plaque of the dead from Eagle Lake High School, now on display at the Prairie Edge Museum but not elsewhere. Men like this saved the world, and preserved the freedoms that we all hold so dear. We must not forget them.