Pfc Joseph Casper was born April 5, 1919 in Utica, NY to George Casper (1879-1948 ) and Mary Cababe (1896-1955). His parents were married on February 1, 1913 in Oneida County, NY. Both his parents were originally from Syria. Joseph was the third of their 7 children which included Louis (1913-1982), Josephine, Margaret, Edward (who died young), Madeline, William and Paul (1929-2012). The 1925 NY State Census recorded the family living on Main St. in the town of Frankfort, NY (which is in Herkimer County). His dad was working in a dry goods store while his mom kept house. He attended schools in Frankfort, NY and then went to St. Francis de Sales High School in Utica (the family moved to the Utica area sometime after 1930). He was a good student, often making his class honor roll.

He was employed by Chanatry's Brothers Market in Utica, NY before entering the Army. He enlisted in the NY National Guard on August 16, 1939 through Utica, NY and served in Company M, 10th Infantry. Joseph was with the NY National Guard when it was federalized and he entered the service with number 20271348. He was 5'-7" tall and weighed 143 pounds at the time. He reported having completed 2 years of high school, being single and having no dependents at the time. He did his training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, Fort Ord, California and was sent to Hawaii in January 1942. While in Hawaii he turned in his Sergeant's stripes in 1943 to join the Army Air Corp where he was trained as a radio operator.

He was at Hickam Field, Oahu, Hawaii with the 1124th School Squadron. The 1124th Gunnery School Squadron was a training and staging unit. An August 16, 1944 Morning Reports for the 1124th School Squadron out of Hickam Field, Oahu reported him "dy to died" (duty to died) in an airplane crash. He was killed in an air crash over Hawaii on August 14, 1944. The National Archives has a number of Cross Index Sheets to Classified Central Files that point to this accident but I was unable to find any other details about the crash. We do know that APO 960 is Lyman Field (Hilo Airfield), Hawaii. I included a number of these "sheets" in the Supporting Documents section below. His family was living on Conkling Ave., Utica, NY at the time of his death.

His remains were transported back to the mainland in November 1947 aboard the USAT Hondo Knot and he was laid to rest in the US Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery, Washington, D.C., Section L, Site 9102-G.

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

"3 Soldiers Reported Dead in Action", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, August 23, 1944, pg. 7.

"12 War Dead in Utica, Area Soon", Utica Observer-Dispatch, October 10, 1947, pg. 1.

"3,028 War Dead Come Home From Pacific as U.S. Mourns", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, October 11, 1947, pg. 1.

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

"Highest Average Pupils Announced at Frankfort", The Utica Observer-Dispatch, January 31, 1927, pg. unknown, not captured by scan.

National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Series: Cross Index Sheets to Classified Central Files; Record Group 407: Records of the Adjutant General's Office; 200.4 – September 1943 Thru 200.5 – November 1943; NAID: 662884687.

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: 03383; Reel: 60

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 03; Assembly District: 01; City: Frankfort; County: Herkimer; Page: 2

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; Collection: New York, New York National Guard Service Cards, 1917-1954; Series: B2001; Film Number: 35

Year: 1920; Census Place: Utica Ward 5, Oneida, New York; Roll: T625_1244; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 128

Year: 1930; Census Place: Frankfort, Herkimer, New York; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 0006; FHL microfilm: 2341176

Year: 1940; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02862; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 67-71

Supporting Documents 

These are a few of the Cross Index Sheets to Classified Central Files found in the National Archives that appear to relate to the crash that killed Pfc. Casper.