All Are Overseas
With the recent arrival of Sgt. Louis J. Pion in England, Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Pion, 1215 1st N. W., have 3 sons in the armed forces serving overseas. Sgt. Pion is a tail gunner in the air force. He entered the service in February, 1943, and received the wings of aerial gunner at Buckingham army air field, Fort Meyers, Fla., in January. He was home on a
furlough at that time.
The 2 other sons of the Pions, Rolly and George, are in the navy and both have the rating of radioman 3/c. Rolly is serving on a destroyer in the Atlantic and George is in an armed guard unit in the southwest Pacific.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, IA, Tuesday, May 02, 1944, Page 3
Sgt. Pion Memorial Services at Wesley Methodist Tuesday
To Be Held at 7:30 in the Evening With Dr. Peterson in Charge
Memorial services for Staff Sgt. Louis J. Pion, Jr., will be conducted at the Wesley Methodist church, with the Doctor Paul Peterson in charge. Patriotic organizations are invited to be present with their colors.
Staff Sgt. Louis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis J. Pion, Sr., 215 1st N.W., was killed in action over France on Sept. 5. He was a bombardier on a B-26 with the "Tiger Strip" squadron on the 9th AAF and had some 30 missions.
The Pions have 2 other sons in the service: Rolly E., radioman 2/c, with a destroyer escort on convoy duty
in the Atlantic, and George M., radioman 3/c, with an armed guard unit in Australia.
Source: The Mason City Globe-Gazette, Oct. 7, 1944
SGT. L. J. PION, Jr., KILLED in ACTION in FRANCE, SEPT. 5
Bombardier on B-26 Had over 30 Missions;
in France 3 Weeks
Staff Sgt. Louis J. Pion, Jr., bombardier on a B-26, was killed in action over France on Sept. 5, the war department informed his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Louis J. Pion, Sr., 215 1st N. W.
Staff Sgt. Pion had been in France 3 weeks, being sent there from England, where he had been since last April. He had his 20th birthday one week before he was killed. He entered the service in February, 1943.
Staff Sgt. Pion was with the "Tiger Stripe" Squadron of the 9th AAF and had made some 30 missions. He had been awarded the air medal with 5 oak leaf clusters and a silver oak cluster.
Previous to being transferred to the position of bombardier, Staff Sgt. Pion had been tail gunner on a Marauder. He has 2 brothers in the service, Radioman 2/c Rolly E. Pion, in a destroyer escort on convoy duty in the Atlantic, and George M. Pion, radioman 3/c, with an armed guard unit in Australia.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, Wednesday, October 11, 1944, Page 8
MEMORIAL FOR S.SGT. PION HELD
His Life Meant for Sacrifice, Says Pastor
"Apparently Junior Pion’s life was meant to be a sacrifice in behalf of others," said Doctor Paul Peterson, recalling the events in the life of Staff Sgt. Louis J. Pion, Jr., in memorial services at the Wesley Methodist church Tuesday night.
S/Sgt. PION was killed in action in France on Sept. 5.
"When he was only 16 years of age he saved a man weighing 150 pounds our of Rice Lake," said Doctor Peterson, pointing out that no claim was made that Junior was an unusual boy, but that he was representative of American youth, "youth which places personal ambition secondary to a cause."
"Junior might have remained in this country as a gunnery instructor, but he chose the front line with its consequent demands," said Doctor Peterson, "though he would not have reflected on any of those who must of necessity remain in this country.
"Junior has not died. He lives in the hearts of youth who loved and respected him for his personality and in the personal sacrifices he made," said the pastor, summing up various activities of the youth.
Speaking of his school career, Doctor Peterson told of his athletic interests in high school, in swimming, football and track and mentioned having seen him run at the Drake Relays some years ago. In scouting he had been assistant scoutmaster and once made a trip with the scouts in Canada. He was also active in Y work, said the pastor.
Graduated from high school, he spent restlessly the few months intervening before his enlistment on Feb. 16, 1943, to get his parents' consent to enter the services, he said.
Of Pion’s military career, Doctor Peterson pointed out that the young staff sergeant had received his wings less than one year after enlisting. He went overseas in April and saw his first combat duty on D-Day, "when you and I were in prayer for our boys in some church."
In one of his last letters to his parents here Sgt. PION had asked his father to double the capacity of the garden next year as he would be home, said Doctor Peterson, telling of the hopes and dreams of the young man.
Home on emergency leave to attend the services of his brother was Rolly, radioman 2/c, from the Atlantic area. The other brother in the service, George, is with the navy in India.
Mrs. Peterson sang "Under His Wings" with Mrs. Carl H. Carlson at the organ. Flower arrangement was under the direction of members of the W. S. C. S. circle.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, Wednesday, October 11, 1944, Page 8 (photo included)
POSTHUMOUS AWARD
Word has been received from the Minneapolis regional army air force office that an officer will be sent here on Sunday to present the air medal with silver oak leaf cluster awarded posthumously to S/Sgt. Louis Pion, Jr., who was killed a year ago in France.
The decoration will be presented to his father, Louis Pion, Sr., at 12:30 Sunday morning at the Wesley Methodist church.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, Wednesday, September 07, 1945, Page 11
Louis J. Pion, Jr. has a cenotaph in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, IA.
Source: ancestry.com
