FLAG PRESENTED TO FALLEN SOLDIER’S FAMILY 70 YEARS LATER
PFC William R Sloan of the 232nd Field Artillery, 42nd Infantry Division was killed in action April 26,1945.
On 12 May 1945, June K. Sloan received a telegram that her husband was wounded in Germany on April 25,1945. Then on May 19, 1945, June received a telegram that her husband died of his wounds on April 26,1945. William and June had a 4-year-old daughter name Margaret and June was pregnant with his son Billy who was later born in August 1945.
There is a Memorial Wall at the American Legion Post 91 in Burlington, Skagit County, Washington with 203 names of the fallen Heroes from World War I to Afghanistan. On the World War II section you can find William R. Sloan’s name. In January of 2015 his daughter Margaret walked into the American Legion and wanted to know about her dad on the wall. After her mother passed away she found a suitcase in the attic, which contained her dad’s Purple Heart and some documents. She was referred to my company, Anything American Custom Military Shadow Boxes and in February 2015 asked if I could find out more about her father’s service.
We set up a meeting and she displayed the documents found in the suitcase. I immediately set out to do research on PFC Sloan and discovered that he was never brought home and was laid to rest in Lorraine, France. I told Margaret about the medals he had been awarded and that there was a flag, which had never been presented to the family. June was pregnant with their son Billy and she was heartbroken. So she put everything in a suitcase and put it in the attic. June remarried later on in life and the kids had a normal life with their mother and stepfather.
I made a Military Shadow Box, which was custom designed for PFC Sloan’s family and began making inquiries about the flag on their behalf. On April 26, 2015, the American Legion Post 91 and myself put a ceremony together, which was performed at the American Legion Post 91 in Burlington, Skagit County Washington. At the time, I was the Sergeant at Arms of the American Legion Post 91 acted as the Master of Ceremony.
The Mayor of Burlington, Washington State Representative’s, US Army, Combat Veteran Motorcycle Acc, Patriot Guard Riders Flag Line, Burlington Fire and Police Dept and many others attended the ceremony. I began the ceremony with a speech about PFC Sloan. The American Legion performed Taps with a 21-gun salute as SSG Chris Rifenbury and SFC Kevin Taylor of the United States Army folded the flag. SFC Kevin Taylor presented the flag to me and in turn I presented the flag to the family. The honor was finally given 70 years later to the date.
In November 2015 another small ceremony was programmed to honor PFC Sloan’s son Billy by Military Order of the Purple Heart who was presented with his own Purple Heart.
A Painting of PFC William R Sloan sits in the American Legion Post 91 today in honor of him with the 48 star flag that was flown in honor of him.
~ David Edwards, Owner of Anything-American Custom Military Shadow Boxes
