Gerhard served as a Technical Sergeant and Engineer on C-47A #42-23870, 54th Troop Carrier Squadron, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

He resided in Grant County, Minnesota prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 15, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.

C-47A #42-23870 took off, with a crew of 4 & 5 passengers, from Cape Field, Fort Glen, Alaska on a transport mission to Shemya Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. They were last heard from by radio as being approximately 30 miles west of Fort Glenn. After that radio contact they were not seen nor heard from again and believed to have crashed at sea due to severe weather turbulence in the area.

Gerhard was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.

Service # 17018430

Gerhard also has a "Cenotaph" in the Union Cemetery, Elbow Lake, Minnesota.
( see family links below )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on C-47A #42-23870:

Edwards, Frederick A ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, NC
Hand, Robert F ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, NC
Hattenbach, Alfred D ~ Pfc, Passenger, PA
Moeller, Clarence A ~ Pfc, Passenger, IL
Norman, John C ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, IA
Renstrom, Gerhard N ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MN
Rhea, John E ~ Pfc, Passenger, VA
Rogers, Charles H, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, ME
Stephens, Delmar R ~ Pvt, Passenger, MI

( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

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Gerhard served as a Technical Sergeant and Engineer on C-47A #42-23870, 54th Troop Carrier Squadron, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

He resided in Grant County, Minnesota prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 15, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.

C-47A #42-23870 took off, with a crew of 4 & 5 passengers, from Cape Field, Fort Glen, Alaska on a transport mission to Shemya Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. They were last heard from by radio as being approximately 30 miles west of Fort Glenn. After that radio contact they were not seen nor heard from again and believed to have crashed at sea due to severe weather turbulence in the area.

Gerhard was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.

Service # 17018430

Gerhard also has a "Cenotaph" in the Union Cemetery, Elbow Lake, Minnesota.
( see family links below )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on C-47A #42-23870:

Edwards, Frederick A ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, NC
Hand, Robert F ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, NC
Hattenbach, Alfred D ~ Pfc, Passenger, PA
Moeller, Clarence A ~ Pfc, Passenger, IL
Norman, John C ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, IA
Renstrom, Gerhard N ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MN
Rhea, John E ~ Pfc, Passenger, VA
Rogers, Charles H, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, ME
Stephens, Delmar R ~ Pvt, Passenger, MI

( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

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