As part of Deep River’s 250th anniversary celebration, our downtown streets will be lined with commemorative lamp‑post banners honoring the hometown heroes who died serving our country in World War I, World War II, and Vietnam. Each banner proudly features the name of a Deep River veteran, reminding us that the freedoms we celebrate today were safeguarded by their courage, sacrifice, and unwavering devotion to country.

These banners will transform Main Street into a living tribute — a place where residents and visitors can pause, reflect, and recognize the generations who stood for liberty and shaped the character of our town. It truly is a heartfelt expression of gratitude from a community that remembers, honors, and continues to carry their legacy forward.

Richard W. Ibell

1887-1918

Richard W. Ibell served honorably in World War I, part of the generation that answered the nation’s call during a time of global conflict. Like many young men of his era, he left home to serve with courage and resolve, contributing to the Allied effort overseas. Remembered for his duty and sacrifice, he stands among Deep River’s earliest veterans whose service helped shape the town’s proud military legacy.

Corp. Joseph H. Smith

1920-1943

Corporal Joseph H. Smith was a celebrated athlete and 1938 graduate of Deep River High School who became his town’s first resident killed in action during World War II. After joining the U.S. Army in early 1942, he deployed to North Africa with the 1st Infantry Division to participate in the historic Allied landings. He quickly rose to the rank of Corporal and was part of a field artillery battery cited for outstanding performance in combat. At just 23 years old, Smith was the first of Deep River’s service men killed in action on February 22, 1943, during the North African campaign. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, leaving a legacy as a brave soldier and a beloved local "Gold Star" hero.

Sgt. Francis Lebowich

1914–1943

Sergeant Francis Lebowich was a specialized aviation mechanic and gunner from Deep River, Connecticut, who became the town’s second Gold Star hero of World War II. A graduate of the Casey Jones Aeronautical School, he worked for major defense contractors like Chance-Vought before joining the Army in December 1942. He excelled in his military training across the country, earning his gunner’s wings and high praise from superiors who noted his potential as a pilot. On November 23, 1943, at age 29, Lebowich was tragically killed in an Army airplane crash near Sioux City, Iowa, while preparing for overseas deployment. He is remembered as a devoted son and a highly skilled soldier whose technical talents and rapid rise in rank served his country with distinction.

Butler Whiting, Jr.

1921-1943

Butler Whiting, Jr. was a promising naval aviator from Deep River, Connecticut, and the town’s third Gold Star hero of World War II. Coming from a distinguished military family, he was the nephew of Captain Kenneth Whiting, the naval aviation pioneer for whom Florida’s Whiting Field was named. After attending Williams College, he earned his "Wings of Gold" and was commissioned as an Ensign at Pensacola in August 1943. Tragically, the 21-year-old was killed on Christmas Eve, 1943, when his plane crashed during a routine training flight near Jacksonville, Florida. He was laid to rest in Fountain Hill Cemetery, leaving a legacy of service that honored both his family’s naval heritage and his hometown.

Theodore P. Dreher

1919-1944

Theodore "Ted" Dreher was a courageous Marine from the Deep River and Chester area who served with the elite First Marine Division during the Pacific campaign of World War II. Born in New Britain and raised in Deep River, he attended Deep River High School before becoming one of the first local men to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps following Pearl Harbor. Dreher saw intense combat in the South Pacific, participating in the historic landings at Guadalcanal and New Guinea, for which he earned the Presidential Unit Citation and an Australian shoulder-patch decoration for valor. Tragically, the 24-year-old was killed in action in March 1944; his captain later wrote to his family, noting that he died instantly and was buried with full military honors in an American cemetery in the Pacific. Known for his deep faith and popularity among his classmates, Dreher is remembered as a hero on the honor rolls of both Chester and Deep River.

Edwin Gorecki

1925–1944

Edwin Gorecki was a young soldier from Deep River serving in the U.S. Army’s 140th Anti-Aircraft Battalion. Born on Warsaw Street, he trained at Fort Bliss and was stationed at Camp Phillips, Kansas, before returning home on a ten-day furlough in June 1944. Tragically, his leave ended in heartbreak when the 19-year-old was killed in a motorcycle accident in Old Lyme while traveling back toward Deep River. He was a member of a patriotic family, with a brother serving on an Army hospital ship and a sister recently accepted into the Navy WAVES. Gorecki was honored with a full military funeral and laid to rest in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, remembered for his service and the sudden loss of a promising young life.

Pvt. Richard Turner

1912-1944

Richard Turner was a professional accountant at Pratt, Read & Co. in Deep River who served in the U.S. Army’s 95th Infantry Division during the liberation of Europe. A graduate of the Williams School of Business, Turner entered the service in February 1944 and underwent infantry training at Indiantown Gap before deploying overseas that autumn. Tragically, the 32-year-old was killed in action on November 4, 1944, during the intense fighting on the German border that preceded the capture of Metz, France. He left behind a wife and a two-year-old daughter in Brockton, Massachusetts, as well as his parents and seven siblings in the Deep River area. Turner is remembered as a devoted family man and a respected professional whose life was cut short just months after arriving on the front lines.

Eugene W. Wallace

1922-1944

Eugene "Gene" Post was a seasoned veteran of the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Service from Deep River, Connecticut. Enlisting in 1939 just eight days after his 17th birthday, he spent three years as a torpedoman, participating in high-stakes undersea action against Japanese shipping lanes off the China coast. By age 22, he was a highly experienced seaman whose vessels were credited with sinking significant volumes of enemy tonnage. Tragically, in December 1944, he was reported missing in action after his submarine failed to return from its final mission in the Pacific. Though his family held out hope for his return, he is now memorialized with a marker at Fountain Hill Cemetery in Deep River, honoring his years of dangerous and dedicated service beneath the waves.

Corp. Chester H. Tatko

1912–1944

Chester Tatko was a dedicated soldier from Deep River’s Warsaw Street who served with the 11th Air Cargo Resupply Squadron during the liberation of the Philippines. One of the first local men to enlist after Pearl Harbor, he joined the Army on the same day as his close friend, Corp. Joseph J. Smith, the town’s first casualty of the war. Tatko trained in New Orleans before deploying to the Pacific theater, where he specialized in vital supply operations for the Army Air Forces. Tragically, the 30-year-old was killed in action on the Island of Leyte on December 2, 1944. He is remembered as a brave participant in the push to reclaim the Philippines and was honored with a requiem mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Chester.

Major James A. Ferguson

1915–1945

Major James A. Ferguson was a highly decorated bomber pilot from Deep River and a graduate of the University of Connecticut. Serving with the famous "Gypsy 93rd" squadron, he earned national acclaim for his gallantry during the Battle of Java, where he and his fellow pilots scored direct hits on enemy naval craft despite heavy fire. For his extraordinary heroism across the Java and Australian campaigns, he was awarded both the Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross. After a period of providing flight instruction in the States, he returned to active duty in the Central Pacific in late 1944. Tragically, the 29-year-old officer was reported missing in action on January 5, 1945, leaving behind a distinguished legacy as one of his town's most celebrated and courageous aviators.

Wilfrey Scobey, Jr.

1925–1945

Wilfrey Scobey was a gifted student and outdoorsman from Deep River who served with the 86th Infantry Division during the final stages of the war in Europe. A 1943 graduate of Deep River High School, he completed his freshman year at Yale University before enlisting in December 1943. He trained at Fort Benning and deployed to the Continent in February 1945, serving with Company B of the 343rd Infantry. In letters home, Scobey detailed his division’s rapid advance through numerous German towns and villages. Tragically, the 19-year-old was killed in action "somewhere in Germany" in April 1945, having been overseas for only three months. Known for his love of hunting and fishing, he was the ninth Deep River man to give his life in the conflict, leaving a legacy of academic promise and selfless service.

John Bielot

1917-1945

John Bielot was a dedicated sailor from Deep River who served as a crew member on the USS Thatcher, a Fletcher-class destroyer, during the most intense naval battles of the Pacific theater. Before the war, he worked on his family’s farm and apple orchards on Warsaw Street. After enlisting in early 1943, Bielot participated in major operations including the invasion of Saipan, the liberation of the Philippines, and the Battle of Iwo Jima. On May 20, 1945, while his ship was on hazardous radar picket duty off Okinawa, it was struck by a kamikaze pilot, resulting in heavy casualties. Bielot, initially reported missing, was confirmed killed in action on July 13, 1945, at the age of 28. He is remembered as a popular member of the community whose ship earned 12 battle stars for its distinguished service.

Leonard W. Petterson

1921-1945

Leonard W. Petterson served as a Marine Corps lieutenant during World War II, remembered for his leadership, dedication, and courage. A native of Deep River, he was deployed to the Pacific theater, where he took part in some of the war’s most difficult campaigns. He was killed in action on Okinawa in 1945, leaving behind a legacy of service and sacrifice that continues to be honored by his community and family.

Donald Malchiodi

1920-1945

Lieutenant Donald (Dom) P. Malchiodi served with the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, earning the admiration of his commanders and fellow airmen for his courage, discipline, and strong sense of duty. His service in the European theater reflected both skill and character, and those who trained and flew with him regarded him as a capable young officer whose future held great promise.

In 1945, Lt. Malchiodi lost his life in the line of duty. In the letters sent to his family, senior Air Force leadership spoke of him as an able and courageous flyer, praised his devotion to duty, and emphasized that his sacrifice was made while performing his responsibilities gallantly. They expressed deep sympathy, noting that his contribution to his country’s cause would be long remembered and that his character and service would continue to inspire all who knew him.

Lt. Malchiodi’s legacy endures in the community that raised him, in the family that cherished him, and in the nation he served with honor. His life, though cut short, remains a testament to bravery, patriotism, and the profound cost of freedom.

Harry F. Julian

1925–1945

Harry F. Julian served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, dedicating himself to duty with quiet courage and honor. A Deep River native, he was assigned to the USS Smook, which was lost at sea in 1945. After months listed as missing in action, he was formally declared deceased the following year. His service and sacrifice remain a solemn part of Deep River’s history, and his memory continues to be honored by his community and all who value the cost of freedom.

Peter T. Koritkoski

1942-1964

Peter Koritkowski of Deep River served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. A 1971 graduate of Valley Regional High School, he represented his hometown in a Defense Department program before enlisting. At just 21, he lost his life in an accident overseas while serving his country. Remembered as a dedicated young soldier and a proud member of the Koritkowski family, his service and sacrifice remain honored by the Deep River community.

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