Evening star., 1944-09-28
2U. ). Generals Die,
Third Badly Injured
In Overseas Areas
Saunders, Member Of
B-29 Command, Hurt
In Crush in lndio

Brig. Gen. Walter G. Layman and
Brig. Gen. Thomas E. Roderick died
Of natural causes recently while on
overseas duty, the War Department
disclosed today. Their widows re-
side in Washington.
| The department also reported that
Brig. Gen. La Verne G. (Blondy)
Saunders, noted airman and former
West Point football player and
coach, had been seriously injured
when his plane crashed soon after
the takeoff of an administrative
fight in India. He is assigned to
the B-29 Super Fortress Goth Bomb
er Command and is a veteran Of
Pacific aerial warfare. Reports say
he is recovering.
Dies In England.
Gen Layman, Sc, whose widow
resides at the Kennedy-Warren
Apartments, died of a heart attack
at Cheltenham, England. He was
commandant Of the American
School Center in the European
theater.
Born September II, 1888, at Par
kersburg, w. Va, he entered into the
Army in 1917 and served as a bat
talon commander of the 49th In
fantry III France. Gen. Layman was
on duty here in the Office of the
chief of infantry from 1899 to June
1912, after graduating from the
Army War College.
He went overseas in June, 1912, as
assistant chief of staff in charge
Of supplies, at sos headquarters
for the European theater and in
August of that year was appointed
commandant of the American School
Center, where thousands Of young
officers we've trained.
Dies in Africa.
Gen. Roderick, 81, died in the North
African theater on September 2l,
after short illness. His widow re-
sides at 3511 Davenport street NV.
He was assistant chief of staff G-2
dntelligence) in the North African
theater.
He was born December 8. 1892. at
Navarro, Ohio, and entered the
Army as a second lieutenant in 1917
after his graduation from Wooster
(Ohio) College He served in France
with the 58th Infantry from the
Aisne-Marne through the Meuse-
Argonne offensives and was wound
ed at Cherry Chatreau August II,
1918.
Gen. Roderick served in Hawaii
before the outbreak of the Euro
pean war and in March, 194l, was
assigned here as assistant executive
officer to the chief of military in
telligence. He became the executive
officer in March, 1912. In April,
1943, Gen. Roderick was given an
overseas assignment as deputy as
sistant chief of the intelligence staff
in North Africa and subsequently
was made assistant chief.
Gen. Roderick wore the Victory
Medal, Silver Star and Purple Heart.
Besides his widow, he is survived
by a son, Roger, IA. who is attending
Fork Union Military Academy, Va,
and a daughter, Sara, 10.
Saunders Recovering.
Gen. Saunders, who has led some
OF the great B-29 raids on the Japa-
nese homeland and in Manchuria,
suffered three fractures Of the arms
and legs and lacerations of the
scalp in the crack-up of his plane.
Officials stressed, however, that he
was not in B-29 at the time.
He was taken to a United States
Army hospital for treatment and,
according to the latest reports, Is
mending satisfactorily. The date of
the accident was not given.
Gen. Saunders, known in Army
and athletic circles as "Blondy,"
was graduated from West Point in
1923 and starred on it's varsity foot
ball team. Later he returned to the
Military Academy as football coach.
In January, 1943, he was assigned
to headquarters, Army Air Forces, as
director of bombardment, and sub
sequently became deputy chief of
the air staff. Early in 1914 Gen.
Saunders was assigned to the Goth
Bomber Command. His wife lives
at Aberdeen, S. Oak.