John R Mendenhall

Description

John Ross Mendenhall
was born on September 29, 1893, in New Jersey to Frances “Fannie” Frazier Ross, age 34, and Clarence Miles Mendenhall, age 34. He had one brother Clarence. His father was a Mechanical Engineer and the family lived on Beaufort Place in New Rochelle.

John was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy in the class of 1915 and served on the Mexican border before going overseas in the first World War. He was wounded while serving with the famed “Lost Battalion” in France and received the Purple Heart. He later received the Croix de Guerre by the French government in honor of his service.

His full WWI service record can be read in the photos at the top of this page.

John Ross Mendenhall married Anna Louise Killinger in Pelham, New York, on March 19, 1918, when he was 24 years old. The couple would have two daughters. The family would move to Rye and live at Country Gardens on Theall Road.

From 1930 to1936 John had been technical adviser to the Seventh Regiment of the New York National Guard and from 1938 to 1941 he was assigned to the Reserve Officers Training Corps at Fargo N D.

In November 1941 he had been sent to Puerto Rico in command of the 42nd Infantry Regiment. He then received an overseas assignment.

Colonel Mendenhall was commanding officer of the 167th Infantry Regiment arriving in the South Pacific in January 1944 when he was sent to take command of the 167th.

The 167th Regiment was assigned to the 31st Division during World War II and fought in the Pacific in the Battle of the Philippines.

On Feb 2, 1945 Colonel Mendenhall was reported missing.

A few days later his wife was informed that Colonel John Ross Mendenhall, 51, of Country Gardens Theall Road was killed in an airplane crash in Dutch New Guinea on January 27, 1945

He was survived by his wife, two daughters Mrs. Joan Schroder New York and Miss Sylvia Mendenhall a freshman at Smith College, a brother Lieut. CoL Clarence Mendenhall Jr, who was serving in Europe and his parents Mr. and Mrs. Clarence M Mendenhall of La Habra, CA.

His remains were returned to the United States in 1950 with two other servicemen. All three were interred in the same plot in Arlington National Cemetery and share a marker. (see pic above)

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