Today -- Thursday, November 11, 2021 -- is Veterans Day.
Among the military Honor Roll memorials located in Wallingford, Connecticut on the grounds of the Town Hall is one for those who served (and in some cases died) in World War II. It is by far the most extensive memorial listing of veterans of war who lived in Wallingford. The list contains hundreds of names -- in fact so many that it has taken several posts to get them all transcribed and published. This is the sixth post of names from the Wallingford WWII Memorial. [A post was not done in 2018 due to our relocation to New Jersey from Virginia.] This listing will cover all the surnames in alphabetical order from R through Z, which comprises 543 names for this post. With this final post, a total of 2,039 names will have been transcribed from the Wallingford, CT World War Two memorial.
For the first post listing the 244 surnames from this memorial that begin with A or B, please see the earliest post here. The second post listing the 298 surnames that begin with C through E can be viewed here. The third post listing 317 surnames that begin F through I can be viewed here. The fourth post listing the 242 surnames J through L can be viewed here. And the fifth post listing surnames M through Q and covering 395 surnames can be viewed here.
I know that finding a database of transcribed names is one thing for those who are searching for ancestors and relatives, but for those who cannot make a trip to see the actual memorial, a photograph of their family member's name would be a very useful gift for inclusion in a family genealogy; therefore, it is my intention to do a blog post shortly after posting each list of transcribed names to publish the photographs from which I worked to do the transcriptions. Please check back here periodically after you see a listed name of an ancestor or relative in a post and you will then be able to get a photograph of the name in a close-up of the memorial panel containing your family member's name.
For readers who take the time to scan the names, you will notice that unlike memorials for earlier wars there are a significant number of women listed on this memorial. Also, apart from the sheer number of names on this World War II memorial, one will note the wonderful ethnic diversity of the surnames in the lists. And there are a number of obvious family members listed so that it appears several possible brother, father/son, husband/wife, and cousin combinations are listed.
My father is listed on the World War II memorial in Wallingford since he briefly attended a year of post-high school education at Lyman Hall in Wallingford before he entered Kings Point, the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Prior to 1957 what is the present Town Hall was the Lyman Hall High School. [1] I previously posted a close-up of a cropped section of names containing my father's listing here. This post continues the transcription of the hundreds of other names that are honored on the World War II memorial. The transcription posts will be submitted as part of Heather Rojo's wonderful Honor Roll project, which has the goal of creating a searchable listing of all U.S. war veterans on memorials erected around this country.
One other point to make on this Veterans Day regarding memorials specific to World War Two veterans– the names on this and other WW II memorials around the country list members of what has often been called "The Greatest Generation." The names on these memorials recognize the hundreds of thousands of men and women who sacrificed years of their youth or middle age -- and in many cases their very lives -- to combat an undeniable evil. As we pause again this year to commemorate those members of the greatest generation who served and died in WW II, it is important to realize -- with respect to this particular memorial and so many others like it -- that almost all of the men and women named on WWII memorials are no longer with us. If they survived the war, the great majority have lived their lives and passed on. Very, very few remain with us today. READ THEIR NAMES and lift a glass today to all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice and to those who served!
The names of the men and women honored on the Wallingford World War II memorial with surnames beginning with R through Z are as follows in alphabetical order within surname category and as read left to right across the columns . . .
Paul R. Rabito Alfred O. Racker Walter E. Racker
William F. Racker Karl Raczkovy George J. Raffeta
Nicholas Raissis Andrew F. Rakaczky Ralph L. Raver
John E. Reardon Edward R. Rector Raymond L. Reed
Angus M. Rees Raymond J. Reiske Robert F. Reiske
Edward G. Renzendes Robert L. Revere Donald P. Reynolds
George E. Reynolds James J. Reynolds James P. Reynolds
Thomas F. Reynolds Robert Rhoades Frederick W. Ribie
Edward Riccio Esther Riccitelli John J. Riccitelli
Joseph Riccitelli Behard M. Rieske, Jr. Carl J. Rinaldi
Graziadio L. Rinaldi William D. Riordan Harry C. Riotte, Jr.
Joseph Riotte Robert J. Riotte Salvatore J. Ripa
Anthony K. Rish Joseph J. Rish Steven R. Rish
William L. Risso Donald H. Ritchie Edward F. Ritz
Emil J. Ritz William F. Ritz Joseph D. Roberge
William H. Roberge John Robertson Maynard W. Robinson
Adelino J. Rodrigues Joseph J. Rodrigues Robert L. Rogers
William H. Rolston John Rondo John M. Rosick
Michael Rosick Harry O.E. Roslund Raymond H. Ross
Peter J. Rossi Donald F. Roudi Patrick J. Roudi
Ralph C. Roudi Edmund J. Rovas Hazelwood, Rowe
William Rubin Chester C. Rudziak Eugene Rumi
Adwin Rusczek Joseph Rusczek Joseph J. Russell
Frank Russo William P. Saas Joseph E. Sabith
Alexander Sabo Andrew Sabo, Jr. August Sabo
Bernard Sabo Carles Sabo John Sabo Jr.
Joseph Sabo, Jr. Joseph L. Sabo, Jr. Francis R. Sabota
Henry E. Sagnella Benjamin W. Sakowich John J. Salvadori, Jr.
Anthony J. Samal Candido D. Sammito Santo G. Sammito
Julius P. Samosky Joseph P. Sanchuk Joseph J. Santillo
Louis J. Santillo Daniel Santoro Joseph P. Santoro
Donald W. Sarafin Leo F. Sarafin John F. Sargent, Jr.
Warren N. Sargent Andrew B. Sari Charles J. Sass
Ralph P. Sassi Joseph J. Satton Clifford L. Saunders
Henry R. Saunders James L. Saunders Robert J. Saunders
Robert J. Scacchetti Frank Scagnelli Joseph Scagnelli
Philip Scagnelli Michael Scarpa Robert E. Schellinger
Norman P. Schipke Wlater W. Schipke, Jr. Bertram J. Schnakenberg
Roy F. Schomburg Raymond F. Schonn Edward B. Schott
Augustus A. Schultz George E. Schultz Joseph P. Schultz
Paul J. Schultz Philip A. Schultz Leo Scionti
David W. Scott Raymond Scott Robert G. Scranton
Bela J. Secunda Stephen S. Secunda William J. Secunda
Louis F. Segalini Joseph J. Selesh, Jr. Bertam Self
Albert J. Selvaggi Rocco J. Selvaggi Edward W. Semrau
John A. Senese Julius A. Senese Joseph L. Serrat
Ralph Server Eleanor N. Setterlund James E. Shaw
John T. Shaw, Jr. William Shaw John F. Sheahan
Clarence J. Sheehy Edward T. Sheehy Isaiah Shein
Milton C. Shepard Warren C. Shepard John J. Sheptock
Robert H. Shiels Ruth A. Shookies Francis J. Shortell
Lester C. Shortell Richard J. Shortell Wilbur C. Shortell
James W. Shortelle Robert E. Shortelle Thomas R. Shortelle
Marshall S. Shute Charles S. Siedlicki John M. Siedlicki
Sophia K. Siedlicki Stanley M. Siedlicki Edward J. Sieron
David L. Sills Frank J. Silverstream Robert P. Silverstream
John F. Simeone George E. Simmons Henry Simmons
John M. Simmons Matthew J. Simmons Peter Simmons
William C. Simmons Alexander R. Simon Anthony L. Simon
Julius A. Simon Louis J. Simon Stephen P. Simon
William B. Simon Julion Simoni Olga N. Simoni
Bertha L. Sittnick Clarence A. Sittnick Ralph A. Sittnick
Raymond F. Sittnick Robert M. Sittnick Frank S. Sleseinski
Walter J. Sleseinski Lester E. Slie Raymond T. Slie
Robert R. Slie John B. Slonski Kenneth J. Slonski
Stanley F. Slonski William Slonski Charles R. Smith
Edward H. Smith, Jr. Henry B. Smith, III Robert H. Snedeker
Andrew Snyder