William Kappel anti aircraft gun battalion

William Kappel's Grave Netherlands American  Cemetery

Remembering Veterans on Veterans Day 2011 We do honor the sacrifice of all veterans today. I especially honor my Great Uncle William Kappel, who was a member of the 462 Anti Aircraft Gun Battalion. A few years ago I discovered that he was killed in Europe at the end of  WWII. He was buried at the American Cemetery in the Netherlands. I have been unable to find out the circumstances of his death due a fire, and  the loss of those records. When I asked my aunt if she knew anything about his service she said she thought he served in the South Pacific? I have verified that he was indeed buried in Europe, so I assume he was killed there. My father never really said nothing about his aunts and uncles; so I have only discovered most of my info about them through my own research.

The only thing I have been able to glean from my questioning of family and research is that William Kappel was one of  the 11 children of my great-grand parents Frank Kappel and Mary Kurta. He was born in Cudahy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 20 Sep 1915. He did marry, and was married when he was killed. Don't know if they had any children? 

My father Robert Kapple was born in 1933. My aunt June said that one Christmas my father got a train set (my father did love trains, and came to California from Chicago, IL by train). She said that my Grandfather Rudolph and his Uncle William hogged the train set on Christmas morning, and my father was upset because he couldn't play with it. In retrospect is nice to know that Uncle William had fun that Christmas with my Dad's train set :).