Howard Warren Anthony was born 15 Oct 1920 in Sandy Run, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Howard Ellsworth Anthony (1882-1975) and Elizabeth Makatchie (1892-1961). Elizabeth was born in Germany and came to the US in 1905, later becoming a naturalized citizen.

In 1930, the family with 5 sons was living in Foster, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania where the father was a foreman in the coal mines. 1940 finds the family still in Foster where the elder Howard was now a watchman for the coal mines.

Howard Warren was a graduate of the Foster Township High School, class of 1938. He was a member of St Luke’s Lutheran Church in Freeland.

Howard married Anna Virginia Parr on 26 Sep 1942 in the Prospect Park Baptist Church. They had moved to Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania and had 1 son, Richard Howard Anthony. Howard only saw his son once. Before entering the service, Howard was employed as a welder at the Sun Shipyards in Chester.

On 16 Feb 1942, Howard registered for the draft. He was 5-foot 4-inches tall, weighed about 130 pounds, had hazel eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion. He had a scar on his back. His mother was the contact person. Howard was living at 1330 Hancock Street in Chester and was employed by Harbison & Walker in Chester.

Howard registered for service on 6 Oct 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Training was received at Camp Atterbury, Indiana and Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky. He served in Company F, 330th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division and was sent to England in Mar 1944.

In Jul 1944, Howard was wounded in battle at Normandy and was in a hospital. He sustained a fractured shoulder and shrapnel wounds. He was treated with penicillin and returned to duty in Aug. He received the Purple Heart for these serious wounds.

Howard was killed in action on 16 Jan 1945 in Belgium. Memorial services were held on 25 Feb 1943 in St Luke’s Lutheran Church in Freeland, Luzerne County where his parents lived. He was buried in the Chester Rural Cemetery in Chester (Soldier’s Circle, Row 2, Grave 60). Surviving were his parents, his wife, 15-month old son, and 5 brothers.

SSgt Howard Warren Anthony, we thank you for your dedication, service and sacrifice for our country. You are not forgotten.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery.

If you have any details, photos, or corrections for this story, please email me by clicking on the words “Added by:” at the bottom of this story.

Kathy Harmon- Contributing Author, Stories Behind the Stars

SBTS Project/Pennsylvania/Delaware

Sources –

Anthony, Howard W | Chester County Hall of Heroes, PA (chescoheroes.org)

09 Feb 1945, Page 1 - Delaware County Daily Times at Newspapers.com

24 Feb 1945, 9 - The Plain Speaker at Newspapers.com

U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 - Ancestry.com

1930 United States Federal Census - Ancestry.com

1940 United States Federal Census - Ancestry.com

12 Oct 1942, 4 - The Plain Speaker at Newspapers.com

U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985 - Ancestry.com

Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966 - Ancestry.com

Howard W Anthony