IS OUR MILITARY AXIOM OF “NOT LEAVING ANY OF OUR FALLEN COMRADES BEHIND” REALLY BEING FOLLOWED?

The subject person lived in Glen Rock, NJ and Ridgewood, NJ from about 1917 to 1928

by Stanley A. Kober

For the last 14 years I have been assisting a WWII, VFW comrade (now over 95+ years old) in trying, in addition to putting together some facts about the life of my VFW comrade’s Dad, to get the remains of his father [CPT Warren C.M. Lessing (O-916 612)], also a WWII soldier, found and extricated from an Excalibur plane crash site in Botwood Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, in October 1942.  CPT Lessing was a close friend of General Doolittle and apparently on his way to a meeting with Gen. Doolittle in Foynes, Ireland when his plane crashed, but neither he nor the documents he was allegedly carrying, allegedly have been recovered. There’s a great deal more, including some intriguing events to this story/account that cannot be detailed here.

However, the following is some of the information still outstanding after checking with MANY, MANY sources in the last 14 years:

• CPT Lessing’s denial of the award of Purple Heart according to the Army Regulations in effect on CPT. Lessing’s date of death, which are different than today’s (see below) is against military policy and must be addressed;
• Meaning is unknown of the designation “G4-404-2889” that is associated in documents found about CPT Lessing;
• CPT Lessing apparently reported on Extended Active Duty on September 17, 1942 at Miami Beach for a “class 56m” that is unknown as to content, instructors, students, etc. except for a “Lt. Fetter” in a condolence “Telex” to the wife of CPT Lessing after his death;
• CPT Lessing apparently was probably a member of the OSS, but nothing can be substantiated as yet through research conducted so far;
• CPT Lessing apparently was a class attendee as a member of the 653rd Tech. Sch. Sq., September 18, 1942, but can’t find out about the unit being in Miami, Florida at that time;
• CPT Lessing apparently was billeted at Roney-Plaza, Miami Beach, Florida on September 21, 1942;
• CPT Lessing was probably a member of 1252nd Engineer Combat Battalion, but again, cannot find out anything about the unit;
• Among other things, like the extrication and repatriation of CPT Lessing’s remains…….The family of CPT Warren C.M. Lessing and I have been trying to get the Purple Heart award for CPT Lessing–based on the rules in effect at the date of his death, on October 03, 1942, prior to the current rules, but the government and military incorrectly have not followed those rules in effect prior to and in October 1942, but incorrectly apply only the current ones.

I have documented the sending of documents and e-mails and making phone calls to numerous people in military institutions and archives, POW/MIA agency, law firm contacts, newspaper contacts, military units and agencies, educational institutions, VFW National, American Legion National, WWII organizations, making postings on FB and other social media, and contacting a plethora of others including the U.S. Congress and Senate, and Canadian sources and agencies, as well as most recently (2018 and 2019) sending packages directly to the White House with NO RESPONSE from the White House or negative responses from our military, who again incorrectly uses the current rules for the awarding of the Purple Heart. President Donald J. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, First Lady Melania Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and multiple cable news commentators have all been contacted on social media with no responses, as well as others who tell me they know so and so, and can get this done, but are just like “clouds and wind without rain”.

It is my sincere belief that there are persons around that can provide answers for the above information and help get CPT Warren C.M. Lessing the Purple Heart he is due based on the Army Regulations in effect on the date of his death in October 1942 and MAYBE even get our government to reinstitute the search for CPT Lessing’s remains in a search that was prematurely stopped, even against the recommendations of those in charge of the search, in Botwood Bay, Newfoundland, Canada.