Walter J. Ernst was born to Justin and Daftna Johnson Ernst in 1922. He graduated from Chapman High School in Dickinson County, Kansas and attended York College in York, Nebraska. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He married Laverna Bistline in 1945 in Bistline, Kansas. He worked for Ehrsams Foundry, Enterprise, and The Eisenhower Center, Abilene, KS. He and his wife had three children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Courtesy newspapers.com, findagrave.com

Aircraft Engine Mechanic-New Guinea Good Conduct Medal

Loren Eshelman was born to Harvey and Nita Easter Eshelman in Abilene, Kansas. He attended Kansas State College. Eshelman served in the Navy as a Seaman 1st class. His service number was 9571840. He served on board the USS Enterprise beginning on January 28, 1945 and served until at least January 1946. The USS Enterprise is just one of three carriers commissioned before the war to survive the war. She participated in more major actions of the war against Japan than any other United States ship. Eshelman's experience began in January 1945, just after the ship left Pearl Harbor for the Philippines. Enterprise carried an air group specially trained in night carrier operations. Her hull code changed from CV to CV(N), the "N" representing "Night". She joined Task Group 38.5 under ComCarDiv SEVEN (CTG-38.5) and swept the waters north of Luzon and of the South China Sea during January 1945, striking shore targets and shipping from Formosa to Indo-China including an attack on Macau. After a brief visit to Ulithi, Enterprise joined TG 58.5 on 10 February 1945, and provided day and night combat air patrol for TF 58 as it struck Tokyo on 16–17 February. She then supported the Marines in the Battle of Iwo Jima from 19 February – 9 March, when she sailed for Ulithi. During one part of that period, Enterprise kept aircraft aloft continuously over Iwo Jima for 174 hours. Departing Ulithi on 15 March, the carrier continued her night work in raids against Kyūshū, Honshū, and shipping in the Inland Sea of Japan. Damaged lightly by an enemy bomb on 18 March, Enterprise entered Ulithi six days later for repairs. Back in action on 5 April, she supported the Okinawa operation until she was damaged on 11 April—this time by a kamikaze—and was forced back to Ulithi. Off Okinawa once more on 6 May, Enterprise flew patrols around the clock as kamikaze attacks increased. On 14 May 1945, she suffered her last wound of World War II when a kamikaze Zero, piloted by Lt. J.G. Shunsuke Tomiyasu, destroyed her forward elevator, killing 13 and wounding 68. The carrier sailed for the Puget Sound Navy Yard, where she underwent repairs and an overhaul from 12 June - 31 August 1945. At some point Eshelman was in St. Louis, Missouri, where he met his future wife Florence Rohm, who was working for a physician there. They married on June 13, 1945 in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Columbia, Illinois when he was on leave when the ship was being repaired. After his service they began their marriage of 53 years in Houston, Texas. They had 2 sons, 7 grandchildren and at least 11 great grandchildren. Courtesy fold3.com, findagrave.com, en.wikipedia.org

Eskenazi was born in New York and his Sephardic Jewish family moved to Puebla, Mexico, when he was 7. He was living back in the states later and was working at Sam Zeitz Vienna Baking Co. when he enlisted. Eskenzai enlisted in the U.S. Army several months before Pearl Harbor was attacked. He didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, but knew that he wanted to travel. “I wanted to live a life of adventure,” said Eskenazi, Pfc. Eskenazi was 22 years old when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. His memories include being awakened when a bomb fell.  As he ran outside, he watched a low-flying Japanese airplane drop a bomb about 150 feet away. It did not detonate, but another Japanese plane strafed the barracks and killed his friend as the friend ran from a mess hall. Schofield Barracks, reverberating explosions as the battleship USS Arizona was sunk by Japanese bombs, and machine gun fire from enemy planes kicking up dust around him after he volunteered to drive a bulldozer across a field so it could be used to clear runways. A commanding officer had arrived on a motorcycle and asked for volunteers. He needed someone to drive a bulldozer and clear bombed-out railroad tracks so soldiers could move heavy equipment and repair the airfield. “My hand went up right away,” Eskenazi said. "I don't know why I raised my hand." But while he was in the vehicle, one last plane strafed him and machine gun fire erupted around him. He was not hit.“ This was an act of God, because I came so close to getting wiped out,” he said. His Daughter shared, her father did not speak of the war and when the family visited Hawaii, Joseph did not want to visit the Arizona. Later, a trip to the WW II Museum sparked something inside and Joseph began to talk about his experiences. A video of his story is stored at the WW II Museum in New Orleans, Courtesy of militarytimes.com

Robert “Bob” or "Bobbie" Eugene Esker was the son of Bernard Henry Esker and Iris “Dolly” Eilene (Kelly) Esker. He was raised by Ross and Ione Shepherd, in Chapman, Kansas, upon the death of his mother. He had two sisters. He entered the Navy on June 9, 1945 and was assigned serial number 3437858. He married Lois Irene (Morgan) Esker on December 7, 1946. They had three children, Eileen, Kathyrn (Kathy) and Victoria. They had at least six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Courtesy findagrave.com and kshs.org

Ralph Espinosa was born on June 6, 1924 in Topeka, Kansas; the son of Michael and Alice Espinosa. After graduating high school in Topeka, Ralph enlisted in the United States Navy and served nearly six years. His service number is 342 51 86. His basic training was at Great Lakes, Illinois and he was aboard the USS Savannah, the USS Harrison and the USS Tolovana before his discharge from service in June of 1947. Ralph attained the rank of Coxswain and was awarded seven stars in the Asiatic Pacific Theater, one star in the European African Theater and was awarded the WWII Victory Medal. In 1957 Ralph became part of the Highland Park, Illinois Police Department. He worked 29 1/2 years, retiring in 1986. He was an excellent marksman and won proficiency awards for his skill. Mr. Espinosa was a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign War. He enjoyed traveling and boating. On June 5, 1999; Ralph married Gloria and together they enjoyed nearly 11 years having fun traveling, boating and living in Michigan, Canada and Florida. They had 7 children, 10 grandchildren and at least 11 great-grandchildren. More details regarding Espinosa's service: Espinosa was assigned to the USS Savannah by Nov. 9, 1941. Savannah (CL-42) was a light cruiser of the Brooklyn-class. She was in New York Harbor when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. She steamed that same day toward Casco Bay, Maine, and from there she steamed via Bermuda to Brazil, arriving at Recife on 12 January 1942. She joined the screen of the aircraft carrier Ranger, in patrolling the Atlantic Ocean north of Bermuda. This island became the cruiser's temporary base while she watched over Vichy French warships based at Martinique and Guadeloupe in the French West Indies. Savannah departed from Shelly Bay, Bermuda, on 7 June, and entered the Boston Navy Yard two days later for an overhaul. This was completed by 15 August. Savannah next steamed to readiness exercises in Chesapeake Bay that would prepare her for the invasion of North Africa. Savannah became a unit of Admiral H. Kent Hewitt's Western Naval Task Force which would land some 35,000 Army troops and 250 tanks at three different points on the Atlantic coast of French Morocco. As part of the Northern Attack Group, commanded by Rear Admiral Monroe Kelly, Savannah departed from Norfolk on 24 October 1942, and then rendezvoused with the Western Naval Task Force four days later at a point about 450 miles south southeast of Cape Race. The Task Force, including the outer screen, covered an area approximately 20-30 miles, making it the greatest warship fleet to be sent out by the United States up to that time. Shortly before midnight on the night of 7 – 8 November 1942, three separate task groups closed in on three different points on the Moroccan coast to begin Operation Torch. Savannah's Northern Attack Group was to land Brigadier General Lucian K. Truscott's 9,099 officers and men, including 65 light tanks, on five widely separated beaches on either side of Mehedia. Their objectives were the Port Lyautey city and its all-weather airfield, the Wadi Sebou, and the Salé airfield. On the morning of 8 November 1942, Savannah commenced firing against Vichy guns near the Kasbah, which had been firing on the Army troop's landing boats. She also temporarily silenced a battery which had opened up on the destroyer Roe, enabling her to avoid a disaster. By the next morning, Savannah's 6 in (150 mm) guns had scored a direct hit on one of the two 5.4 in (140 mm) artillery guns in the fortress of Kasbah and had silenced the other. During that same day, Savannah's scout planes started a new phase of warfare by successfully bombing some tank columns with their depth charges, whose fuses had been set to detonate on impact. The scout planes, maintaining about eight hours of flight time daily, struck at other shore targets, and they also kept up antisubmarine patrols. Savannah's warplanes located an enemy battery that had been firing on the destroyer Dallas, and eliminated the battery with two well-placed depth charges. This action aided Dallas in winning the Presidential Unit Citation for safely landing a U.S. Army Raider Battalion on the obstacle-strewn Wadi Sebou, just off the airport near Port Lyautey. Savannah's scout planes again bombed and strafed enemy tanks on the Rabat Road on the morning of 10 November 1942. Throughout this day, her gunfire aided the Army's advance. Hostilities fittingly ended on Armistice Day, 11 November. Four days later, Savannah headed for home, and she reached Norfolk on 30 November. When the ship was commission on January 25, 1943, Espinosa was assigned to the USS Harrison (DD-573), a Fletcher-class destroyer. Following shakedown training in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, Harrison escorted a merchant ship to the Panama Canal Zone, and sailed for New York. She then joined a convoy for Casablanca, and after touching at several points in the Mediterranean returned 1 June to Charleston. Harrison was then assigned to anti-submarine exercises in Caribbean waters with carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10), after which she performed escort duty in the area until 22 July 1943. Harrison was assigned in mid-1943 to the Pacific Fleet, where the crescendo of amphibious war was beginning. Departing with carrier USS Lexington (CV-16) from Norfolk, Virginia 22 July, the ship arrived Pearl Harbor 9 August and spent the next days training for the important amphibious operations. Her job was to screen the carriers as their aircraft softened up Japanese-held islands, and the task group got underway 22 August for strikes against Marcus, Wake, and Tarawa, interspersed with short resupply stops at Pearl Harbor. With these vital preliminary operations complete, Harrison departed 21 October for duty in the Solomons. She arrived Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 4 November and departed the next day, arriving at Empress Augusta Bay on 7 November, Bougainville, to screen transports carrying reinforcements. As she patrolled off the bay, where Marines had landed 1 November, the Japanese launched a fierce night attack with dive bombers and torpedo planes 8–9 November. Harrison's gunners accounted for at least one plane during the battle. The destroyer departed 14 November for the Gilberts operation and again screened transports as they put initial assault troops ashore 20 November. Harrison remained off Tarawa until 29 November, when she took up patrol off Makin. The ship then sailed to Funafuti 7 December and engaged in training exercises before anchoring at Pearl Harbor 1 January 1944. She remained in Hawaiian waters for most of January taking part in fire support exercises for impending invasion of the Marshall Islands. Harrison sailed with the Southern Attack Force 22 January 1944, and arrived off Kwajalein 31 January. She screened battleships USS New Mexico (BB-40) and USS Mississippi (BB-41) while the larger ships pounded shore installations, and sank a small tanker with her guns as the Japanese ship attempted to escape from the lagoon. As the Marines landed on Kwajalein and advanced over the numerous islands in the atoll, Harrison entered the lagoon 4 February and rendered close fire support. She spent the next 4 weeks patrolling offshore and anchored in the lagoon, departing 1 March for Efate, New Hebrides. The destroyer arrived Efate 7 March and after a short rest screened a task group during the strike on Kavieng, New Ireland, 20 March. Returning to Efate 25 March, she joined some 200 ships for the largest operation yet attempted in the southwest Pacific, the occupation of Hollandia. Harrison arrived New Guinea 1 April, engaged in patrol and escort operations until 19 April, and then sailed to Humboldt Bay for the assault. Carriers screened by the destroyer and her sisters bombarded enemy airfields and supported the successful landing, after which Harrison arrived Port Purvis on Florida Island in the Solomons on 11 May for a month of local exercises and patrols. Next on the timetable of conquest in Micronesia were the Marianas, and Harrison sailed 4 June for the Marshalls to prepare for that operation. Arriving Kwajalein 8 June, she engaged in patrolling and readiness operations until 17 June, when she sailed for Guam. Espinosa's service continued, but there are no other online resources currently. He may have stayed in the USS Harrison until the commissioning of the USS Tolovana in Feb. 1945. If, so, the USS Harrison went on to support the invasion of the Philippines. The USS Tolovana's major contribution was the delivery of fuel oil during the battle of Okinawa. Courtesy www.dignitymemorial.com, fold3.com, www.history.navy.mil and en.wikipedia.org

Lillo was assigned duty as a teletype operator to the 3118th Signal Service Battalion of the Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) stationed at various times in Paris, Versailles and Frankfurt. He served for 3 years.

Frank Ettinger was born in 1924 in Granite City, Illinois. His family relocated shortly thereafter to Chagrin Falls, Ohio where he grew up. Shortly after graduating from high school in 1942, Frank joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. Based on a good high school record, he was assigned to the Aviation Cadet Training Program at the University of Alabama, which he hoped would lead to joining his older brother as a pilot. However, problems with his eyes led to surgery and subsequent reassignment as a radio mechanic and transfer to Truax Field in Wisconsin.
Frank was shipped overseas in 1944 to the China-Burma-India (CBI) theatre of operations and assigned to the 51st Fighter Control Squadron of the 10th Air Force. Staff Sergeant Ettinger served first in the Assam Valley of India and then in Burma, where he and his small detachment celebrated VJ Day in 1945.
Frank returned to the States on New Year’s Day in 1946. Both he and his brother (the pilot) jumped at the opportunity offered by the new GI Bill, enrolling for the spring term at Bowling Green State University in their home state of Ohio. It was there that he met a pretty sorority girl who soon became his wife for the next 60 years.
Frank stayed in the Reserves and was recalled to active duty for the Korean War. After several years of working in a variety of businesses, he discovered his passion as a 6th grade teacher. Known as Mr. E, he taught math, science and history for 25 years in the Mayfield school district in Ohio. Frank now enjoys retired life, spending his time in Virginia and Florida. He loves participating in the Rocky Run Middle School’s annual World War II program and other veteran events.
Biography courtesy of the Friends of the National World War II Memorial. An interview of Frank’s experiences can be found here: https://www.wwiimemorialfriends.org/voices/frank-w-ettinger/