Evening star., 1945-03-25
Todoy's Casualty Lists
Thus Jar in this 1oar 1.440
men from the District area
haue been reported killed.
Killed

Killed
Pfc. Russell E. Moreland, Is. oi
Arlington, was killed in actor
March Six months and a day
after he entered the service.
The son of Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas
r. Moreland. 6311 North Washing
ton boulevard, Pvt. Moreland left
this country for overseas service
February Is and had been in &C
tion only a short time when killed
He was fighting with the SD Arm
ored Infantry Division of the 7th
Army.
Pvt. Moreland was born in WASH
ington and was student at Fair
fax High School before entering
the service September 7, 1914 He
received training in the Signal
Corps at Camp Crowder. Mo, be-
fore being transferred to an in
fantry replacement outfit.
He had been an Eagle Scout in
Troop 152, Vienna, Va. and had
worked after school hours and on
Saturdays and holidays for the
last three years at Heitts' Garage,
Falls Church.
Besides his parents. Pvt. More
land is survived by q sister, Mrs.
Louise M. Reed, who also lives at
the Arlington address.
Wounded
First 1t. Lawrence A. Widmayer,
ir., 26, whose parents live at 1904
Saybrook avenue, Silver Spring,
Md, was wounded in action in Gers
many March 2, his parents have
been notified. His wife and two
daughters live in Hartford, Conn.
Representing the fourth genera
ton on both sides of his family to
be born and reared in the District,
1t. Widmayer was graduated from
George Washington University,
where he was in the ROTC. He
went on active duty on graduation
and was sent overseas last october
He now is in a hospital In England,
recuperating from mortar fire
wounds.
His father Is an attorney with
the Justice Department here.
Pfc. John r. Combs, %, whose
wife, Mrs. Alma Louise Combs, lives
at 109 Darlington street S.W., was
wounded January Is in France for
the second time, his wife has been
notified. He is the son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Joseph F. Combs, 6213 Fifth
street NV.
One of eight brothers in the
service, he joined Is months ago,
and went overseas a year ago
Born in Southern Maryland, he at
tended schools there and worked IN
a tire shop here before joining the
service. He is now in a ehospital
overseas, recuperating from chest
wounds. He had previously been
wounded September II. Pvt. Combs
is the father of one son, John R.,
jr., 13 months old.
1t. Alexander Messier, 81, BROTH
er of Mrs. Edward Roche, 1887
Burns place Sc, was wounded late
in February in France. His broth
er, Sergt. Robert Messier, also is
reported in today's Honor Roll.
One of seven brothers and sisters in
service, 1t. Messier was born in New
York City, where his parents now
live, and attended schools there. He
and his brother moved to Wash
ington to live with their sister sew
eral years ago.
1t. Messier entered the Army as
a private in October, 1943. He
went overseas last October, and
was promoted from sergeant to staff
sergeant while in combat. He re-
ceived his commission while he
was in a hospital in France. In his
last letter to his sister, he wrote
that he was doing nicely.
Sergt. Robert Messier, %, brother
of 1t. Alexander Messier, also was
reported wounded in February. He
was wounded in Germany and now
has returned to duty, he has written
his sister.
Sergt. Messier entered the Army
before the war, and has been over
seas four years, without having
been back to the United States.
He was among the first American
troops sent abroad, and fought in
the campaigns of North Africa,
Sicily, Italy, France, and in Belgium
and Germany. He worked here for
the American Instrument Co.
The Messier brothers arranged to
meet each other in England when
1t. Messier was sent there last Oc-
tober, but, on the day they had
planned to meet Sergt. Messier was
sent into action.
Pfc. Clifton A. Wagner, 10, son of
Mrs. Ethel Harrington of 22S Thirty
seventh street Sc. and John A.
Wagner of Kensington, Md, re-
ceived head wound in Germany
February "a, his mother has been
advised. .
A letter from her son indicates
that he wrote it on his 18th BIRTH
day from a hospital bed in Bel
gium. Pvt. Wagner attended Ken
sington High School but left to
become an assistant manager at
the Safeway store in Kensington,
where he remained for more than a
year until his Army induction May
80, 1914. He went overseas Novem-
t,ov 90 10AA