Starting Sept. 30, 2014, Genealogy.com will be making a big change. GenForum message boards, Family Tree Maker homepages, and the most popular articles will be preserved in a read-only format, while several other features will no longer be available, including member subscriptions and the Shop.
 
Learn more


Home Page |Surname List |Index of Individuals |InterneTree |Sources


View Tree for Harold John KillianHarold John Killian (b. 20 Sep 1919, d. 30 Oct 2003)


Picture of Harold John Killian
Harold & Rosalie

Harold John Killian (son of Marvin Felix Killian and Louise Killian) was born 20 Sep 1919 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and died 30 Oct 2003 in San Diego, California. He married Edith Rosalie South on 08 Feb 1941 in Papillion, Nebraska, daughter of Leon Frederick South and Sarah Elva Rizor.

 Includes NotesNotes for Harold John Killian:
Harold came from a family of four children,..older brother, Dick and older sister Evelyn and a younger brother Melvin. His mother died when Harold was very young, and his father, Mike, raised his family. Harold and Rosalie were high school sweethearts. Harold's high school days were always days of uncertainty; whether he was in school or out. He said his father spent as much time in the principal's office as he die, trying to get him back in school after being expelled for some prant. he would walk by Rosalie's school room...if his thumb was up, he was still in; if the thumb were down, he was not.

Harold tells about riding the train rails for a while until the cold Iowa winter got to him, and he went home. He came into the house and curled up around the floor register for warmth. His dad walked by on his way out the door to work and nudged him with his toe and said, "Boy, go up to bed."

Harold entered WWII and was in the Army AirCorp. Harold and his crew crash landed in Holland in January 1944 during an attack mission. An article was published regarding this mission and the crash landing. The article states the reason for the break in formation and turning back of the aircraft is unknown. However, Harold states they had lost super charge power and were unable to stay with the formation. The airplane had a single control for all system charge power and was losing the formation and attitude.

Harold and his co-pilot avoided capture with the assistance of the underground and made their way to Switzerland and eventually back to England. At the time of the crash landing, Rosalie, was pregnant with their son roger. All she knew was her husband was missing in action. She received word that he was alive when she was in the hospital after giving birth to her baby. Roger was 6 months old before Harold saw him. Rosalie was libving with her parents in Council Bluffs at the time of he return. Roger was laying on a blanket in the living room when Harold came in the door. Rosalie found them together when she came back into the room.

Harold enlisted in the service on Feb 10, 1941. Following is from enlistment records found on Anestry.com:
Name: Harold J Killian
Birth Year: 1919
Race: White, citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Iowa
State: Iowa
County or City: Pottawattamie

Enlistment Date: 10 Feb 1941
Enlistment State: Iowa
Enlistment City: Council Bluffs
Branch: Detached Enlisted Mens List
Branch Code: Detached Enlisted Mens List
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Component: National Guard (Officers, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
Source: National Guard

Education: 4 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Tracktor Driver* or Truck Driver, Heavy or Chauffeur or Truck Driver, Light An asterisk (*) appearing after a job title indicates that a trade test for the particular occupation will be found in the United States Employment Service Manual, Oral Trade Test
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 71
Weight: 175

From Ancestry.com US Veteran GravesitesHarold John Killian
Service Info.: COL US AIR FORCE WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM
Birth Date: 20 Sep 1919
Death Date: 30 Oct 2003
Service Start Date: 17 Jul 1943
Service End Date: 31 Jul 1973
Interment Date: 17 Nov 2003
Cemetery: Riverside National Cemetery
Cemetery Address: 22495 Van Buren Boulevard Riverside, CA 92518
Buried At: Section 26 Site 868



More About Harold John Killian:
Burial: Nov 2003, Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, California.

More About Harold John Killian and Edith Rosalie South:
Marriage: 08 Feb 1941, Papillion, Nebraska.

Children of Harold John Killian and Edith Rosalie South are:
  1. +Roger Harold Killian.
  2. Michele Ann Killian.
Created with Family Tree Maker


Search for Family - Learn About Genealogy - Helpful Web Sites - Message Boards - Guest Book - Home
© Copyright 1996-99, The Learning Company, Inc., and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
© Copyright 1995-97 by Matthew L. Helm. All Rights Reserved.