Prior to the war, Tom and I were roommates and fraternity brothers at the University of Cincinnati. When war was declared, several of us enlisted in the Army Air Corps, but Tom was precluded from this option because of his eyesight. After I was called to active duty, I believe he went to one of the college training programs since by this time he had completed at least two years in aeronautical engineering.

     Once I entered the service, my information becomes rather sketchy because I was never in one location for more than a few months. However, I would guess Tom was one of the college replacements sent to the 99th shortly before the division shipped overseas.

     I do know that he was attached to the 394th Regiment, but I have no idea what battalion, battery, or company he may have been in. From a newspaper clipping my parents informed me he had been killed in action on Dec. 18, 1944. However, I never obtained any more information since I also lost track of his family during the last eight months of the war when I moved quite frequently.

     I do know that Tom is interred in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery near Verviers, Belgium. I was able to visit his graveside on one of the D-Day tours in 1994.

     I would appreciate it if you could publish in your newsletter my interest in corresponding with anyone who may have served with Tom. Although I only knew him for a short two years, we shared many common interests and I'm sure his untimely death cut short a lasting friendship that would have endured long after college.

Ralph Jacobs