By K.B. Sherman, Contributing Writer
Grafton – EM1 (Engineman First Class) William F. Dohlus will be honored on Tuesday, May 17, in a Grafton ceremony 73 years after he went missing in a WWII battle.
Dohlus, a Grafton native, was a crewman aboard the submarine USS Cisco (SS-290), which was sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy on Sept. 28, 1943. Cisco was a Balao-class submarine launched in December 1942.
On Sept. 28, 1943 the Cisco was lost west of the Philippines. Based on later released Japanese records, a submarine matching the description and presumed general location of the Cisco was sunk by “bombs and depth charges” on that date.
Several months ago, a family member of Dohlus was seeking information to get a marker placed at a local cemetery on Dohlus’ 100th birthday. After some research a story was pieced together and the official paperwork needed to get the marker through the VA was obtained.
The marker was recently received and installed at St. Philip’s Cemetery on Millbury St. A brief ceremony will be held there Tuesday, May 17, 2016, at 10 a.m. While Dohlus’ remains are lost at sea, his family is happy that he can finally be honored in a ceremony in his hometown.
This ceremony will be coordinated by Grafton’s newly revitalized Trustees of Soldiers and Sailors Memorials.
Photos/submitted