Obit: Gehrt, Edward G. (1920 – 1943)
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Surnames: GEHRT

----- Source: : Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wis.) 07/??/1949

----- Gehrt, Edward G. (7 APR 1920 – 1943)

Greenwood (Clark Co., Wis.) – Reburial services for Staff Sgt. Edward G. Gehrt, 23, sn of Mr. and Mrs. E.L. Gehrt, who until a year ago resided in Neillsville and now live on the former Ed Steiger farm, 4 ½ mile northwest of Greenwood, were held Thursday, July 7, 1949, at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., National Cemetery.

The mother, Mrs. Gehrt, and son, Gordon, attended the rites for their son and brother and for nine of his fallen comrades, who were sent from the United States military cemetery in Castleflorentino, 19 miles southwest of Florence, Italy, for a group burial in Missouri. The father was unable to attend because of illness.

Edward George Gehrt was born in Neillsville April 7, 1920, attended Silver Crest School in Pin Valley, and was graduated from Neillsville High School with the class of 1936.

He was inducted May 5, 1942, and was assigned to the Army Air Forces. After training in the United States, first as a mechanic and then as a gunner, he started to fly to the Mediterranean Theater as a n engineer gunner on a B-17 bomber.

He arrive din North Africa in the early summer of 1943, had a part in the Tunisian campaign, and fought through the Sicilian campaign when his bomber, was shot down in northern Italy.

All these 10 men, who lost their lives, were declared dead by the Ear Department 19 months later and were buried in a group at Jefferson Barracks.

When he and his crew were on their way to Africa, they stopped in Brazil and he and his comrades took a swim in the ocean. He suffered a fracture ankle when he was swept out by a large wave. The remainder of his crew went on without him and after being hospitalized he joined another group.

Survivors are his parents and his brother, Gordon.