The Cornwall Boys

Here is a list of the 16 men who left from Cornwall on the morning of Monday, March 17th 1941 (as well as another who went out separately). Several of the biographies sent in by those who couldn't attend the reunion note that it was a Monday, that it was rainy and miserable, but no one notes that it was St. Patrick's Day; guess they had other things on their mind!

Robert E. Owen
Louis P. Graziano
Martin C. Monahan Jr.
James Hogan
James Van Zetta
Fred LaVigne Jr.
Ralph E. Burke
John W. Logan
Harold W. Seibert
Gilbert G. Schoonmaker
John Favaro
Robert E. Karl
Louis A. Palella
Robert L. Rosenberg
Mac C. Thomas
Clarence W. Van Leuven

Not in this group, but joining up with my grandfather was Matthew J. (Joseph) Hogan, another Highland Falls boy.

The envelope for the reunion packet also lists a Mr. Vince Connelly of the Newburgh Evening News, who photographed the event. It looks as though this paper ceased publication in 1990, but it would be great to track down any photos that might exist.

For the sake of clarity, I'll give each man his own entry with any information I have; as more becomes available, his entry will be updated.

Names & Addresses

I'm working on getting up a bare-bones list of names and addresses for the Cornwall boys; in later posts I'll give follow-up info, any family members they mentioned, etc.
The addresses were current as of the reunion in 1971...a long time I know, but maybe someone somewhere will recognize a name or place. For the sake of being thorough, I've listed all 17 names, even if they never made it home.

Photos & Documents

I'll get the scanner working, or have them scanned professionally as soon as possible to improve the quality. For now, I'm posting pictures of the items...apologies for all the fuzziness!

Reconnecting

The purpose of this blog (or at least the hope of the author) is to share with the world the story of the sixteen 304 Draft Board selectees who left Cornwall, NY on March 17th, 1941, and to reconnect with their families to share stories and information that may otherwise be lost.

This blog will share information, dates, names, addresses and personal anecdotes about the 16 men present that day; all of them proved to be brave and gallant heroes who's stories are worth sharing. Hopefully their legacy will gain enough notice to help bring together those of us who knew and loved them.

I ask sincerely that anyone who has the opportunity to share this blog do so; accomplishing this goal will rely heavily on exposure gained by the kindness of you, the reader.

The anniversary of the Cornwall boys' departure is just over a week away, the 69th anniversary. Here's hoping that by the 70th anniversary, those of us who remember them can commemorate their sacrifices together.

Thanks to everyone who has helped, or will help make this project a success. Through you, our American heroes live on.

Best regards,
Syracuse