Looking for Sgt. Richard Owen - 101st Airborne

Hi all,

While reading the news today I ran across this story and thought I might post it here. It is a shame that this hero's Purple Heart certificate ended up at a Salvation Army donation site.

Link to the video:

http://www.wsmv.com/video/22594923/index.html

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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- A donation to a Salvation Army in the northeast has set off a big search effort that has ties to middle Tennessee.

Salvation Army workers in upstate New York recently found two World War II artifacts that belong to Sgt. Richard Owen of the 101st Airborne, who was killed during the D-Day invasion in 1944.

The items had been tossed amongst a box of random donations. Now, workers are crossing state lines to find the rightful owner of the items.

Owen received the Purple Heart posthumously after Germans shot his plane down in what became known as the famous Plane 66 crash. Owen and 16 of his comrades and five flight crew members all perished.

Salvation Army employees found Owen's picture and certificate in the box of donated items.

"We do find a lot of unusual items, but these particular items seem very valuable to somebody. We thought we might do some research and see if we cannot find out who they belong to," said Captain Ronald Heimbrock of the Massena New York Salvation Army.

It's been a month since the discovery. On Wednesday, Fort Campbell historian John O'Brien joined the search. Within a half hour, he found some unexpected answers.

"To pick out one name and be able to trace their story is not always easy to do. In this particular case, Sgt. Richard Owen was a member of the Easy company 506th parachute infantry. The famous Band of Brothers," said O'Brien. "The crash was so catastrophic that actually the plane actually burned for three days."

In 1944, Fort Campbell didn't exist yet, but Owen was briefly stationed at what was then called Camp Campbell. He came by train and stayed for just three days.

Still, O'Brien said those few hours could be the key to turning someone’s trash into another family's treasure.

"There are veterans with footlockers full of pictures and a mind full of memories. Yes, someone could see this tonight and say, 'Sgt. Richard Owen, I knew him,' and then we would add another piece to the puzzle," said O'Brien.

If you knew Owen or where his family members may be living today, please e-mail Heimbrock at Ronald.Heimbrock@use.salvationarmy.org


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Craig

Craig,
Thanks for this.
I forwarded the info to my friend ("Babe" Heffron's daughter), and maybe they know something.
Here's hoping!

:eusa_clap

I posted it on the 101st Airborne reenactor's unit in California. One of their members was able to reconnect Don Malarkey and Robert Noody after 60+ years. Donald had been trying to location his war buddy, and Terry Poyser was able to do it. Terry has been searching out veterans, taking interviews and bringing out veterans to World War II reenactmemts

About 20 years ago my neighbor was moving this old lady in Long Beach. He knew I was a WWII buff so he showed me some stuff this lady was throwing away. He gave me this box and told me to take whatever I wanted and he was going to save the rest. I about sh*t ! In this box was a scrap book of articles about the War. This Paratrooper was named Thomas Clevanger of 508th PIR. His address on some of his mail was 3208 Lyndale Ave. Minneapolis Minn. He had articles with his name and unit in some of his Hometown paper along with his handwritten notes. I also secured his Pocket Patch (Devil with a 'chute) with blood on it. In one of the articles he mentions how he got wounded on D-Day. This box had his immunization record, Post Cards from Southern France and Airborne Hat Patces. He also had a Captured German version of "Stars and Stripes" Called "Die Wehrmacht". These items I still have and I wonder what was thrown away. It's a sickening the thought of History thrown in a Dumpster.

So, did you find out this lady's connection to the guy with the memorabilia or track him or his family down?

Peacoat said:

So, did you find out this lady's connection to the guy with the memorabilia or track him or his family down?

Click to expand...

I contacted the 508th PIR Ass. and received no reply. I did receive some info of his where abouts years ago. He was in a retirement home out here in Desert somewhere. This was years back before Computers were big so I did not have access to info we have now.