Essex Paratrooper
Killed in France
Pfc. Roland Terhune, paratrooper,
was killed in France June 16, according to word received from the War Department
by his mother, Mrs. Emily Terhune of 198 Nesbit terrace, Irvington. Pfc. Terhune
celebrated his 23d birthday on June 14.
Born in Newark, Pfc Terhune was graduated from Irvington High School.
He was employed at the Hoffman Beverage Co. before entering the service two
years ago. He received his initial training in infantry at Camp Blanding,
Fla. and volunteered in December 1943, for paratrooper service. He had been
overseas three months.
In his last letter, written before D-DAY, the paratrooper asked his
mother to "pray for me." Besides his mother, Pfc Terhune leaves two foster
brothers, Pvt. Walter Foster, with the army in Hawaii and Charles Foster of
the Irvington address.
Note: Roland's nephew, Robert Deeble,
advises that other family members left by Roland Terhune included his
half sister Mrs. Victoria Deeble of Penns Grove, NJ; Grandfather Frederick Shortman, NJ; Uncles Edward Shortman, TN; Roland Shortman, NJ; Aunts Alice
Blackman and Florence Bloemeke, both of NJ.
Source: Newark [ New Jersey] Evening
News, July 14, 1944, Page 7 col. 2
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In 1997 Charles Foster Jr., Nephew to Roland
Terhune, wrote the following to Robert Dibble.
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"My earliest recollection of
our grandmother, whom I will refer to as Nan, short for Nana, because that's
the name she preferred instead of 'grandma,' occurred some time in the late
twenties or early thirties, in Millburn, N.J.
We lived about two blocks from where she and Roland were living. I
can't remember all the moments we spent together, but they all seemed like
good and happy times. Nan was a big woman with a heart of gold.
Her son Roland and I played together, but he was much older than I
and sometimes when the 'rough housing' would get out of hand, Nan would come
to the 'rescue' and save my hide. She never let Roland take advantage of me.
I thought of him as the older brother I never had.
A few years later Roland was working and living on his own. He was
a handsome young man with many girl friends..
Eventually, the War caught-up to my Uncles Walter and Roland. They
were both drafted and were inducted into the Army. Roland volunteered for
duty in the Paratroopers. Roland would come home and stay a few days to visit
his mother Nan, because she was living with us at the time. The last visit
he made was the last time we would ever see him.
It was bad enough reading about the terrible war, with the personal
suffering and tragedies and the lives that were in turmoil with loved ones
in combat, but they seemed impersonal and distant. You felt safe and somewhat
detached. But this was to change for our family in a way we never expected.
We received a telegram from the Army announcing that Roland had been
lost in combat during the invasion of Europe on D-Day. Grandma was not at
home when we received the bad news. My father signed for the telegram, knowing
full well what it contained.
When Nan did return home, she did not want to open it. She insisted
that my Dad read it. When he opened the telegram and began reading it aloud,
our grandmother was so overwhelmed with grief that she collapsed. My father
never finished reading the entire message; he was too overcome with grief.
We were all in shock. This terrible experience shook the family for quite
some time.
When Roland died, Grandma was devastated; the loss was more than she
could bear. I didn't realize it at the time, but our relationship would become
very close as I came to fill the void caused by the loss of Roland.
Six years later when I got married, our grandmother attended the wedding.
She smiled and danced and it was good to see her being happy again. But I
know that Roland was never far from her thoughts."
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