Last edit of this page 2021.FEB.06
In 2003, Jesse Schwartzman sent a large envelope of information. We are all indebted to Jesse for assembling the information. He petitioned to obtain these from the US Army records.
From the American Battle Monuments Commission, it’s noted that PFC Alan M. Levy of the 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, is buried at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Plot B, Row 10, Grave 34.
This is Jesse Schwartzman’s cover to a “Dear Family” letter, written 2003 JUNE 26.
“The family gathering in Tampa earlier this month for Aunt Esther Wohl’s funeral was for me a celebration of life and family ties, as it was a time of mourning.”
This was accompanied by a collection of information about the American Battle Monuments Commission. Jesse credits Ellin Reisner with the motivation to assemble this.
Summarized here are many of the documents Jesse supplied. It is hope the abstracted information conveys the contents accurately.
Reports from source materials will leave in place the original spelling and punctuation.
Three horizontal dots … indicate that part of the original text has been omitted.
The vertical dots ⁝ are used when omitting one or more paragraphs from the original text. The materials will be listed in chronological order. At the conclusion will be a summary.
1944 OCT 27
Report of Burial
This is an official graves registration form. It is not clear which agency issued this form.
The date of death is listed as “Est. 24 October 1944.” The ‘24’ is crossed out and ‘25’ is written in. The cause of death is listed as “KIA Shrap. Lt. Side.”
The burial location is noted at Henri Chapelle Cemetery No. 1, Plot M, Row 9, Grave 162. Identification tags are buried with the body, and are also noted as attached to marker.
The surrounding graves are identified with 1st Sgt Canouse, 33081258, and Pvt Agee, 34584293. There is an image of Alan’s tag, showing his serial number 32945434. The tag also shows “T43 44 AB.”
1944 NOV 17
War Department, Adjutant General’s Office Report of Death This is a matter-of-fact document reporting the cause of death as “Killed in Action” on the date 1944 OCT 25. The emergency contact is noted as Herman Levy. Herman and Edith are listed as beneficiaries.
1944 DEC 13
Letter from Ida S. Reisner to Adjutant General Ulio.
“Almost a month has elapsed since your letter confirming the telegram informing us of the death of Private First Class Alan M. Levy. … the sorrow is even harder to bear since we have no tangible information.
“The writer is an Aunt of Private Levy’s who is writing in behalf of his parents who are too sick about this matter to be able to write you personally. May I please with you for further details relative what happened and where burial took place? etc.
“Please address communications to me as Private Levy’s parents are not well enough to receive this information and I must give it to the carefully and tactfully.”
1944 DEC 27
Letter from Brigadier General Robert H. Dunlop to Mrs. Ida Reisner.
“Your desire for the information concerning the death of your nephew is fully understood. A communication is being sent to the proper authority in the European Theater of Operations in regards to your request and you may be assured that every effort will be made to furnish the desired information.
“A copy of your letter has been forwarded to the Quartermaster General … concerning the burial of Private Levy.”
An attachment to this letter included these points:
Attention is invited to attached copy of letter from the aunt, Mrs. Ida S. Reisner concerning circumstances surrounding her nephew’s death.
Letter will be sent to his aunt, Mrs. Ida S. Reisner, 86 Conklin Avenue, Binghamton, New York, who will convey the information to the parents of Private Levy, concerning the circumstances surrounding the death of Private Levy, and the required copy for Casualty Branch, A.G.O., will be attached as an inclosure to your reply by indorsement.
1944 DEC 27
Transmittal Sheet from War Department, Army Service Forces
This document confirms that letters of 1944 DEC 13 and 1944 DEC 27 have been transmitted to relevant offices.
1945 MAR 1
Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Mayo A. Darling, Quartermasters Corp to Mrs. Ida Reisner.
“I regret to inform you that up to the present time information pertaining to the burial of your nephew’s remains has not been received. Sufficient time has not elapsed for into of this nature to be received but you may be sure that upon receipt of such information in this office you will be notified.”
1945 MAY 9
Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Mayo A. Darling, Quartermasters Corp to Mrs. Ida Reisner.
The Reisner address was 86 Conklin Avenue, Binghamton, New York. The letter notes interment in the Henri Chapelle Cemetery No. 1, Plot M, Row 9, Grave 162.
1946 JUNE 3
Letter from Dora Ibsen to the Memorial Division, Office of the Quartermaster General.
This letter was handwritten. It is listed here in its entirety.
Gentlemen:
I hope you will bear with me in this painful explanation and request. I shall try to make the explanation as short as possible but I must go into lengths for another “life” is involved.
This letter is about bringing the body of PFC Alan M. Levy 32945434 to American soil for burial.
Alan was killed in Belgium, in October 1944. <The actual location was Aachen, Germany.> He rests there now.
His parents address is:
Mr. or Mrs. Herman Levy
2 McDonald Ave.
Binghamton, N.Y.
I am writing to this department in hopes of interceding your inquiry of burial to Alan’s parents.
Mrs. Levy is my sister ‑‑ She fell into complete shock and total collapse when she received the telegram bearing the sad news of her son’s demise – she is still not back to normal mentality and we must be careful for her. Mr. Levy has become ill with diabetes and we must guard him too.
Our family burial plot is located in Wilkes-Barre, Pa and that is where we would like to have Alan’s remains brought.
Gentlemen; I do hope my letter is not too jumbled with these points of clarification and still I must go farther with:
Will you please write to me or to my eldest brother about bringing Alan’s body back to American soil?
We dare not let his parents receive the mail concerning this because both are very sick people and we want to save them further heartache.
Neighbors in Binghamton have intercepted the mails since 1944 and I wouldn’t be able to locate Alan’s burial location at this moment. However, if you need this information, I can furnish same in due time.
You understand our predicament I am sure and do hope you will favor us with your kind compliance.
I suggest you respond to this request to my brother (Alan’s uncle) who will take charge of arrangements in our family plot at Wilkes Barre.
Write to:
Mr. Nathan Simon
P.O. Box 16
Mocanaqua, Penna.
I do want to thank you now for your time and patience in reading this letter and will be most grateful to you for all consideration and courtesy you can render us in compliance to the request.
Very truly yours,
Dora Ibsen
(Mrs. Henry Ibsen)
1946 JUNE 11
Letter from Major General T. B. Larkin to Herman Levy
“The War Department is most desirous that you be furnished information regarding the burial location of you son, the late Private First class Alan M. Levy … his remains are interred in the U.S. Military Cemetery, Henri-Chapelle, Belgium, plot M, row 9, grave 162.” <This is not the final location; see the entry for 1948 APR 14.>
1946 JUNE 18
Letter from Major James L. Prenn to Nathan Simon
“This office has been requested by Mrs. Henry Ibsen, 420 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to reply to you concerning your nephew, the late Private First Class Alan M. Levy.
The War Department has now been authorized to remove, at Government expense, to the final resting place designated by the next of kin.”
⁝
“ … a letter with an information pamphlet and a “Request for Disposition” form attached will be sent to the next of kin … when properly filled out, will constitute the formal expression of the next of kin’s detailed desires. It will not be necessary, therefor, for you to communicate with this office regarding this subject.
⁝
“ … the rights of the next of kin to personally express their detailed desires in regard to the designation of the final resting place … must be recognized. Unless this office can be furnished sufficient certified evidence that the father of the late Private First Class Alan M. Levy is not capable of acting in this capacity, the correspondence concerning the return of his one will be directed to him.”
1946 JUNE 22
Letter from Nathan Simon to the Quartermaster General
“I have yours of the 18th and in reply beg to advise that I am deeply concerned with the disposition of the remains of my nephew, Alan M. Levy because we deem it advisable to withhold all correspondence from his mother, who has barely recovered from her loss. … I, however, will consult with the father before any decision is made. … You realize that any mail directed to the father would reach the attention of the mother. … direct any further correspondence relative to this matter to me and no decisions will be made without consulting the father.”
1946 DEC 2
Letter from Major Martin G. Riley (for the Quartermaster General) to the American Graves Registration Command
This notes Alan’s location as plot M, row 9, grave 362. The ‘M’ is smudged; subsequent references confirm ‘M’ as correct. This is the only item where the grave is numbered 362; all other sources list it as 162.
1947 JAN 15
Letter from Brigadier General G. A. Horkan to Herman Levy
The letter included a photo of the gravesite. We do not have an image of that photo.
“This cemetery will be maintained as a temporary resting place until, in accordance with the wishes of the next of kin, all remains are either placed in permanent American cemeteries overseas or return to the Homeland for final burial.”
1947 MAR 3
Letter from Major General Thomas B. Larkin to Herman Levy.
This is a request to Herman regarding the final disposition.
“ … you are invited to express your wishes as to the disposition of the remains of the deceased by completing Part I of the enclosed form …”
⁝
“Will you please complete the enclose form … and mail in the enclosed self-addressed envelope … within 30 days ….”
1947 MAY 9
Letter from Brigadier General G. A. Horkan to Herman Levy
“Since no reply has been received ….”
⁝
“The cemetery in which the remains of your loved one are buried is expected to be evacuated in the near future. In the absence of any reply from you by that time, the Government will assume that you have no objection to the final burial of the deceased in a permanent American Military Cemetery Overseas.”
1948 FEB 13
Letter from Colonel John O. Hyatt, Quartermasters Corp Memorial Division to Mildred Jenkins, Home Services Director of the North Atlantic Area, American Red Cross
“The Next of Kin … has failed to return a Form 345 indicating disposition instructions for the remains.
⁝
“In the event you are unable to secure disposition instructions from the Next of Kin, it is further requested that a statement of the action taken by your representative be furnished this office for use as a basis for final disposition of remains of the decedent.”
1948 FEB 13
Form 345, Request for Disposition of Remains
This form seems to be executed by Herman Levy, and it checks off “interred in a permanent American Military Cemetery overseas.” It is not signed by Herman. This confirms the cemetery location as Plot M, Row 9, Grave 162. The letter from Colonel John O. Hyatt was also dated 1948 FEB 13, so it is plausible that Form 345 was filled in after 1948 FEB 13.
1948 MAR 9
Letter from Mildred Jenkins to the Office of the Quartermaster General
“ … our chapter located Mr. Levy at the above address and assisted him in completing the Form 345. This was sent to your office on February 28, 1948.”
1948 APR 14
Disinterment Directive
(The directive precedes the reburial.)
This is an official form detailing the reburial.
The body was disinterred 1947 OCT 16 from Plot M, Row 9, Grave 162.
Remains prepared and placed in casket 1947 OCT 17.
Religion noted as H.
Identification tag was on remains. Identified also through L-5434 waistband OD trousers ground forces uniform.
Burial was in uniform.
Remains moved to Henri-Chapelle Plot B, Row 10, Grave 34 on 1948 JULY 2.
Grave is positioned between that of Thomas D. Curry and Lawrence E. Dennison. Curry’s marker can be seen in a photograph of Marc Simon at the grave, 2005 AUG 16.
1948 SEP 10
Letter from Major General Thomas B. Larkin to Herman Levy.
“This is to inform you that the remains of your loved one have been permanently interred, as recorded above, side by side with comrades who also gave their lives for their country.”
⁝
“You may rest assured that this final internment was conducted with fitting dignity and solemnity and that the grave-site will be carefully and conscientiously maintained in perpetuity by the United States Government.”
1954 MAR 15
Letter from Colonel John D. Martz, Jr., Quartermasters Corp, Memorial Division, to Chaplain Samuel Rosen, U.S. Air Force Europe.
Chaplain Rosen asked for the names and addresses of a number of deceased servicemen in the Henri-Chapelle cemetery. Five names are on this list, likely all Jewish.
Alan Levy is identified with serial number 32 945 434. The family address is noted as Mr. Herman G. Levy, 2 McDonald Avenue, Binghamton, New York (Father).
Col. Martz says that photographs of markers will be taken and sent to next of kin.
Return to Alan Levy’s first page. Return to home page.