Duane Ferris was born in Youngstown, Ohio the son of Franklin & Ethel B. Ferris. He was 19 and attending Hiram College when he was drafted in April of 1943. He was assigned to a training battalion at Camp Berkely, Texas. After basic training, he was told to apply for the ASTP program and was studying electrical engineering at Ohio State when ASTP was discontinued.

In May of 1944, Duane was assigned to the 3138th Signal Service Co., Motor Messengers then in training at Camp Crowder, MO. They landed in France over Utah beach during the night of August 2-3, 1944 and set up near Carentan. Duane was based in the Carentan area for the rest of the war. Because he could read a topographic map, he was often sent out alone to find units that had gotten "lost." He seldom spoke of his time in France to his family except for a few funny anecdotes.

Duane returned to his home town on Jan. 8, 1945. Ten days later he married his sweetheart, Alice Hendely. Together they raised 3 daughters, and welcomed 6 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Duane died on Feb. 4, 2004 a week after being seriously injured in an automobile accident. He was a kind and caring man who touched many lives.

Duane Ferris (1924)