Person Page 4,717

Melville Acheson Murray was born on 28 February 1915 in Queens, Queens, New York. He died on 9 September 1977, at age 62, in Highlands, Monmouth, New Jersey.

Donald M. Pruden was born on 25 April 1917. He died on 18 August 1980, at age 63, in Glen Ridge, Essex, New Jersey. He was buried in Glendale Cemetery (Glenwood Memorial, Lot 536, Grave1), Bloomfield, Essex, New Jersey.

Georgius Bessinger was born on 1 June 1877 in Newark, Essex, New Jersey. He and Jeanne L. McPeek were married in 1909 in New Jersey.

Jeanette M. Bessinger was born on 10 October 1910 in Newark, Essex, New Jersey. She died on 29 May 1986, at age 75.

Gertrude Mary Bessinger was born on 10 March 1912 in Newark, Essex, New Jersey. She and Frank E. Trojan were married in 1937 in New Jersey. She died on 21 January 1997, at age 84, in Flemington, Hunterdon, New Jersey. She was buried in Fairmount Cemetery, Fairmount, Newark, Essex Co., New Jersey.

George Joseph Bessinger, Sr., was born on 19 June 1914 in Newark, Essex, New Jersey. He and Pearl Brathwaite were married in 1944 in New Jersey. He died on 30 December 1990, at age 76, in Sayreville, Middlesex, New Jersey. He was buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, San Diego, California.

Frank I. Bessinger was born on 3 September 1920 in Irvington, Essex, New Jersey. He and Ruth (Margaret) Ann Hennessy were married in June 1953 in Newark, Essex, New Jersey. He died on 4 January 1971, at age 50, in New Jersey. He was buried in Saint Catherine's Cemetery, Sea Girt, Monmouth, New Jersey.

Frank I. Bessinger from Irvington, New Jersey, was born on September 3, 1920 to George and Jenney Bessinger. He was fifth of six children having one brother and four sisters. Frank finished High School at the Irvington High School with the Class of 1942 before he joined the Army (#327627 27). Frank was a T/5 in the 83rd Infantry Division.

The Morning Reports of Medical Detachment, Headquarters, Special Troops August 16, 1944 listed Bessinger Frank I. Pvt. as assigned and joined this unit from the 48th Replacement Battalion.

Frank I. Bessinger was reported missing in action on January 12, 1945. Checking the after action reports for the division, he presumably was in t he Petite-Langlire area, Ardennes, Belgium, because that is where they w ere in action. He was however never reported MIA in the official reports. Again, based on the fact that he was captured he presumably was assigned as a medic to a company in action or a field hospital that got overrun by the Germans.

His parents, received following Western Union telegram later that week. They did not receive any information or confirmation that he was alive a nd a POW until the latter part of March.

Frank Bessinger was first in the POW camp at Moosburg, north of Munich, and then transferred to Sandbostel. He had a schrapnel wound and jaundice, and was initially treated in Moosburg.

On May 27, 1945, there is another Western Union telegram to his father reporting Frank Bessinger as Returned to Military Control.

Frank was repatriated in April 45 from Stalag 10B in Sandbostel, northeast of Bremen. Over 50,000 Russians died there, along with lots of others.

Frank Bessinger survived the War but never spoke to his family about his POW experience and his Army time. His son Drew Bessinger tried to find out how and when he was captured and, as mentioned before, based on t he official Reports of January 12, 1945 he probably was captured within t he Langlire area.

Frank died on January 4, 1971 and is buried, together with his wife Rut h (1924-1992) at the Saint Catherine's Cemetery, Sea Girt, Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Dorothy Myrtle Bessinger was born on 30 August 1928 in Irvington, Essex, New Jersey. She died on 22 November 2001, at age 73, in Holmdel Township, Monmouth, New Jersey.

Frank E. Trojan was born on 17 December 1912 in New Jersey. He and Gertrude Mary Bessinger were married in 1937 in New Jersey. He died on 7 October 1988, at age 75, in Union County, New Jersey.