Arthur Abraham David Abrams was born November 17, 1917 to Joseph Abrams (1882-X) and Rebecca Olsben. His parents were both from Russia and he was the sixth of their seven children which included older sisters Helen [Hilda], Leah [Lillian], Yetta, Margaret and Anna and a younger sister Florence. His parents were married on March 19, 1908 in Utica, NY. His father was a junk-man, what locals called a "huckster". In 1940 the family lived on Dudley Ave. in Utica, NY. Arthur graduated from Utica Free Academy in 1937.

Arthur registered for the draft on October 16, 1940 in Utica, NY. He was 22 years old at the time and was 6' tall and weighed 195 pounds. He had brown eyes and black hair. He worked as a salesman and assisted his dad before being drafted into the service on January 27, 1941 through Albany, NY with service number 32041357. He was single with no children.

A September 11, 1943 Morning Report listed him as with the 27th Infantry Division, 106th Infantry Regiment, Medical Division. The 106th Infantry Regiment, along with the 22nd Marines were used in the attack on Eniwetok Atoll as part of the Marshall Island campaign in early 1944. The landing was February 17, 1944 and it met with light, but determined resistance. Pfc. Abrams is killed in action during this fighting February 19, 1944. His body is escorted home on the USAT Cardinal O'Connell in March 1948 and buried in the House of Jacob Cemetery in Whitesboro, NY.

Author's Note: Care should be taken when looking at Census records for the Abrams family. There are a number of instances where names change, gender is recorded incorrectly and other editing errors. The information contained in this story is a “best guess” as to the make up of the family.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

 Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

 If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

Academician, Utica Free Academy yearbook, 1937.

Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1847-1849, 1907-1936 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Alphabetical Master Cards, 1942–1947; Series VI, Card Files—Bureau of War Records, Master Index Cards, 1943–1947; National Jewish Welfare Board, Bureau of War Records, 1940–1969; I-52; boxes 273–362. New York, New York: American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/132778185/arthur_abraham_david-abrams: accessed August 7, 2025), memorial page for PFC Arthur Abraham David Abrams (17 Nov 1917–19 Feb 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 132778185, citing House of Jacob Cemetery, Whitesboro, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by ShaneO (contributor 47009366).

Invasion of the Marshall Islands, National Museum of the U.S. Navy, accessed at https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/explore/photography/wwii/wwii-pacific/gilbert-marshall-islands-campaign/invasion-marshall-islands.html on August 8, 2025.

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 04583; Reel: 180

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 02; Assembly District: 01; City: Utica Ward 12; County: Oneida; Page: 19

"Rites for Soldier", Utica Daily Press, March [day illegible, maybe 3 or 5 or 8], 1948, Utica, NY, pg. 33.

"U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Utica Free Academy; Year: 1937

"U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Utica Free Academy; Year: 1932

"Utican Killed in Marshalls", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, pg. 8,

Year: 1940; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02862; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 67-66

Supporting Documents