Beattie Harris Fleenor was born September 2nd, 1917 in Asherville, Kansas. His parents were Beattie Hope Fleenor and Jessie Mae Fleenor. He also had a sister named Mary Elizabeth. The Fleenor family moved to Manhattan when Beattie was very young and stayed there for the rest of his childhood. They lived at 1634 Osage St, and the house is still present today. His dad was a teacher at MHS and later a K-State professor, while his mom stayed home with the kids. His grandfather on his mom's side was a preacher.

Beattie attended Manhattan High School and began going by the nickname “Bud”, which followed him for the rest of his life. While at MHS, he was given leadership roles that prepared him for life later in the future, such as serving as Class President his Senior Year in 1935. He also was a member of the science club and excelled in that subject.

Bud was also an athlete, and played on the basketball team for all four years. In his senior basketball season, the team finished 10-9 with a chance to get third place, but lost an exciting double overtime game to finish their season. He also played football until he suffered a knee injury that ended his football career.

In 1935, Bud began attending Kansas State University, where his father worked as a professor. During his time there, he studied Milling and Industry. While he was a student, he was a part of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Alpha Mu honor society, both of which required members to be good scholars. He was involved in the YMCA as well and graduated from K-State in 1939. After graduating, he worked as a salesman in a flour mill in West Virginia.

After college, Fleenor enlisted in the military at Fort Knox in Kentucky on April 25th, 1941 and was elevated to activate duty after Pearl Harbor on December 12, 1941. Shortly after, he married Barbara Myers on December 20th. Barbara would later move to Los Angeles after the war. After enlisting, he received his training in three different locations, including Tulsa, Oklahoma, San Angelo, Texas, and Brooks Field in Texas. After training, he earned the rank of Captain and piloted a B-24 Bomber during the war.

His first assignment was to the 93rd Bomb Group and 409th Bomb Squadron. The unit trained in Barksdale, Louisiana, and Ft. Myers, Florida before deploying to Europe. Florida was very hot and humid, but it helped prepare them for the missions ahead. While in Florida, Fleenor’s squadron sunk a German U-Boat that was prowling along the American Coast in the Gulf of Mexico.

The 93rd was nicknamed “Ted’s Traveling Circus” because of their general, Edward “Ted” Timberlake. After completing their training, the 93rd Bomb Group traveled to Alconbury, England, where the unit completed 9 missions. They then packed up and left for North Africa on December 7, 1942. After they arrived, they took base at Tafraoui, Algeria. On the first night the air raid siren sounded but nothing happened, and they laughed off the excitement.

After returning to England, they began trying to take back France and push back the Germans by bombing targets in Europe. Fleenor was the pilot of a plane named Night Raider and he and his crew took part in a key mission on February 26, 1943. His B-24 was sent on a mission to bomb ports and industrial facilities near Wilhelmshaven in Northern Germany. While heading towards the target, several crew members had trouble with oxygen due to the high altitude. They then encountered heavy resistance of “flak and fighters” (anti-aircraft defense cannons and ammo from enemy planes). They were struck numerous times, causing damage to his plane and injuring crew members. To try and avoid more German fighters, they headed towards sea. But instead of safety, they were met with 20 enemy fighter planes. In the fight for survival, with wounded men and freezing guns, Night Raider’s crew shot down several enemy aircrafts. As his plane began to falter, Fleenor made a life-or-death decision to fly into a near-by cloud bank, as the Raider was low on fuel. With the enemies low on fuel and ammo as well, the Germans retreated. Night Raider was able to make it back to the British coast, but the plane had been badly damaged, and the tires had been blown out, so a crash-landing was inevitable. As the crew signaled to the British airmen for help, Fleenor prepared for a rough landing. Despite the plane’s damage, Fleenor was able to land safely and get his wounded crew members medical attention. After the landing, Robert Jungbluth, the radio operator of Fleenor’s crew, praised Fleenor’s flying through such a dangerous battle. “Thank God we had Captain Fleenor driving. We all owe our lives to him. It could have been a lot worse.” A newspaper article later told the story of the skillful recovery over Wilhelmshaven, and Fleenor was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his remarkable flying.

After the attack on Wilhelmshaven, Fleenor and his co-pilot were reassigned to a new plane, the Missouri Sue, and given crew replacements. On April 16th, 1943, Fleenor’s crew was sent on a mission to bomb port facilities in Brest, France. The enemy’s defense was fierce. After successfully bombing the port, Fleenor and his crew were leaving the mission when they were hit by anti-air guns. The left rudder was shot off and engine number 2 was left in flames. As they were losing altitude, a British Spitfire escorted them out of the formation. In last survival efforts, they tried to land in the English Channel. Though the crew may have survived the crash, they were over twenty miles offshore. The entire crew was declared missing in action, but in the end no survivors were found. On Easter Sunday, the unit held a memorial for all the airmen who were killed at Brest, and a moment of silence was observed.

Captain Fleenor received multiple awards during and after his tenure in the military. In addition to the Distinguished Flying Cross, he was also awarded the Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster and the Purple Heart award. Today, there are multiple memorials for him and his crew members. There is one in the Sunset Cemetery in Manhattan, KS, as well as one on the Kansas State University campus. He is also remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial in Normandy, France.

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Written and Researched by Mr. Allen’s 1st and 6th Hour Class 2024-25

Phillip “Phil” Shirley Gould was born on April 9th, 1918. Phillip was the son of Harold and Maud, and had two brothers, Keith and Dale. The family never moved, and his father farmed the land until the 1950s. Phil stood out in high school for winning an oratorical contest. From what we know, we assume that Phil graduated from Eureka High School in 1936.

Philip went to college at Emporia State University (formerly called Kansas State Teachers College). Based on his birth year, and college yearbooks, we have determined that he was in college from approximately 1936-1940. Phil was awarded the Iden Scholarship, and was highly active in college, taking part in roles in the newspaper/Bulletin as editor-in-chief and being a member of the YMCA. He was awarded membership into Gilson Players for his outstanding work throughout several drama programs. Additionally, he formed and sponsored the Creative Club, a branch off of the Gilson Players. He was in the Kappa Delta Pi fraternity, which promoted the standard of public speaking and forensic contests, and Xi Phi fraternity. Additionally, he was a sophomore representative on the student council. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Science in English in 1940. After graduation, Phil went to teach in the Mankato public school system as an English teacher.

Phil Gould taught at MHS in the 1st semester of 1941. He taught drama and public speaking as well as debate. He coached the varsity debate team and he directed the Fall 1941 play ‘June Mad’ as well. He left to join the Air Corps at the end of the first semester. Ida Mae Elder replaced him for the second semester. During his time at MHS he was loved by all his students, and deeply missed after his passing. He was placed on the honor roll of people from MHS who gave their lives, and the school greatly mourned his loss, and the loss of the other students who died in the war.

On January 7th, 1942, just a month after the attack at Pearl Harbor, Phil enlisted in the war. At the time of enlistment, Phil was 5’11” and weighed 155 lbs. He joined the Air Corps and became a bombardier in the 489th bombardment squadron and the 340th bomb group, who have been known for their exceptional mechanic and medical work. Phil first reported to train in Bakersfield, California. A majority of the training was conducted at Walterboro, South Carolina at an increased speed. After basic training, Phil rose up the ranks quickly, becoming a 2nd Lieutenant within the one year before his death. Based on pilot’s logs and Brazilian currency found on Phil’s remains, it’s assumed that Phil aided in the transportation of planes to Egypt, while a majority of the 489th were transported to Cairo from San Francisco on the West Point.

For over a year he trained preparing for his first mission, but sadly, on March 21, 1943, in Cairo, Egypt Phil died. He died during a plane accident, when the loaded bomber he was flying ran out of fuel in a severe sandstorm, and crash landed into a hillside near Helwan, Egypt All forms of his identification were destroyed in the crash, and he was found as a skeleton. We assume they identified his body by the plane he was flying, as well as consulting the survivors of the crash. From sources dating the battles that Bomb Squadron 489 took place in, we were able to find out that Phil had participated in no key battles during the time he was enlisted, because he died in the accident right when the group arrived in Egypt. Over the course of two years, the 489th took part in a total of 466 missions, spanning from Italy to Northern Africa, with their last being on April 26th, 1945. Phil would have been part of these if he had survived the accident.

Although he did not get to take part in any mission, his bravery and dedication will be remembered forever. After his death, he was first buried in Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt. He was then moved to El Alia Cemetery in Algiers, Algeria. His remains may have been moved to Tunis, Tunisia later. After his death, Phil was awarded with a WW2 victory medal, a Kansas Gold Star, and an American Campaign Medal. Phil Gould has been remembered by the community because of the sacrifices he made for the country. He has been added to the Peace Memorial in Abilene, Kansas.

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Researched and produced by Mrs. Ashlyn Kuhlmann’s 1st and 3rd World History Hours:

Francis Hopkins Dresser was born on July 4th, 1914 in Manhattan, Kansas. His parents were Leonard Dresser and Annie May Dresser. He had four siblings - Edward, Robert, Florence, and Lenora. The Dresser family lived in Manhattan, Kansas. His dad was a farmer and his mom stayed at home with the kids. Both of Francis’ parents are buried at Sunset Cemetery.

Francis attended Manhattan High School. While at MHS, he played football, was on the Track and Field team, and was elected as a Senior Yell Leader by his classmates. Francis was also president of the Willing Workers group at the Cedar Creek Sunday School, a leadership position that prepared him for his future.

After graduating high school in 1932, Francis attended Kansas State University (then known as Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science). While there, he was one of 13 students to do pilot training. He only attended K-State for a year, and then he went to work as a financial clerk.8 After a while, Francis decided to enlist in the U.S. Military.

Dresser enlisted as a private in the military at Fort Riley on October 8, 1940. He became a pilot because of his background in flying planes. Dresser was part of the 490th Bombardment Group stationed in Suffolk, England. Their job was to bomb places in Germany. The 490th bombardment group had at least 250 missions in the European Theater, and members of the group were involved in D-Day in Normandy, France.

As a group, the 490th was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre. Dresser was also part of the 849th Bombardment Squadron. He flew a B-17 plane nicknamed “Miss Ana Bortion.” Dresser eventually earned the rank of major for all of his work.

Dresser’s final mission was as command pilot, and their group was to bomb Gustavsburg, Germany, but it was too cloudy for the group to see their target. They decided to turn back to Suffolk, but over Paris, Dresser’s plane collided with another Allied plane. On September 1, 1944, Dresser and his crew were declared missing in action. In the end, only three survivors parachuted to safety, and 10 casualties occurred. Dresser was officially declared killed in action on October 14, 1944.

Francis Dresser is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery in France. There was a memorial service for Dresser in Manhattan on December 29, 1944. He received an Air Medal during his time fighting in WWII and Purple Heart posthumously. There are multiple memorials dedicated to the 490th Bombardment Group. One is located in Suffolk, England, and one is located in the U.S. Air Force Academy. Dresser is also remembered on the World War II Plaque in Manhattan High School.

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Written and Researched by Ms. McClure's 1st and 2nd Hour Class 2024-25

Wesley Harold Hunt was born on July 22, 1923. He was born in Jackson County in Kansas City, Missouri to his parents Elizabeth “Bessie” Faye Hunt (Thornton) and Norman David Hunt. Growing up Wesley had two brothers Norman T Hunt and Donald M Hunt. Both of Wesley’s parents were deaf and mute, and Wesley’s dad, David, was a teacher at Olathe and Fulton State Schools for the deaf. In 1932, when Wesley was only 14 years old, his dad was on trial for killing a man. Wesley’s dad, Norman, was suspicious of his wife Bessie cheating on him with a man named Louis Coleman. On March 14th Norman appeared at the police station and showed the officers his revolver with 6 fired shells and signs “I shot a man on Monroe.” Norman was later released, and all charges were dismissed due to the jury being deadlocked. His parents filed for divorce and was finalized in 1937. By this time, Wesley had started to live with his uncle Ray I Throckmorton and Aunt Celeste Jane Throckmorton in Manhattan, Kansas. In Manhattan, he attended Theodore Rosevelt Elementary School.

Wesley was in a number of activities during his time at Manhattan High School: Music club, football (they lost three times), HMS Pinafore, “M” club, as well as a play called “Seventeen” as a supporting role. He was also in basketball (seven games lost). He also was in the representative council in high school. He also played football, and was on the Varsity team all four years. One of his leadership roles during his time at MHS was class president during 1941.

Wesley attended Kansas State University in the year 1941. While at K-State, Wesley studied Agricultural and Applied Science. During this time Mr. Throckmorton, his uncle, was a K-State professor of Agronomy. Wesley was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. While at K-State, Wesley also participated as a pilot with thirty-nine other pilots in the “Flying Wildcats.” He trained with his brother, Donald M. Hunt who was the Secretary of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Only fifteen of them advanced to the second level and both him and his brother made it in.

Wesley started his military training in Phoenix, Arizona, at Luke Field Basic Training Center on August 30, 1943. He also trained at the Santa Ana Army Air Base in Santa Ana, California. He was placed into a branch of the 324th Fighter Group, the 316th Fighter Squadron known as the “Hells Belles,” where he was a First Lieutenant. The 316th was sent all over Europe, including locations like France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia, and Sicily. However, the unit was exceptionally impactful to the war effort in Italy, where Hunt was stationed. Together with other allied forces, the unit successfully repelled the Germans out of Rome in the Battle at Monte Cassino. The 12th tactical air command had control over the 324th fighting group and operated in the North Africa Campaign in Egypt. In February of 1943 they were moved to Sicily where they flew scout patrols and bomber escorts. In October of 1943 the 324th fighter group was moved to Italy and continued to fly scouting missions and provided close air support for ground troops and strategic bombing.

Wesley’s final mission was a dive-bombing mission on a bridge west of Cecina, Italy. He departed from Montalto airfield June 18, 1944, in a P 40- Warhawk with the serial number, 42-10867. The aircraft was last seen 14:00 over the target area and the reason for its disappearance is unknown. Lt. Hunt was reported missing in action after an attempt to dive bomb a bridge in Cecina Italy, and both Hunt and his plane were never seen again.

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Written and Researched by Mrs. Doering’s 6th and 7th Hour Class 2024-25

Oscar “Leland” Wertz was born on July 5, 1918 in Ashland, Kansas. His father was a farmer, and his mother was a housewife. His parents never married. His mother had spent time in a sanitarium in Kansas City, which meant Oscar had to rely on other family members to raise him. He moved around during his childhood, living in places like Wichita, Kansas, and Phoenix, Arizona, before returning to Manhattan to live with his grandparents.

During his years at Manhattan High School, Oscar Wertz made the most of his opportunities. He was elected president of Mr. Darby’s classroom in 1935, showing his leadership skills. He also participated in school activities, starring in the junior class play “Rafferty Racket” as the character Hugh Rafferty. He was a member of the Hi-Y Club at MHS. In addition to academics and clubs, he was active in sports and joined the track team that same year, throwing the shot put. These activities helped him become a well-rounded student and leader among his peers. While in high school, he was a waiter at the Palace Drug Store in Aggieville.

After high school, Oscar Wertz continued his education and began preparing for a military career. He first attended Omaha Technical High School and later enrolled at Kansas State College, where he pledged the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He took part in Civil Air Authority pilot training at the Manhattan Municipal Airport in 1940. After graduating from college, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps with friends in August 1940. He completed primary flight training at Hammett Field in California, and he graduated training at Randolph Field in Texas in 1941, receiving the rank of second lieutenant. He eventually earned the rank of Captain. During his training, Oscar married Leah Marek of Orlando, Florida.

After training, Wertz was placed with the 90th Bombardment Squadron within the 3rd Bombardment Group. The 3rd Bomb Group was often referred to as the “Grim Reapers,” and they were stationed in the Pacific Theater. Their main mission was combat Japanese control of New Guinea. The 3rd Bomb Group was made up of very skilled bombers, even in bad weather. The B-25C plane that Wertz flew was known as “Calamity Jane.”

Wertz’s military service was a significant part of his life, but sadly it ended in tragedy. His last mission came on July 23, 1943 where he was to bomb and strafe Japanese targets. Wertz’s plane was heading back to their headquarters when it hit a barge in Hanisch Harbor, New Guinea. The plane crashed, and Wertz and his crew were declared Missing In Action on July 23, 1943. A few months later, Wertz’s status changed from MIA to KIA.

After being buried two other times, Wertz is buried in Wichita, Kansas.25 Oscar “Leland” Wertz is on the World War II memorial plaque located in the Alumni Room at Manhattan High School.

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Written and Researched by Ms. McClure's 5th, 6th, and 7th Hour Class 2024-25

Photo courtesy of Peace Memorial

Photo courtesy of Peace Memorial

Photo courtesy of 1937 MHS Blue M Yearbook

Photo courtesy of Peace Memorial

Photo courtesy of Peace Memorial

Photo courtesy of 1942 K-State Royal Purple Yearbook

Photo courtesy of Peace Memorial

Photo courtesy of Peace Memorial

Photo courtesy of 1940 K-State Royal Purple Yearbook