Frank H. Cranston

County:
Bottineau

Date of Loss:

Military Service:
    Rank:
    Sergeant
    Branch of Service:
    Army
    Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:
    18th AAF Fighter Squadron
    Major Battle/Theatre:
    Asiatic Pacific Theater
Medals and Honors:

Circumstances:

Died in service in Fiji Islands

Biography:

He was born on January 14, 1917 in North Dakota. His mother was from South Dakota and his father was from Canada. According to census records he had a younger brother and younger sister. Frank's father was a farm laborer in 1920. By 1930 he farmed his own land. Frank had moved out before the 1940's census.

Frank had a high school education. Before joining the army air corp he worked as a salesperson.

Frank enlisted in the army air corp on March 14, 1941. He became a sergeant in the 18th Army Air Force Fighter Squadron which flew P-38s.

That unit was assigned to Alaska and participated in the Aleutian Islands Campaign to dislodge Japanese who captured some of the islands in June 1942.

Sgt Cranston died on March 13, 1943.

He is buried in Grave 14242, Block 25, Section C at Ft Snelling National Cemetery, Mpls, Minn