Reverski, Clarence Arthur, Sgt

Early Life

Clarence Arthur Reverski was born on 16 February 1918 in Grand Rapids, Michigan (Some records list his birth location as Kalamazoo, Michigan). His father Steven J. Reverski, born about 1882 in Illinois, died (unknown), was an Inspector Foreman for a railroad company. His mother Mary (maiden name unknown) was born about 1886 in Germany and died (unknown). Clarence was the fifth of seven children in the family; he had three older brothers, an older sister and two younger sisters. He attended South High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In 1940, he was single, had completed two years of high school and worked as a Clerk at the Barnes Market.

He married Mary Ann McGee on 7 February 1942 in Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan.

Military

Clarence A. Reverski registered for the Draft on 16 October 1940 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on 14 May 1942 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After basic training and additional follow-on training, he was assigned to the 77th Troop Carrier Squadron, 435th Troop Carrier Group as a Radio Operator.

The 435th Troop Carrier Group was first activated at Bowman Field, Kentucky in February 1943, with the 75th, 76th, 77th and 78th Troop Carrier Squadrons assigned as its original components. The group used Douglas C-47 Skytrains and Douglas C-53 Skytrooopers in preparing for duty overseas with Ninth Air Force.

The 435th left the United States in October 1943, arriving at RAF Langar, England, in early November. On arrival, it began training for participation in the airborne operation over Normandy. The group flew its first combat missions on D-Day by dropping paratroopers of 101st Airborne Division near Cherbourg. The unit towed Waco CG-4A and Airspeed Horsa gliders carrying reinforcements to the same location that afternoon and on the following morning. The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its part in Operation Overlord, the Normandy invasion.

The group began transport services following the landings in France and intermittently engaged in missions of this type until V-E Day In these operations the 435th hauled supplies such as serum, blood plasma, radar sets, clothing, rations, and ammunition. It also evacuated wounded personnel to Allied hospitals.

Death and Burial

Clarence A. Reverski was Killed in Action on 6 June 1944 at Picauville, Departement de la Manche, Basse-Normandie, France during the D-day invasion. He was posthumously awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart Medal and is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Departement du Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France, Plot: D, Row: 14, Grave: 47.

Clarence A. Reverski was a Passenger on C-47A #42-24077 that was assigned to the 77th Troop Carrier Squadron, 435th Troop Carrier Group during World War II. His plane, C-47A #42-24077 took off with a crew of 4 and 17 Paratroopers from Station 474, Welford, England for a parachute drop over France on D-Day. They were shot down by German Anti-Aircraft fire and crashed. The crew and paratroopers were all killed in this crash.

Crew who perished on C-47A #42-24077:
Hamblin, James J ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NJ
Jones, Milton E ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Kowalski, Joseph E ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NJ
Reverski, Clarence A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, MI

Passengers who perished on C-47A #42-24077; all the Paratroopers were from Company G, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army:

Berlin, John C ~ Tech/5, LA

Brown, Leonard L ~ Pvt, WI

Crouch, Everett G ~ 2nd Lt, TX

Dziedzic, Edward ~ Pvt, PA

Edwards, Melvin D ~ Cpl, CA

Goodall, Frank N ~ Pfc, NY

Jones, Edward L ~ Pvt, WV

Marlow, Jack L ~ Pvt, AZ

Plourde, Donat M ~ Pvt, ME

Simmons, Walter A ~ Pfc, MI

Siriani, Joseph C ~ Pvt, NY

Smith, Charles L ~ Pfc, MI

Vasquez, Manuel R ~ Pvt, TX

Vathis, George T ~ Pfc, MI

Williams, Earle F, Jr ~ Pvt, CA

Yaquinto, Mathew J ~ Sgt, MI

Young, James M ~ Cpl, IN

Sources

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56649178/clarence-a-reverski

https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=62721

https://www.fold3.com/page/84385820/clarence-a-reverski

https://www.fold3.com/page/529913977/clarence-a-reverski/facts

https://www.fold3.com/page/638682074/clarence-a-reverski/facts

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2442/images/M-T0627-01902-00701?pId=79912362

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9093/images/41326_342214-00236?pId=2482155

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9170/images/42861_646933_0808-01213?pId=41635

This story was written by Robert J. “Red” Mulvanny, U.S. Navy (Retired) and is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story. If you noticed anything missing in this profile, you may contact the author. Click on the author’s name located at the bottom of the story page next to the words “added by.”"