Weber County's Greatest Generation

1943 Ogden Mass Shooting: An Unforgotten Nightmare

80 years ago Austin Cox murdered five people, including Judge Lewis Trueman, who granted a divorce to his ex-wife. 

D-Day 1944 in Weber County

How did Weber County hear the news of the Invasion of Normandy in 1944? Listen and find out!

Memorial Day 1943

What happened on Memorial Day 80 years ago?  War plants in Ogden and other cities did not close down for Memorial Day.  The battle of inflation is still plaguing the nation. 

Weber County - December 7, 1942

The city and county that servicemen had left during 1942 was changing completely.  Rationing of coffee, liquor, tires, gas, sugar and soon meat was the reality that residents lived with. 

The Circus Come to Ogden!

Eighty years ago in August of 1942, there was not much good news from the warfront.  On August 12th, the Coles' Circus came to town with hundreds of animals and performers,  They marched from Union Station to 19th and Harrison for a one-of-a-kind spectacular!!

July 4th, 1942 in Weber County

Weber County and FDR's Rubber Drive - June 1942

In June of 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt, in a radio address,  called on American's to gather all of their rubber for the war effort.  See how Weber County and the US as a whole, responded. 

1945 Deaths - May through October

Weber County Deaths - 1945 March and April

Weber County Deaths - January, February 1945

The story of the 61 Weber County men killed in January and February 1945.

1944 Deaths Part 2

Weber County deaths from July 1 - December 31, 1944

1944 Deaths Part 1

In 1944 Weber County lost 66 servicemen.  This is the list of those who died through June. 

Weber County 1943 Deaths

We lost 29 servicemen in 1943.  

Honoring Those Weber County Men Killed in 1942

At the end of 1942, Weber County had lost 23 servicemen.  

Iwo Jima Part 2

The storie of two more Weber County boys on Iwo Jima.  Seaman Vernon Fowers died in the kamikaze attack on the USS Bismarck Sea.  George Wahlen, is Weber County's own Congressional Medal of Honor winner for his heroic actions on Iwo 

Weber County and the Battle for Iwo Jima

The story of two Weber County boys and the Battle of Iwo Jima. 

The Farnsworth Brothers

Chuck and Keith Farnsworth, both pilots, died in opposite theatres of war within on e week of each other in December of 1944. 

Captain James O. Fox

Marine Captain James Fox of Riverdale, was one of seven Weber County Marines killed in the South Pacific during World War II. 

Honoring the Weber County boys who died in France in 1944

15 of our servicemen died in France between June 6th and December 25th, 1944.  

Private Walter France Andrew

Private Andrew was a medic serving in the Philippines.  He was killed on April 13, 1945 whle trying to rescue a wound soldier. 

Lt. M. Kimball Jacobs and Pfc J. Gray Jacobs, Riverdale Brothers Killed in World War II

Charlotte Jacobs of Riverdale, sent four sons to different theatres of war during World War II.  She was one of two families in Weber County that lost two sons in battle. 

Sgt. Glen Sandlund

Glen Sandlund was an outstanding basketball player at Ogden High School and at George Washington University.  He was killed in the Battle of Manila. 

Private Dale Beus Nelson

This story links a mass murder in Ogden to two Weber County boys who died in World War 2. 

Lieutenant Richard (Spence) Burrows, The First American to Cross into Germany in World War II

Lt. Richard Burrows was the first American to cross into German territory in World War II.  Unfortunately, he was also the first ground casualty in Germany.  https://archives.library.illinois.edu/erec/University%20Archives/2620076/33rd%20Armored%20Regiment%20After%20Action%20Reports%2C%20Log%20Book%2C%20and%20Eaton%27s%205%20Stars%20to%20Victory/10_5%20Stars%20to%20Victory%2C%20Robert%20Eaton.pdf  

2nd Lt. William J. Capson

2nd Lt. William J. Capson of Huntsville, co-pilot of a B-25, died in Italy on February 6, 1944. 

Captain Eddie E. Winkler

Captain Eddie Winkler was reported as missing in action after his plane crashed on August 26, 1944, only to show up at his unit on September 20th.  Eleven days later he was killed in another crash on October 1st in the Himalaya mountains. 

Pfc Harold Moline, Pfc Fred Gibson and Seaman Joseph Hyalmar Anderson

In connection with last week's podcast, this is the story of three more Weber County boys .

Sgt. Howard Hunt and Pfc Arnold Rose

Sgt. Hunt and Private first class Rose were best friends all through their childhood.  They joined the army together, trained together and went overseas together. They even died together on the same day in Italy. 

Podcast #21 Private H. Wayne Macfarlane

Private Macfarlane was killed in action on the ship the USS Dorchester in the Atlantic on Feburary 2, 1943. 

Podcast #19 Staff Sgt Frank Baron

Staff Sgt Frank Baron was killed on August 1, 1943 in the attack on the Ploesti oil plants in Romania.

Armistice Day 1918 in Ogden

Find out what happened in Ogden the first Armistice Day in 1918 and take a minute to honor the 22 boys from Weber County who died in World War I.

Podcast #17 Lt. Robert S. Blakeley

Lt. Blakeley died in one of the greatest aerial battle of World War II, fought in North Africa. 

Podcast #16 Lieutenant Winslow Gardner

Lt. Winslow Gardner, co-pilot of his B-17E died on June 1, 1943 in New Britain, in the southwest Pacific.

Podcast #15 The Luddington Brothers

This is the story of one of two families in Weber County that lost two sons in World War II.

Podcast #14 Staff Sgt Harold Davis and Private First Class Wallace Bitton

The story of cousins, Staff Sgt. Harold Davis and Pfc Wallace Bitton. 

Podcast #13 Sergeant Carl H. Yarrington

Sergeant Carl Yarrington, took part in the D-Day invasion as a paratrooper. 

Podcast #12 Private Lyle Kundson Part 4

The amazing finish of Private Knudson's experiences as a POW in the Philippines.

Podcast #11 - Private Lyle Kundson Part 3

Part 3 of Private Lyle Knudson's amazing rescue from the Philippines. 

Podcast #10 - Pvt Lyle Knudson, Part 2

Part 2 of the story of Lyle Knudson's experiences with the Philippines.

Podcast #9 - Pvt. Lyle Kundson, Part 1

Private Lyle Knudson was a prisoner of war in the Philippines, but survived to tell his own story, 

Podcast #8 Captain Wayne A. Fisher

Captain Wayne Fisher was serving in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked.  He survived the Bataan Death March and two years at Cabanatuan.

Podcast #7 - Seaman David Huntsman and Seaman Edmund Archibald

Two 18-year old Ogden boys found themselves in the Battle of the Coral Sea on two different ships. 

Podcast #6 Quartermaster William Dean and Lieutenant Daryal Clark

Quartermaster Dean and Lt. Clark were stationed in the Philippines in December of 1941 when the Japanese attacked. 

Podcast #5 Coxswain Claude Becker

Coxswain Becker received the Navy Cross for his actions on the USS Marblehead. 

Podcast #4 - 2nd Lieutenant Richard Pingree

Lt. Pingree served along side Major Pell in the 33rd Pursuit Squadron and died on the same day. 

Podcast #3 Major Floyd J. Pell

Major Floyd Pell, Ogden born and a West Point grad gave his life in the defense of Darwin, Australia on February 19, 1942.

Podcast #2 Seaman First Class John William Lambert

John William Lambert joined the Navy on his 17th birthday, February 20, 1941.  He was the third Weber County casualty. 

Podcast #1 Ensign Howard Deal Merrill

Welcome to Weber County's Greatest Generation Podcast.  Ensign Howard Deal Merrill was Weber County's first casualty.  He served on the Arizona.