Tributes

Sergeant Jack Moore, who was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was living in Maricopa, AZ when he entered the service and was a member of the 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in South Korea on January 3, 1951 and died while a prisoner on May 31, 1951. His remains were never recovered.

Spe 4 Donald R. McCune was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana and attended high school there. McCune, 20, grew up in Chelsea, Michigan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, 81st Brigade Combat Team, Washington Army National Guard, Moses Lake, Washington.

Specialist McCune was conducting operations with his patrol August 4 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol in Balad, Iraq. McCune died the next day at the Army hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

 
Fort Wayne native Specialist Brian Hamilton Penisten, United States Army, was assigned to Air Defense Artillery Battery, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Ronald J. Colone

Colone was born on August 26, 1947 and was a 1965 graduate of Bishop Luers High School.

According to his obituary, Colone resided in Fort Wayne his entire life and was active in youth hockey, including playing for the Fort Wayne Pepsi Komets from 1963-’64.

He was also honored with the annual Sportsmanship Award.

After Basic Training and advanced infantry training, Colone was sent to Vietnam and ended up serving with C CO, 1ST BN, 52ND INFANTRY, 198TH INFANTRY BDE, AMERICAL DIV, USARV

Henry Lawton was a local hero in Fort Wayne throughout the mid-to-late 1800s. Lawton , was raised in Fort Wayne, attended and graduated from Fort Wayne Methodist College. When President Lincoln called for volunteers when the Civil War broke out, Lawton signed up to fight for the Union.

Bruce O. Boxberger was born in 1924. He was the son of Harry Martin Boxberger and Alice Mary Fletter. He had married Jacqueline Reta Mungovan in 1941.

Boxberger enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. Served during World War II. Boxberger had the rank of Staff Sergeant. His military occupation or specialty was Left Waist Gunner. Service number assignment was 35553460. Attached to 490th Bomber Group, Heavy, 851st Bomber Squadron.

Marine Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz was a Fort Wayne, Indiana native and a 2012 graduate of Homestead High School. He graduated from Purdue University in 2016 and in 2019 became a 1st Lieutenant and Naval Airman.

Captain Tomkiewicz served as an MV-22B Osprey pilot with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, Marine Aircraft Group 26, and 2d Marine Aircraft Wing stationed on Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

Born April 30, 1896 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Henry C. (Jr.?) was the son of Henry C. and Louise Lange Buuck.

He entered military service in September of 1917 and eventually was assigned to duty with Company D, 26th Infantry, 1st DIvision in April of 1918. Buuck participated in battles at Meuse-Argonne and Marne*.

Buuck died in combat October 7, 1918. He is buried in Argonne American Cemetary, Romagne, France.

His grave number is 144 in section 28, plot 3.

* Our founder Eric Scott was also at the battle of Marne.

The 30th Regiment of Indiana Infantry was formed at Camp Allen Fort Wayne, Indiana on the 24th of September, 1861. Under the command of Colonel Sion S. Bass. The regiment joined the 19th United States Infantry on September 29, 1861.

Colonel Bass was part of the Bass family, a major industrial force in Fort Wayne making axles for use at the “Pennsy Works” where cars and locomotives were. built.

While leading his troops in the second day of the Battle of Shiloh, Bass was wounded and died seven days later in Paducah, Kentucky.

Henry H. Persons was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He attended schools there and followed his academic success into college.

Persons decided to serve and enlisted in the Marines and went to Vietnam as a First Lieutenant with Delta Co. 1st Bn. 5th Marines. During fierce combat he was wounded and eventually died on the battle field.

His Silver Star citation reads: