World War Two - Johnstown Soldiers: June 2026

Steve Ryan has kindly sent me the following information regarding Sgt. Michael Longazel:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Platoon Sergeant Michael Longazel (MCSN: 280227), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous devotion to duty as leader of a patrol group of ten men from the Mortar Platoon of Company D, First Battalion, First Marines, FIRST Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese armed forces at the Tenaru River, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 21 August 1942. Advancing in an enveloping movement to frustrate the enemy’s attempt to cross the Tenaru River, Platoon Sergeant Longazel and his patrol intercepted and subdued or killed a total of twenty-two enemy Japanese. When approximately thirty enemy troops opened fire with machine guns and mortars on his flank, Platoon Sergeant Longazel, borrowing an automatic rifle, resolutely held the enemy off while his men carried their own wounded out of range of enemy fire. His great personal courage and his determined spirit of aggressiveness resulted in containing the enemy main body until the arrival of the First Battalion, First Marines. His gallant and intrepid conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Lt. Col Boyd David "Buzz" Wagner (October 26, 1916 - November 29, 1942) was the First United States Army Air Corp (Force) - Fighter Ace of World War II. He was born in Emeigh, Cambria County and grew up in the Nanty Glo area before their family later moved to Johnstown. The following clippings are from a scrapbook of WWII soldiers that my mother's cousin - Erma Rose Gloor - kept during the war. She was a childhood friend of Wagner's. And I know that members of my own family went to his funeral at Grandview. My grandmother said that the line to get into the cemetery reached the whole way down Millcreek Road. He was also written up in LIFE Magazine but I no longer have access to that since I donated it.