Charles M. Proffitt, World War II CasualtyPorter County Data on World War II Casualties . . . .
Charles McKindred Proffitt
Chief Gunner's Mate, US Navy
Date of Death: February 28, 1942
Cause of Death: Missing in Action (destroyer USS Jacob Jones torpedoed in Atlantic
Ocean off of Cape May, New Jersey)
Monument: World War II East Coast Memorial, Battery Park, New York City
Awards: Purple Heart
Hometown: Valparaiso
Newspaper Notices:
Memorial Services On Wednesday for Ella Cunningham
Memorial services for Mrs. Ella Cunningham, age 49 years, who died Sunday in
Porter Memorial hospital, will be held at 10 a. m. Wednesday at the LePell and
Son funeral home on Monroe street. Burial will be in Kimball cemetery, north of
Valparaiso.
Mrs. Cunningham lived in the Long Lake vicinity, north o Valparaiso, for a
number of years. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Marian Proffitt, whose husband,
Charles McKindred Proffitt, was a World War No. 2 casualty, losing his life when
the U. S. destroyer Jacob Jones, on which he was a gunner, was torpedoed
last February in the Atlantic, and a grandson.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
August 11, 1942; Volume 16, Page 3 Column 6
Ten Porter County Men Dead Or Missing Since U. S. Went Into War Against Japan
(BY ENG ZIMMERMAN, Sr)
"Remember Pearl Harbor" Today Valparaiso and Porter county citizens remembers
that event which transpired just a year ago today when a Japanese air squadron,
more than 100 strong, roared out of a peaceful sky to deal destruction and death
to American warships, air dromes and U. S. fighting men at Pearl Harbor.
With quietness and an air of solemnity, citizens recalled dastardly Japanese
sneak attack and resolved to "Remember Pearl Harbor" as their battlecry to
retaliate in full measure to the Japanese for their treachery in causing the
unwarranted deaths of several thousand brave members of the U. S. fighting
forces.
Not until yesterday was the full extent of the carnage at Pearl Harbor revealed
to the public on the theory that such information would have proved valuable to
the enemy.
Local Youth Wounded
Porter county had only one casualty at Pearl Harbor. He was Harold Lenburg, of
Valparaiso, who was critically wounded in the onslaught. Lenburg spent
considerable time in hospitals recovering from his wounds before he was able to
return home. He is recipient of the Purple Heart award.
Since that eventful day a year ago in the Pacific, ten Porter county men have
been included in the government's casualty lists as killed in action or missing.
First to answer the summons was Charles McKindred Proffitt, gunner on the U. S.
destroyer Jacob Jones, which was torpedoes in the Atlantic in September.
DeForest Dye, a member of the Navy, was next reported missing in the Pacific in
March. Then in May, Capt. Robert F. Ruge, of the Marine Corps, was reported
missing. Ruge had been on Bataan and Corregidor just before U. S. forces on
those points capitulated to the Japanese. Later he was promoted to the rank of
major.
Hebron Youth Missing
Another Porter county man stationed at Corregidor, Joseph Twa, of Hebron, was
also reported missing. In both the Ruge and Twa announcements it was not known
whether they were killed or captured. No further word has been received.
Next to be added to the honor roll of Porter county was the name of Glen Owens,
of Valparaiso. He was reported killed in action in the Pacific in June. His body
was buried at sea.
Soon after the announcement of young Owens' death, came word that John Hales
Bates of Hebron was missing from a carrier in the Pacific. He was a member of
the U. S. air service.
Another man to pay the supreme sacrifice was Howard L. Pumroy, of Kouts. Pumroy
was reported killed in the Solomons while fighting with the marines.
John Jacob Birky, student pilot of the Royal Canadian Air Force residing on
Valparaiso RFD 3, was killed at Centralia, Ontario, in October when a plane
which he was flying during night practice crashed. The body was brought to this
city for memorial services.
Capt. William H. Chambers of the U. S. air force was reported missing in action
since Oct. 19. He was believed to have been in Alaska region.
The latest casualty reported was Pvt. First Class Edward Smith of Valparaiso. He
was reported killed in action in the South Pacific on Nov. 18.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
December 7, 1942; Volume 16, Page 1 Column 6
Return to
List of
Porter County World War II Casualties
Information abstracted and transcribed by Steven R. Shook