A Stratford War Casualty
By David Wright
Town Historian
In this month of November when we commemorate our Veteran heroes, we thought it would be appropriate to remember some of Stratford’s veterans from times past.
In one of the last letters Lt. Norval Peterson sent to his parents, he ended the letter with a prayer requesting that they use it in praying for him, as he was using it in praying for them. A concluding petition of the prayer was that “this war shall not be in vain.” We’re hopeful his family found Norval’s petition fulfilled as Lt. Peterson was killed in action over Egglied, Germany, November 13, 1943 during a bomber flight.
Norval Oscar Peterson was the second child born to Oscar and Malda (Gendron) Peterson on July 18, 1918. His older sister, Thelma was born in 1915. The Peterson family resided at 1056 North Avenue.
Senator Oscar Peterson was a three-term Representative in the Connecticut House of Representatives, as well as a three-term Senator in the Connecticut State Senate. He was well-known and respected in Stratford. Oscar was a personal friend of Governor Raymond Baldwin.
Norval distinguished himself in many ways throughout his brief life. He was President of his Stratford High School graduating class of 1936, and was voted by his fellow students as having done “most for the school.” Norval was captain of the championship basketball team, player on the baseball team, and doubles tennis champion with Ray Pulaski.
After graduating from Stratford High, Norval attended Syracuse University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. “He entered the production engineering department at Sikorsky’s, but enlisted in the 242nd Coast Artillery when the National Guard was inducted in September, 1940. In January, 1941, he was commissioned a second lieutenant at Fort Terry. He happened to be home for the weekend when the radio flashed the Pearl Harbor raid on December 7, 1941, and hurried back to his post.”
“In June, 1942, Lt. Peterson applied for transfer to the Army Air Forces, reporting at Maxwell Field, Ala., on July 5. He won his wings as a twin-motor bomber pilot at Blytheville, Ark., in January of last year, and his commission as a Liberator (4-motor) bomber pilot at Pocatello, Idaho, last spring.”
“Lieutenant Peterson’s gold star is the sixteenth on the Town Honor Roll and the second on the Methodist Church roll; the first on each roll is Raymond T. Goldbach.” (Foregoing from The Stratford News, January 21, 1941).
Services for Norval were not held until Wednesday, June 17, 1949. (We assume his family was awaiting the return of his body to Stratford from Germany). The service was held at the funeral home of Charles E. Dennis and Son. The Rev. Melville S. Bulmer, pastor of the Stratford Methodist church, officiated. Norval was buried in Union cemetery.
