WIA Pearl Harbor Survivor Group, 72nd Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, Wheeler Field

[DaddyDog]

In honored memory of Pearl Harbor Survivor Jonah Allen Steff. Silver Star number 64427, Purple Heart number 73211

[DaddyDog]

Part of an estate sale grouping acquired today.  Research is pending.  Any assistance is much appreciated.

[manayunkman]

Congratulations on this fine acquisition.

 

Im looking forward to the directions research might take us.

[M24 Chaffee]

Great grouping! Thanks for sharing it!

 

Frank

[Dave]

Great group! And the number of the Purple Heart falls right into the correct range for these WIA ones for Pearl Harbor. 

 

Congrats on having this group!

[KASTAUFFER]

That’s an outstanding group! I have a Hickam Field 12/7/41 Purple Heart as well , but the example I have is for meritorious service, not wounds.

The Silver Star must have been engraved by him after the war. 

 

Kurt

[KASTAUFFER]

Award card

[KASTAUFFER]

I looked for a Silver Star award card and could not find it.

 

I also checked Al Gleims 3 volume set listing Silver Star GO's and did not find him in there either, 

 

Kurt

[katieony]

A really outstanding group!

[DaddyDog]

More views of the PH.

[DaddyDog]

Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal and letter

[KASTAUFFER]

Thanks for adding the additional Purple Heart photos! 

 

Kurt

[KASTAUFFER]

Article

[KASTAUFFER]

Article from March 1942 in Hawaii

[DaddyDog]

The added contributions are much appreciated.  Here is the reissued award citation and other cards found in a wallet. 

[Dave]

Pretty nice! Can you show a photo of the engraving on the reverse of the reissue Purple Heart? Looks like it's from 1987?

Thanks!

[DaddyDog]

September 1987 is correct for the reissued medal. 

[Dave]

Thanks for the photo of the medal! I always like to compare the engraving styles of certain time periods and years. This one is interesting as it appears to be a smaller block letter than what I typically see for those years. This answers the time period question for a couple of other medals I've seen with the same font. 

[DaddyDog]

Dave, Perhaps this view is a little more helpful.

[Brian Dentino]

Simply an outstanding set of documents and medals to a true American hero!  Thanks for showing this amazing collection with us here.....outstanding and the center piece of anyone's collection for sure.

[DaddyDog]

I went back to the home of the estate sale today and spent several hours looking through bags of papers set for destruction.  I am not entirely sure the uniform jacket photographed in the first post belonged to the person identified.  Additionally, I found several uniformed photos and none appear to show the wear of a Silver Star.  A copy of a discharge document found in the trash makes no mention of such award.  The now deceased occupants of the estate were the daughter and son-in law to Mr. Steff.  I would really like to get factually documented research in this matter.  I may never be able to document everything found at the estate.

 

To add to the mystery, a large stack of YANK, The Army Weekly magazine addressed to the name "SGT Frederick J. Pogmore", Route 1, Knightstown IND (no known relationship to either side of the family) was at the home.  I do believe everyone will enjoy seeing the added photos and letters (saved from the trash) shown below.  Steff is front right in group photos in with aircraft.  REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR

 

 

[kanemono]

Great group! Thanks for sharing it with us.

[DaddyDog]

Here are some of my favorite quotes from his letters:

22 December 1941, “Someone has to fight this war, and if they do get me that I will go down fighting for my country which has given me everything a man could want.”

 

1 January 1942, “ I see by the papers that you back there are buckling down to the job of supplying us over here, the necessary equipment to fight with.  You may not realize it but the spirit of the people there means an awfully lot to us. We know we aren’t fighting for nothing and have the backing of our country."

 

15 January 1942 (Hospital), “I am healing fine and feel grand.  As for the position and nature of my wounds. Just tell people I was slightly hit nothing serious. In fact all I was hit with was two machine gun bullets.  They went all the way through and didn’t even slow me down.  You see I was fighting and as you know when I fight I feel no pain of any kind.”

 

From another newspaper article I read “He carries a permanent souvenir of enemy treachery.  Absence of four toes reminds Sergeant Steff of Dec 7, 1941, when he was stationed at Wheeler Field, near Honolulu.  “I saw and felt what bombs could do,” he says, “and wanted to get close to it, either as a bombardier or in some phase of the work.”  

[BEAST]

Great looking group! Frederick J. Pogmore, Knightstown, is listed in an Indianapolis newspaper as having been captured by the Germans.

 

UPDATE: Here is Pogmore's obit.

 

[DaddyDog]

3 hours ago, BEAST said:

Great looking group! Frederick J. Pogmore, Knightstown, is listed in an Indianapolis newspaper as having been captured by the Germans.

 

UPDATE: Here is Pogmore's obit.

 

Thank you.  This card was found at the estate where I purchased the Steff items.  Special Privilege Card with Hawaiian Department, T.H. Fort Kamehameha and dated 28 June 1934