Rome, NY WWII Fallen

Pvt. James D. Palzer
401st Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

James D. Palzer was born June 22, 1920, in Buffalo, Erie County, New York, to Myrtle Mae Young (1880-1958) and Claude Babcock. James was their only child. Myrtle was divorced from Claude Babcock on April 13, 1926. Frank Palzer (1893-1964) and Myrtle Mae Young were married September 6, 1926, in Tully, New York. Frank had emigrated from Austria. The family moved to Rome, Oneida County, New York, in 1922, where James attended Rome schools. The Palzer family lived at 1024 West Dominick Street in Rome. In the 1930 U.S. Census, Frank worked as a repairman in a garage. Myrtle was a housewife, and James a student. In 1938 James was in Boy Scouts with the rank of tenderfoot. In the 1940 U.S. Census, Frank worked as a mechanic in a garage, Myrtle was a housewife, and James was a messenger boy for Western Union.

James enlisted in the U.S. Army on September 5, 1940, at Utica, New York, for the 18th Infantry at Fort Hamilton, New York. He was assigned to the First Division and trained at Camp Devons, Massachusetts, Brooklyn, New York, Westerly, Rhode Island, Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Camp Meade, Maryland.

In December 1940, Pvt. Palzer was present at the ground-breaking exercises for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, where he was part of a 21-gun salute fired in honor of President Franklin Roosevelt.

On February 22, 1944, James married Mary Elizabeth Murray of Westerly, Rhode Island, at Immaculate Conception Church in Westerly. The couple had a wedding trip to James’ home in Rome, New York. He left for Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts, on February 27th, and Mary returned to her parents’ home in Westerly, Rhode Island. Mary later remarried.

Pvt. Palzer went overseas in March 1944 to the European Theater of Operations. He was assigned to the 401st Glider Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. At the time of his death, he was attached to the 82nd Airborne, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, Company G. On July 29, 1944, his parents received a telegram from the War Department relaying that Pvt. Palzer was killed in action in France on July 4, 1944. He was the 21st citizen of Rome, New York, to give his life in World War II.

Pvt. Palzer was buried in Blosville Temporary American Cemetery in France on July 6, 1944. Pvt. James D. Palzer was later buried in Plot D, Row 26, Grave 5, of the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Pvt. Palzer is remembered on Page 110, World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from New York, 1946, and Page 11211 of the US Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945. Pvt. Palzer is remembered as one of the World War II Casualties of Oneida County, New York, on Genealogy Trails website. Pvt. Palzer was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Rome Medal of Honor from Rome, New York. He was remembered in August, 1945, as one of the 81 men from Rome, New York, who gave their lives in World War II.

Mrs. Myrtle Palzer died on December 14, 1958, after a long illness. Frank later married Mrs. Lelia Pond Redding, a widow. Frank died in 1964 and is buried alongside Myrtle Mae Palzer in Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Rome, Oneida County, New York.

End notes: This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars Project, a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3 web sites. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact hillerson@beyondbb.com

Resources:

FindAGrave.com:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56648518/james-d-palzer

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92737589/frank-i-palzer

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92737437/myrtle-palzer

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156063291/lelia_edmeire-redding

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204583823/mary-e-almeida

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204583618/joseph_russell-almeida

Fold3.com:

https://www.fold3.com/record/83481842/james-d-palzer-us-wwii-army-enlistment-records-1938-1946

https://www.fold3.com/record/704053668/palzer-james-d-us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954

https://www.fold3.com/image/712948126/us-rosters-of-world-war-ii-dead-1939-1945-page-11211-us-rosters-of-world-war-ii-dead-1939-1945