PVT Howard E. Peterson

courtesy of Skip Farrow

PVT Howard E. Peterson appears to have been born 30 Jul 1913 in Butte, Montana. He was the youngest of the four sons of John A. and Mary (Reinwand) Peterson. John was a miner in Mary died in 1929 and John remarried soon after. Howard and one brother were residents in the Montana Industrial School in Miles City.

Howard was living in Butte when he enlisted in the Army, probably in 1935. Howard was stationed in Hawaii and at Fort McDowell, California on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. We also know that he was serving in the medical corps and was likely trained as a medic. Prior to D-Day, perhaps months prior, PVT Peterson was assigned to the 104th Medical Battalion in England. He was with that unit on 6 Jun 1944. PVT Peterson was assigned to Medical Detachment 116th Infantry on 18 Jul 1944 and then was immediately attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Company 2nd Battalion 116th Infantry and served as a medical aidman in the Aid Station. Wounded by artillery fire on 15 Jul 1944 near Saint-Lo, he was relieved from attachment while in the hospital and then returned to duty with the Medical Detachment 116th Infantry on 16 Aug 1944.  PVT Peterson was wounded again on 27 Aug 1944, this time in the torso. He was first evacuated to a field hospital and underwent a splenectomy and then eventually evacuated to a military hospital at Cambridge, England where he died of his wounds on 28 Oct 1944.

 PVT Peterson rests forever in the Cambridge American Cemetery.

We know that his brother, MSG James J. Peterson was serving at what is now Edwards Air Force Base but was then known as Muroc Army Air Base in 1946.