- SURNAME
Dashner
- FORENAME
James Wood
- UNIT
501 Parachute Infantry Regiment (Company E + F)
- RANK
Private First Class
- NUMBER
37206722
- DATE OF DEATH
7th June 1944
- AGE
24
- GRAVESITE
Normandy American Cemetery,France Plot F Row 3 Grave 36
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
from Kansas City,Jackson County,Missouri
KIA Normandy
The following from his daughter Carolyn Ponte (28th December 2010)
James Wood Dashner born Pine Bluff, AR; 5/24/1920 died Normandy France 6/7/1944
Married Kansas City, MO 3/14/1942 to
Vivian Mae Anderson; born Independence, Mo 9/12/1925 died Tualatin, Oregon
Vivian Mae Rudeen 12/2/1984
Daughter: Carolyn Mae Dashner, Beights (adopted), Lachance (widow), Ponte
(Divorced) born Independence, MO 10/25/1942 - Still Living
Father: Charles B. Dashner; born 3/1/1893, died 9/28/1950
Mother: Mima Viola Wood; born Pine Bluff, AR 4/5/1889 died 12/11/1985 Poplar Bluff, MO
Siblings:
Martha Elizabeth Dashner Beights; born Pine Bluff, AR 10/20/1916 - Still Living
Charles B. Dashner, Jr. Born 9/8/1918 died Springfield, MO 12/10/2002
John Morgan Dashner; born Pine Bluff, AR 5/3/1923 - Still Living
Thought you would like to read this tribute to my dad:
This is a letter that was printed in the book War Letters by Andrew Carroll 2001
James Wood Dashner - A Letter from Charles McCallister
My dearest Aunt:
I suppose this is the first time I have ever written to you Aunt Mima.
I have always been able to maintain the closest contact through Mom and it never
seemed necessary. I am sorry that this first letter must be written under such
a sad circumstance but I hope we may come to know each other better through
future correspondence and that we may be able to comfort each other in some way.
At a time like this, it's hard for any one, especially one who isn't
good at words such as I, to say anything that might be on comfort to someone who
has suffered a great loss like you have, but since I can at least tell you how
James met his death, I feel that it might be of some comfort to you.
When Jim came to see me a few weeks before the invasion, I knew
instinctively when I first saw him that I would like him. First of all his
wonderful physique and handsome features command respect and once you talked
with him his honest ways and great personality made you like very much. We were
friends from the start. We had a pleasant afternoon of talking of home and
loved ones and then I walked out on the road with him where he flagged a truck
going toward his camp. We shook hands and wished each other luck and I thought
as I watched him running to catch his truck "What a great guy!"
That was the last time I saw him. I knew he jumped in France because he is in
the same division as I am and I hoped to meet him there. His regiment was close
by all the time but there was not time to try to get together until the 10th day
when I located his company and went over to see about him. I found his platoon
and it only took a glance around to prove to me Jim wasn't there. I hoped for
the best but dreaded to ask about him. By chance I approached a former very
close friend of his who was with him at the time, and when he told me what had
happened it was quite a blow. By this time I had lost many friends and thought I
had become hardened to it, but this was different. Jim was part of the family,
the same blood as mine and that was different. But the battle field is no place
to grieve so I made an effort to control my feelings and ask the fellow to tell
me the details. This was what he told me:
Jim's Section Leader had been killed and Jim was in charge so he took over the
machine gun himself. His platoon was sent out on a flank and ran into plenty
trouble. The enemy had them surrounded on three sides and had them pinned down
with fire. Jim took the machine gun and was in a spot and was doing plenty of
good, so the Hinnies started concentrating all their efforts on him. They were
trying to get him with a mortar. His platoon leader saw that were getting close
and yelled to Jim that he'd better get out of there. The boys in the platoon
said it was possible Jim didn't hear, as they had never known him to refuse to
obey an order but his friends seem to think he was just mad and was dong so much
good at the time he didn't want to move. So he stayed right there and fired
until his gun was red hot. Then they got zeroed in on him and landed a mortar
shell right on top of him. He died instantly but his hand was still clutching
the trigger. As a result of his continued fire, the platoon was able to advance
on their objective.?
On the way back to my outfit I let myself go and cried like a baby but I wasn't
ashamed of it.
When his son gets old enough, tell him how his father died and his son's son,
for our family must never forget him. Let's try to replace grief with pride in
the way he died and the things he died for, as that is the way Jim would want
it.
Yes, his outfit has lost a great soldier, his buddies have lost a great friend,
but you have lost a son. God has not left us without consolation. We know that
all is done in fulfillment of God's will and that not even a sparrow falls that
He does not know, and though we are inclined to ask the reason why ? who are we
to question His will. He has promised that we shall one day all be together
again and there find happiness that shall never end, where there is no sorrow,
tears nor grief. Jim is there tonight under God's loving care. He will never
again have to experience the horrors of battle. I can hear him saying "don't
grieve for me, I'm happy here, and when we meet again, we will never be
separated." I talked to Jim, Aunt Mima. He was ready to go, I know.
No one knows how heavy your heart is tonight, but if I could in some small way
help to take his place, I would like to be your son. I know that I could never
fill his place in your heart just as no one could take the place of my mother if
God should see fit to take her away. But we can be a comfort to each other.
I want you to let Jim's wife and baby know that if there is any way in which I
might ever help them, for them not to hesitate to call on me. There is nothing
I wouldn't do for them for Jim's sake.
Give my love and sympathy to them and Martha and his brothers.
With all my love
Charles.
DATE OF DEATH:
07-Jun-1944
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