African American, Company B, Alaska Highway. Born: 6 May 1916, Franklinton, Washington Parish, Louisiana. Died: 29 June 1944, Aleutian Islands, Adak, Alaska.
U.S. Roster of WWII Dead reports that Comeal died in service at Adak, Alaska. Application for his headstone states that he is buried at Chrystal Springs Cemetery in Franklinton, LA. The headstone was sent to Miss. Elgin Andrews.
Enlisted: 15 April 1941 at Jacksonville Army Air Field, Florida. Education: grammar school. Civil occupation: general farming. In the 1920 census he lived in Washington County, LA with his father Hamp [Hampton] Andrews, age 33, and his mother Allie Andrews, age 27. His father worked as a farmer.
Serial #34073006
This solder is my Grand-Uncle. I am so proud that this is part of my families heritage. I am so proud of him. We know very little about him. I wonder if there is anyone that has a photo of him or knows specifically how he died. I am in the process of requesting his files from St Louis.
THANK YOU for your work on this website and for helping me find more pieces of my ancestry and heritage. As a Veteran married to a Veteran thank you for remembering these men and their contribution to the ALCAN highway.
Update on my the cause of death for my Grand Uncle Comeal sad event but I am grateful to at long last know what happened to him.
Adak, Alaska, June 29, 1944 at about 1405 (2:05 PM), Comeal pulled his Euclid bottom dump, 13 yard earth mover behind Private First Class (PFC) Everett. E. Williams, 176th Engineer Regiment, heavy dump. The heavy equipment vehicles were there in connection with excavation work in the vicinity of Main and Dyke Road. There was about 3-4 feet of space between the two rigs. Comeal and Private Williams got out and were standing in the space between the trucks.
The 3rd heavy truck approached preparing to park behind Comeal’s dump for loading, driven by a student driver Pvt John M. Harris, 176th Engineer Regiment. Harris reports he applied the brakes but they did not hold. The truck hit the back of Comeal’s dump so hard it pushed Comeals front bumper into PFC William’s rear bumper crushing Comeal between the bumpers of both dump trucks. Williams was “jarred” out of the way. It is believed Comeal died instantly.
Private Williams stayed with Comeal until an ambulance and Navy Doctor came and pronounced him deceased. A letter sent to my family indicated Comeal died instantly. The “Report of Investigation” identifies his injuries were extensive and immediately fatal. It is unknown exactly when the body was returned to Louisiana for burial sometime later in 1944, however Comeal’s pine box was sealed and the family was instructed not to open the casket.
A thorough investigation was done and the brakes were found to be faulty, the student driver should not have been operating the truck and other safety recommendations were noted as a result of this accident.
This is an important story, and I really appreciate your contributing it.
Thank you.