Private First Class Duane Larson

Duane Larson was born on May 17th, 1917 to Niles a town of Michigan. Niles was during the depression an idyllic place to increase. At the beginning, little boy, Duane Larson worked for the news agency of Niles. Then, in October, 1941, he left Niles for California. He engaged in the 19th Coast Artillery.
Then, with Pearl Harbor, Duane Larson joined the paratrooper. He followed the prices of jump to Fort Benning.

On February 11th, 1943, he married Dolores Van Skiver to Fayetteville. June 16th, 1943, the Battery A of the 462nd Parachutes Infantry Battalion was activated, Duane Larson joined it. He learnt to jump with the containers of howitzer, to go up them and to fire. This training took place to the Camp MacKall and then to Fort Bragg. On February 28th, 1944, the battalion left the MacKall camp for the Camp Stoneman in California. The battalion leaves the United States for Australia.

On March 29th, his unit is join in the 503th PIR. This day there, Duane Larson learnt that he was a dad of a girl.
The training continued, its unit was incorporated into the 503th Regimental Combat Team. On February 16th, 1945, Duane Larson is parachuted on the island of Corregidor. In spite of the narrow-mindedness of the DZ, the jump it was well supposed to be for Duane Larson. His team little to put in battery Howitzer of 75mm at the hour.

The Corregidor Island's consisted of mountain and ridge stuffed with subterranean gallery which facilitated the movement of the Japanese. 

On February 26, the Battery A of the 462nd PFAB was moved along the bank in front of the entry of a tunnel to Monkey Point. The Americans did not know thet the Japanese had placed of explosives!

In 11:05, tanks were sent to help the A battery to close the access of the tunnel. But an explosion rung! The 35 ton tanks were lifted and went down slopes. The men were thrown in areas.

The ridge was transformed into crater. Duane Larson was killed there, crushed by a fragment of rock.
 

The body of Duane Larson was interred at first on the island of Corregidor before being repatriated in its home town of Niles in the United States on February 29th, 1949. He rests in the cemetery of Calvary near St Mary's church.