| The Naming of this VFW Post |  |
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Joseph Butehorn July 24, 1922 -May 10, 1945 Joseph was born in Bethpage on July 24, 1922, to Catherine and Henry A. Butehorn. He was one of five children. Joe went to Farmingdale High School. He had a great love for sports, and was a fantastic basketball player and loved to play softball. After graduation Joe went to work for Grumman Aircraft. It seems strange that he worked on the same aircraft he was destined to fly in the war. Joe joined the Marine
Air Corps on October 15, 1942. With three stars on his campaign bar
and 37 successful missions to his credit, Corporal Joe, now a Marine
Gunner, returned home on leave and visited his former associates at
Grumman.
This young Marine who
for two years welded tanks on airplanes, including Avengers, was now
a turret gunner on a TBF. After his leave, he returned to his base in
the Pacific Theater of Operations. He was shot down over the Ryukyu
Island area. A special search team found an isolated grave on Myako
Jima containing three bodies. One of them was Joe.
He was killed in action on May 10, 1945. He was returned to the United States and buried in Pinelawn National Cemetery next to his brother, mother and father, who was a World War I veteran. Charles Butehorn June 12, 1925 - November 27, 1944 Charles was born in Richmond Hill on June 12, 1925 to Catherine and Henry A. Butehorn. He was the youngest of five children. He graduated from Bethpage grade school, then went on to graduate from Farmingdale High School. Charlie was a scholar in Latin and history. His dream was to be a History teacher. He graduated with a 4.0 average. He was president of the Red Cross Council and a member of the National Honor Society and the Community Council. He was awarded a scholarship to Syracuse University. He worked for Republic Aviation. In November he joined the Army and, after basic training at Camp McClelliac, Alabama, he left for overseas duty on April 14, 1944. Private Charles Butehorn was in the 384th Infantry in Europe. He was wounded while participating in the second invasion of France on August 16, 1944. He contracted malaria while in the hospital. After being discharged from the hospital he returned to the infantry in France. Charlie was killed in the invasion of Southern France on November 27, 1944. He is buried in Pinelawn National Cemetery next to his brother, mother, and father. Henry Butehorn Another brother, Henry Butehorn, was stationed with the Air Force in Italy. When his second brother was killed, the government pulled him off the line (against his wishes), and brought him back to the States. Henry continues to live in Bethpage, and is a Life Member of the VFW Post that is named after the Butehorn Brothers. Also still surviving are sisters Ms Madeline Cramer and Dorothy Keniski. To Go back to the Butehorn History Page..... Click Here. To go Home..... Click Here. |