Son of Giacomo and Matilda (Dagnese) Arcangeli
Nicholas Van Der Mark was a World War II veteran from Westminster who gathered information at the end of the war for a book he intended to write. This is what he wrote of Dante:
"Dante was a member of the National Guard of Fitchburg, Mass., Co H, 181st Infantry Regiment, 26th Division when it was mustered into the Federal Service January 8, 1941. His Company moved to Camp Edwards, Mass. for coastal patrol. Stationed there for eight months and then the Division went on maneuvers for three months in North and South Carolina. Division returned to Camp Edwards around January 1942. Stationed at the Post for about 6 months. His Regiment moved to R.I. for coastal patrol and returned to Camp Edwards after four months. In the late Fall of '42 his Regiment moved to Saco, Maine for more coastal patrol. Finally Dante became sick and tired of the same old routine of watching sand and salt water and applied for a transfer into the Air Corps. To be quoted: "I wanted to look down for a change and see what in ---- I was watching."
In June 1943 he received his official orders and transferred to the Air Force Unit Assignment Center In North Carolina; from there was sent to Armor School in Denver, Colorado for a three months training course. In September '43 was transferred to Gunnery School at Lareado, Texas for a few weeks.
Transferred again in October 1943 to March Field, California and assigned to a B-24 undergoing Crew training and Practice flights. At this station he was made a Sergeant.
June 1944 his B-24 winged its way alone across the Pacific to Hawaii, the Canton Islands, Fiji Islands, Australia. Orders relayed them to Fort Moresby, New Guinea; to the Admiralty Islands and finally their destination --the Wadki islands where his plane joined the 5th Bombardment Group of the 13th Air Force. Dante was an Armor Gunner in the B-24 and his ship flew 5 missions out of Wadki to the Palua Islands.
As the battle lines went forward, so did the Airfield, and his Group advanced to Noemfoor -- on the northwestern tip of New Guinea --where they flew a mission on November 11, 1943 to the oil fields in Borneo and his Group paid dearly in planes and men. Orders advanced the Group to Samar Island (near where?) and carried out 31 missions over the Phillipines. His Group also performed three missions against Japanese Naval Task Forces and in these engagements also paid dearly for the heavy damage and casualties they inflicted on the enemy. It is not pleasant to hear him tell of how American planes were blasted out of the skies by Japanese gunners who actually threw everything up at the Bombers but the Pacific Ocean.
His combat time being up he left Samar Island on the U.S. General Pope and reached San Francisco. Cal. in the latter part of May 1945. Proceeded to Fort Devens, Mass. where he received his honorable discharge June 2, 1945.
Attended Westminster and Fitchburg, Mass. schools.
Brown hair; brown eyes; height, 68 inches; weight, 160 pounds."
His B-24 plane was named "About Average."
Nicholas Van Der Mark was a World War II veteran from Westminster who gathered information at the end of the war for a book he intended to write. This is what he wrote of Dante:
"Dante was a member of the National Guard of Fitchburg, Mass., Co H, 181st Infantry Regiment, 26th Division when it was mustered into the Federal Service January 8, 1941. His Company moved to Camp Edwards, Mass. for coastal patrol. Stationed there for eight months and then the Division went on maneuvers for three months in North and South Carolina. Division returned to Camp Edwards around January 1942. Stationed at the Post for about 6 months. His Regiment moved to R.I. for coastal patrol and returned to Camp Edwards after four months. In the late Fall of '42 his Regiment moved to Saco, Maine for more coastal patrol. Finally Dante became sick and tired of the same old routine of watching sand and salt water and applied for a transfer into the Air Corps. To be quoted: "I wanted to look down for a change and see what in ---- I was watching."
In June 1943 he received his official orders and transferred to the Air Force Unit Assignment Center In North Carolina; from there was sent to Armor School in Denver, Colorado for a three months training course. In September '43 was transferred to Gunnery School at Lareado, Texas for a few weeks.
Transferred again in October 1943 to March Field, California and assigned to a B-24 undergoing Crew training and Practice flights. At this station he was made a Sergeant.
June 1944 his B-24 winged its way alone across the Pacific to Hawaii, the Canton Islands, Fiji Islands, Australia. Orders relayed them to Fort Moresby, New Guinea; to the Admiralty Islands and finally their destination --the Wadki islands where his plane joined the 5th Bombardment Group of the 13th Air Force. Dante was an Armor Gunner in the B-24 and his ship flew 5 missions out of Wadki to the Palua Islands.
As the battle lines went forward, so did the Airfield, and his Group advanced to Noemfoor -- on the northwestern tip of New Guinea --where they flew a mission on November 11, 1943 to the oil fields in Borneo and his Group paid dearly in planes and men. Orders advanced the Group to Samar Island (near where?) and carried out 31 missions over the Phillipines. His Group also performed three missions against Japanese Naval Task Forces and in these engagements also paid dearly for the heavy damage and casualties they inflicted on the enemy. It is not pleasant to hear him tell of how American planes were blasted out of the skies by Japanese gunners who actually threw everything up at the Bombers but the Pacific Ocean.
His combat time being up he left Samar Island on the U.S. General Pope and reached San Francisco. Cal. in the latter part of May 1945. Proceeded to Fort Devens, Mass. where he received his honorable discharge June 2, 1945.
Attended Westminster and Fitchburg, Mass. schools.
Brown hair; brown eyes; height, 68 inches; weight, 160 pounds."
His B-24 plane was named "About Average."
Son of Giacomo and Matilda (Dagnese) Arcangeli
Nicholas Van Der Mark was a World War II veteran from Westminster who gathered information at the end of the war for a book he intended to write. This is what he wrote of Dante:
"Dante was a member of the National Guard of Fitchburg, Mass., Co H, 181st Infantry Regiment, 26th Division when it was mustered into the Federal Service January 8, 1941. His Company moved to Camp Edwards, Mass. for coastal patrol. Stationed there for eight months and then the Division went on maneuvers for three months in North and South Carolina. Division returned to Camp Edwards around January 1942. Stationed at the Post for about 6 months. His Regiment moved to R.I. for coastal patrol and returned to Camp Edwards after four months. In the late Fall of '42 his Regiment moved to Saco, Maine for more coastal patrol. Finally Dante became sick and tired of the same old routine of watching sand and salt water and applied for a transfer into the Air Corps. To be quoted: "I wanted to look down for a change and see what in ---- I was watching."
In June 1943 he received his official orders and transferred to the Air Force Unit Assignment Center In North Carolina; from there was sent to Armor School in Denver, Colorado for a three months training course. In September '43 was transferred to Gunnery School at Lareado, Texas for a few weeks.
Transferred again in October 1943 to March Field, California and assigned to a B-24 undergoing Crew training and Practice flights. At this station he was made a Sergeant.
June 1944 his B-24 winged its way alone across the Pacific to Hawaii, the Canton Islands, Fiji Islands, Australia. Orders relayed them to Fort Moresby, New Guinea; to the Admiralty Islands and finally their destination --the Wadki islands where his plane joined the 5th Bombardment Group of the 13th Air Force. Dante was an Armor Gunner in the B-24 and his ship flew 5 missions out of Wadki to the Palua Islands.
As the battle lines went forward, so did the Airfield, and his Group advanced to Noemfoor -- on the northwestern tip of New Guinea --where they flew a mission on November 11, 1943 to the oil fields in Borneo and his Group paid dearly in planes and men. Orders advanced the Group to Samar Island (near where?) and carried out 31 missions over the Phillipines. His Group also performed three missions against Japanese Naval Task Forces and in these engagements also paid dearly for the heavy damage and casualties they inflicted on the enemy. It is not pleasant to hear him tell of how American planes were blasted out of the skies by Japanese gunners who actually threw everything up at the Bombers but the Pacific Ocean.
His combat time being up he left Samar Island on the U.S. General Pope and reached San Francisco. Cal. in the latter part of May 1945. Proceeded to Fort Devens, Mass. where he received his honorable discharge June 2, 1945.
Attended Westminster and Fitchburg, Mass. schools.
Brown hair; brown eyes; height, 68 inches; weight, 160 pounds."
His B-24 plane was named "About Average."
Nicholas Van Der Mark was a World War II veteran from Westminster who gathered information at the end of the war for a book he intended to write. This is what he wrote of Dante:
"Dante was a member of the National Guard of Fitchburg, Mass., Co H, 181st Infantry Regiment, 26th Division when it was mustered into the Federal Service January 8, 1941. His Company moved to Camp Edwards, Mass. for coastal patrol. Stationed there for eight months and then the Division went on maneuvers for three months in North and South Carolina. Division returned to Camp Edwards around January 1942. Stationed at the Post for about 6 months. His Regiment moved to R.I. for coastal patrol and returned to Camp Edwards after four months. In the late Fall of '42 his Regiment moved to Saco, Maine for more coastal patrol. Finally Dante became sick and tired of the same old routine of watching sand and salt water and applied for a transfer into the Air Corps. To be quoted: "I wanted to look down for a change and see what in ---- I was watching."
In June 1943 he received his official orders and transferred to the Air Force Unit Assignment Center In North Carolina; from there was sent to Armor School in Denver, Colorado for a three months training course. In September '43 was transferred to Gunnery School at Lareado, Texas for a few weeks.
Transferred again in October 1943 to March Field, California and assigned to a B-24 undergoing Crew training and Practice flights. At this station he was made a Sergeant.
June 1944 his B-24 winged its way alone across the Pacific to Hawaii, the Canton Islands, Fiji Islands, Australia. Orders relayed them to Fort Moresby, New Guinea; to the Admiralty Islands and finally their destination --the Wadki islands where his plane joined the 5th Bombardment Group of the 13th Air Force. Dante was an Armor Gunner in the B-24 and his ship flew 5 missions out of Wadki to the Palua Islands.
As the battle lines went forward, so did the Airfield, and his Group advanced to Noemfoor -- on the northwestern tip of New Guinea --where they flew a mission on November 11, 1943 to the oil fields in Borneo and his Group paid dearly in planes and men. Orders advanced the Group to Samar Island (near where?) and carried out 31 missions over the Phillipines. His Group also performed three missions against Japanese Naval Task Forces and in these engagements also paid dearly for the heavy damage and casualties they inflicted on the enemy. It is not pleasant to hear him tell of how American planes were blasted out of the skies by Japanese gunners who actually threw everything up at the Bombers but the Pacific Ocean.
His combat time being up he left Samar Island on the U.S. General Pope and reached San Francisco. Cal. in the latter part of May 1945. Proceeded to Fort Devens, Mass. where he received his honorable discharge June 2, 1945.
Attended Westminster and Fitchburg, Mass. schools.
Brown hair; brown eyes; height, 68 inches; weight, 160 pounds."
His B-24 plane was named "About Average."
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