RANGERS Bolema, Peter Henry

[John Robertson]

• SURNAME

Bolema ​

• FORENAME

Peter Henry​

• UNIT

2 Ranger Bn (Company A) ​

• RANK

Private First Class ​

• NUMBER

36412215 ​

• DATE OF DEATH

21st August 1944 ​

• AGE

22​

• GRAVESITE

Greenwood Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan, USA​

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

from Kent County, Michigan​

born 05.10.1921, Muskegon, Michigan, USA​

father Henry Bolema (1899-1974)​

mother Jennie J. (nee Koster) Bolema (1900-2000)​

4 years high school​

1939 graduated Davis Tech High School​

civil occupation Machinists apprentice​

employed as Tool maker for General Motors​

single without dependents upon enlistment​

14.02.1942 draft card Grand Rapids, Michigan​

27.11.1942 enlisted Kalamazoo, Michigan​

KIA Le Folget, France​

​

 

[mernie]

I am trying to find information on Peter H. Bolema. He was my mother's older brother but nobody ever talked about him.
Mary Casagrande
mary-casagrande@att,net

 

[K.Bolema]

Mary, Peter was my grandfather's (Howard) brother. To my knowledge and what I've been told. He survived the invasion on Pointe Du Hoc and was killed in action during a hedgerow clearing mission in August. I'm sorry I can provide more information.

 

[Craig Robertson]

From Rangers in World War II by Robert W. Black, "A platoon from Company A, 2d Rangers, was sent to take a group of Germans that were said to be giving up. The Germans ambushed the Rangers and killed an officer and three men."

edit found this your Grandfather is confirmed:

Meltzer led his men through an opening in a hedgerow into a field where the Germans were supposed to be waiting. The Germans were there but were crouched behind MG42 machine guns that opened fire on Meltzer and his men. LT Meltzer and 3 of his men PFC Seymour Goldman, PFC Peter Bolema and PFC Constantine Anagnos were killed by Ramcke’s paratroopers. The appearance of surrender was often an ambush when fighting Ramcke’s men, a number of whom would kill even while under the white flag.
LT Meltzer and his 3 men were listed as Missing In Action on 21 August 1944.

Source : https://wwiirangers.org/our-rangers/robert-meltzer/

Also added photograph to original record that i found from newspaper report.