75 Years Ago

Herald of August 3, 1944

Four Blair County young men, one from North Woodbury township, two from Roaring Spring and the other, formerly of Claysburg, went away to war together, trained together, went overseas together, and were in the French invasion. They were close friends and buddies for nearly two years. Three of them are dead. The one coming out alive is Private John H. Bassler, aged 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Bassler living a short distance east of the Martinsburg airport. The dead are: Private John Francis Keating, aged 22, of Roaring Spring. Private Jack Wilbur E. Herron, aged 22, of Roaring Spring. Private Clifford Leroy Evans, aged 22, formerly of Claysburg.

Gerald B. Replogle, aged 28, the former Woodbury boy who has been reported killed in action on June 14 during the invasion in France, as told in last week’s Herald. He was a paratrooper and had been overseas since the first of the year. Before entering the service, the young man had been employed as manager of the Shaffer store in Juniata.