Providence College Alumni who have been killed during military service:
Ralph T. Brennan’35 who was the commanding officer of Co. F, 134th Regiment,
35th Division. On Sept.4, 1998, a group of veterans and citizens of Flavigny,
France, memorialized Lt. Brennan at the Government Bridge across the Moselle
River. Lt. Brennan died at this crossing on Sept.12, 1944, in one of the bloodiest
battles in eastern France. The Brennan family had a cross engraved on the bridge
after the war. The 1998 plaque installed beside the cross reads,
“Men die twice, the first time at the day of their death, the second time when no one
speaks of them any more. By this gesture, we hope that we will not let Lieutenant
Brennan die a second time.” Mr. Brennan is interred at the Loraine American
Cemetery in St. Avold, France.
Robert D. Collins’45 from Newton, MA was a US Marine lost on March 11, 1945 at
Iwo Jima and is interred in Hawaii.
Fr. Anthony E. Czubak’32 served in Europe as a chaplain to the 7th Armored
Division and died on Jan. 22nd, 1945 at the end of the Battle of the Bulge probably
near Liege, Belgium. Both are remembered at the Catholic Chaplains Monument
at Arlington Cemetery in Washington.
William B. Dooling Jr.’45 was a B24 Liberator crewman on a mission which attacked
a synthetic oil refinery plant at Politz in Poland on June 20th, 1944. His plane was
hit by rockets from a German ME410 fighter plane downing the bomber over the
Baltic Sea. Sergeant Dooling is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the
Cambridge American Cemetery in England.
Karol S. Dubiel’40 was a B17 Flying Fortress crewman lost on Mar. 3, 1944 on a
mission to Berlin, the 2nd LT is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the
Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten.
John A. Feifer’36 was with the 83rd Chemical Battalion noted for service at the
Anzio beachhead site just south of Rome where he may very well have been when
lost on Jan. 26th 1944. The Sergeant from Rhode Island is remembered at the
Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno.
John J. Grady’43 served with the 1st Infantry Division at the Battle of the Bulge and
is interred at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.
Fr. Valmore G. Savignac’32 was one of 270 lost in the Atlantic on the 7th of
February 1943 when the troop ship USS Henry R. Malory was torpedoed and sunk
500 miles southwest of Iceland.
Richard J. St. Denis’44, of the Army Air Corps, died on May 26th 1943, is
remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii.
Frank A. Stadnicki’42 was a Martin B26 bombardier lost on a mission over
Germany on Dec. 23, 1943, he is interred at the Lorraine American Cemetery, St.
Avold, France.
Robert C. Wikstrand’42 was lost on takeoff of his Grumman F6F hellcat fighter
plane from the carrier USS Hancock on July 14th 1945. Ensign Wikstrand is
remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii.
Paul D. Winters’37 was a member of the 88th Infantry Division which served
through North Africa and Monte Cassino. He died on April 29th, 1945, just days
before the end of the war probably near Verona in northern Italy and is interred at
the Florence American Cemetery.
Alvin E. Whalley’40 was caught in one of the worst American tragedies of the war.
A pilot with the US Army Air Force, 2nd LT Whalley was shot down and taken as a
POW to Manila in the Philippines. In early October 1944 nearly 1,800 American
POWs were placed on a ship, the Arisan Maru to be taken to the Japanese
mainland. On Oct. 24th an American submarine torpedoed the unmarked ship
causing the loss of nearly all aboard. Alvin Whalley was registered on the roster
of that ill fated ship, he is remembered at the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila
American Cemetery.
This list was compiled with the assistance of Jane M. Jackson from the Providence
College Archives Department.
Ralph T. Brennan’35 who was the commanding officer of Co. F, 134th Regiment,
35th Division. On Sept.4, 1998, a group of veterans and citizens of Flavigny,
France, memorialized Lt. Brennan at the Government Bridge across the Moselle
River. Lt. Brennan died at this crossing on Sept.12, 1944, in one of the bloodiest
battles in eastern France. The Brennan family had a cross engraved on the bridge
after the war. The 1998 plaque installed beside the cross reads,
“Men die twice, the first time at the day of their death, the second time when no one
speaks of them any more. By this gesture, we hope that we will not let Lieutenant
Brennan die a second time.” Mr. Brennan is interred at the Loraine American
Cemetery in St. Avold, France.
Robert D. Collins’45 from Newton, MA was a US Marine lost on March 11, 1945 at
Iwo Jima and is interred in Hawaii.
Fr. Anthony E. Czubak’32 served in Europe as a chaplain to the 7th Armored
Division and died on Jan. 22nd, 1945 at the end of the Battle of the Bulge probably
near Liege, Belgium. Both are remembered at the Catholic Chaplains Monument
at Arlington Cemetery in Washington.
William B. Dooling Jr.’45 was a B24 Liberator crewman on a mission which attacked
a synthetic oil refinery plant at Politz in Poland on June 20th, 1944. His plane was
hit by rockets from a German ME410 fighter plane downing the bomber over the
Baltic Sea. Sergeant Dooling is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the
Cambridge American Cemetery in England.
Karol S. Dubiel’40 was a B17 Flying Fortress crewman lost on Mar. 3, 1944 on a
mission to Berlin, the 2nd LT is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the
Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten.
John A. Feifer’36 was with the 83rd Chemical Battalion noted for service at the
Anzio beachhead site just south of Rome where he may very well have been when
lost on Jan. 26th 1944. The Sergeant from Rhode Island is remembered at the
Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno.
John J. Grady’43 served with the 1st Infantry Division at the Battle of the Bulge and
is interred at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.
Fr. Valmore G. Savignac’32 was one of 270 lost in the Atlantic on the 7th of
February 1943 when the troop ship USS Henry R. Malory was torpedoed and sunk
500 miles southwest of Iceland.
Richard J. St. Denis’44, of the Army Air Corps, died on May 26th 1943, is
remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii.
Frank A. Stadnicki’42 was a Martin B26 bombardier lost on a mission over
Germany on Dec. 23, 1943, he is interred at the Lorraine American Cemetery, St.
Avold, France.
Robert C. Wikstrand’42 was lost on takeoff of his Grumman F6F hellcat fighter
plane from the carrier USS Hancock on July 14th 1945. Ensign Wikstrand is
remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii.
Paul D. Winters’37 was a member of the 88th Infantry Division which served
through North Africa and Monte Cassino. He died on April 29th, 1945, just days
before the end of the war probably near Verona in northern Italy and is interred at
the Florence American Cemetery.
Alvin E. Whalley’40 was caught in one of the worst American tragedies of the war.
A pilot with the US Army Air Force, 2nd LT Whalley was shot down and taken as a
POW to Manila in the Philippines. In early October 1944 nearly 1,800 American
POWs were placed on a ship, the Arisan Maru to be taken to the Japanese
mainland. On Oct. 24th an American submarine torpedoed the unmarked ship
causing the loss of nearly all aboard. Alvin Whalley was registered on the roster
of that ill fated ship, he is remembered at the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila
American Cemetery.
This list was compiled with the assistance of Jane M. Jackson from the Providence
College Archives Department.
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