PFC Harry Eiduson

PFC Harry Eiduson was born 11 Dec 1924 in Buffalo, New York to Joseph and Ida (Schulman) Eiduson. Joseph worked as both a dealer in coal and as a shoemaker. He had immigrated from Lithuania.  He made a fairly good living to support the family of 5, about $1800 in 1939.  They were prosperous enough that the family was able to purchase the home at 100 Cherry Street in Buffalo which was valued at $8000 in 1930. Ida was also an immigrant, having come from Poland. Not knowing which towns they were from they might not have lived that far apart before moving to the U.S.  Harry is not shown as employed on the 1940 census.

When Harry was drafted in June 1943 he was apparently a salesman.  We don't know where he was previously but he was transferred from the replacement depot to B Company 116th Infantry on 10 Oct 1944.  Harry was reported as missing in action on 6 Dec 1944. He was apparently wounded and captured on the 3rd.  He was recorded in the morning report as having died on the 9th of December.  For some reason, even though the internment record gives the date of death as 9 Dec 1944 it was mistakenly given as 1 Dec 1944 on the gravestone.

PFC Eiduson was returned to the U.S. in 1949 and is buried in Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira, New York.

Both of Harry's brothers also served in WWII. 

PVT James Bourne

courtesy of Forgotten Sons

PVT James Bourne was born 20 Apr 1843 in the village of Hothfield in County Kent, England. He was the 6th of the 11 children of James Attaway and Martha (Gillette) Bourne. He immigrated with his mother and 7 siblings arriving aboard the Mediator in New York harbor on 19 Jan 1848. The family was soon living in Tazewell County, Virginia where father James was working as a laborer in 1850. In the 1860 census, recorded on 18 Jun 1860, father James reported that he was farming in eastern Tazewell county and that his farm was worth $1200 and his personal estate was $360. James undoubtedly farmed with his father.

Young James was only 18 when the American Civil War began in 1861 and we believe that he enlisted soon after although it is possible that he did not enlist until 1864, mustering with H Company 5th Virginia Infantry. He would then have been present for every engagement in which the regiment participated over the next 3-years. PVT Bourne was captured with many other soldiers of the 5th Virginia on 12 May 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House. Initially sent to the prisoner of war camp at Point Lookout, Maryland he was then sent to the camp at Elmira, New York. PVT Bourne died there of an inflammation of the lungs almost exactly 1-year after his capture. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery with other Confederate dead, now Woodlawn National Cemetery, by former slave John W. Jones who kept detailed records of all the burials.