Earl Swope, Jr. served as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army during World War II.

He was a son of Earl George Swope and Florence E. Swope.

He had a brother, Charles W. Swope, Sr., (1920 - 2008).

He was killed in action in Belgium at the Battle of the Bulge on December 17, 1944.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army on December 1, 1942 at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

He was married to Pauline R. Dubbs on July 19, 1942 at Lewisburg, North Carolina.

He was interred in the Gettysburg National Cemetery on April 21, 1948.

TWO VETERANS ARE BURIED IN CEMETERY HERE

The bodies of two veterans from this area were among those interred Wednesday in graves in the National Cemetery here. Both had been killed in action in Europe. Both had previously been buried in army cemeteries overseas.

Wednesday afternoon the body of Earl Swope, Jr., staff sergeant who died in Belgium in December 1944, husband of Mrs. Pauline R. Swope, Gettysburg R. 2, was laid to rest beside the body of former Pvt. Vernon L. Seacrist, husband of Mrs. Pauline L. Seacrist, Baltimore.

Wednesday morning the body of Lt. Fred P. Timmerman, Jr., of Emmitsburg was interred in the National Cemetery following mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Emmitsburg, at which the Rev. Fr. Gerald Currens officiated. Members of the Emmitsburg American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars attended the services and interment.

The funerals Wednesday afternoon were held in the new section of the cemetery south of the Lincoln Speech Memorial in a section where dogwood and redbud is blooming in profusion.

GUARD OF HONOR

The beauty of the natural flowers vied with large numbers of lilies and similar flowers banked about the mounds of earth beside the graves halfway down the slope from the Lincoln Speech Memorial.

Eight soldiers from Carlisle, a special firing squad from the Second Army, stood "at ease" with rifles as members of the two families walked to the site of the graves.

Ten soldiers, all staff sergeants, of higher grade, all bearing insignia showing them to have been members of famous fighting units, many wearing combat infantrymen badges, stood about the adjoining graves, holding large American flags over the bronze coffins. Before the flags stood T. Sgt. Leo R. Ginter and S. Sgt. Robert L. Carter, both of Gettysburg, the two escorts for the bodies. Both sergeants are members of the 2272nd ASU Escort Detachment stationed at Philadelphia.

DR. PUTMAN OFFICIATES

The soldiers stood at attention as the Rev. Dr. Dwight F. Putman stepped to the side of the graves and began reciting "Sunset and evening star and one clear call for me..." before reading the burial service.

When Doctor Putman had finished, the firing squad fired three volleys. A bugler sounded "taps" in the army's final salute to the dead soldiers.

The guard of honor folded the flags and presented them to the escorts. Sergeant Carter presented Mrs. Swope with the flag that covered her husband's coffin. Sergeant Ginter presented Mrs. Seacrist with the flag from her husband's casket. The 12 soldiers, in a column of twos, marched from the scene.

Two more were buried Wednesday afternoon. They were S/Sgt. Bruce J. Williams of Albion, Pa., and Pfc. George A. Hawn, North Braddock, Pa.

The funeral procession for Lieutenant Timmerman was escorted to the Maryland state line by Maryland state police and from the state line to the cemetery by Pennsylvania state police. Pallbearers were: William Payne, John Stoner, Louis Stoner, Jr., Louis Rosensteel, Aumen Myers and Marshall Sanders. Color guards and flagbearers included Eugene Rodgers, Guy Gessler, John Warthen, Kenneth Adams, Fern Ohler, Everett Chrismer, Wayne McCleaf and William Rodgers.

(From THE GETTYSBURG TIMES, Thursday, April 22, 1948)

Earl Swope, Jr. served as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army during World War II.

He was a son of Earl George Swope and Florence E. Swope.

He had a brother, Charles W. Swope, Sr., (1920 - 2008).

He was killed in action in Belgium at the Battle of the Bulge on December 17, 1944.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army on December 1, 1942 at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

He was married to Pauline R. Dubbs on July 19, 1942 at Lewisburg, North Carolina.

He was interred in the Gettysburg National Cemetery on April 21, 1948.

TWO VETERANS ARE BURIED IN CEMETERY HERE

The bodies of two veterans from this area were among those interred Wednesday in graves in the National Cemetery here. Both had been killed in action in Europe. Both had previously been buried in army cemeteries overseas.

Wednesday afternoon the body of Earl Swope, Jr., staff sergeant who died in Belgium in December 1944, husband of Mrs. Pauline R. Swope, Gettysburg R. 2, was laid to rest beside the body of former Pvt. Vernon L. Seacrist, husband of Mrs. Pauline L. Seacrist, Baltimore.

Wednesday morning the body of Lt. Fred P. Timmerman, Jr., of Emmitsburg was interred in the National Cemetery following mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Emmitsburg, at which the Rev. Fr. Gerald Currens officiated. Members of the Emmitsburg American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars attended the services and interment.

The funerals Wednesday afternoon were held in the new section of the cemetery south of the Lincoln Speech Memorial in a section where dogwood and redbud is blooming in profusion.

GUARD OF HONOR

The beauty of the natural flowers vied with large numbers of lilies and similar flowers banked about the mounds of earth beside the graves halfway down the slope from the Lincoln Speech Memorial.

Eight soldiers from Carlisle, a special firing squad from the Second Army, stood "at ease" with rifles as members of the two families walked to the site of the graves.

Ten soldiers, all staff sergeants, of higher grade, all bearing insignia showing them to have been members of famous fighting units, many wearing combat infantrymen badges, stood about the adjoining graves, holding large American flags over the bronze coffins. Before the flags stood T. Sgt. Leo R. Ginter and S. Sgt. Robert L. Carter, both of Gettysburg, the two escorts for the bodies. Both sergeants are members of the 2272nd ASU Escort Detachment stationed at Philadelphia.

DR. PUTMAN OFFICIATES

The soldiers stood at attention as the Rev. Dr. Dwight F. Putman stepped to the side of the graves and began reciting "Sunset and evening star and one clear call for me..." before reading the burial service.

When Doctor Putman had finished, the firing squad fired three volleys. A bugler sounded "taps" in the army's final salute to the dead soldiers.

The guard of honor folded the flags and presented them to the escorts. Sergeant Carter presented Mrs. Swope with the flag that covered her husband's coffin. Sergeant Ginter presented Mrs. Seacrist with the flag from her husband's casket. The 12 soldiers, in a column of twos, marched from the scene.

Two more were buried Wednesday afternoon. They were S/Sgt. Bruce J. Williams of Albion, Pa., and Pfc. George A. Hawn, North Braddock, Pa.

The funeral procession for Lieutenant Timmerman was escorted to the Maryland state line by Maryland state police and from the state line to the cemetery by Pennsylvania state police. Pallbearers were: William Payne, John Stoner, Louis Stoner, Jr., Louis Rosensteel, Aumen Myers and Marshall Sanders. Color guards and flagbearers included Eugene Rodgers, Guy Gessler, John Warthen, Kenneth Adams, Fern Ohler, Everett Chrismer, Wayne McCleaf and William Rodgers.

(From THE GETTYSBURG TIMES, Thursday, April 22, 1948)