BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The LSU community marked Memorial Day by honoring three alumni killed while fighting in World War II.
The names of the three alumni, Willie Stokes Heard Jr., Robert B. Todd, and Charles J. Shaeffer, were added to LSU’s War Memorial. They were formally revealed during a special ceremony on campus Monday.
The director of the LSU Military Museum, James Gregory, discovered the names of the three alumni had been accidentally left off the memorial while conducting research.
“Unfortunately, I think it’s a reality that every now and then a name will be missed,” Gregory said. “So, it’s our duty to make sure we find them and get them added to showcase that they’re not forgotten.”
According to LSU, Heard earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the university in 1933 and then went on to earn a law degree. Todd graduated from the university in 1928, while Shaeffer attended LSU between 1925 and 1928.
While still at LSU, Heard served as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve. Years later and while actively practicing law, he was called to serve in the Philippines. He battled against a Japanese invasion following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Todd served as a gunner in England and was killed when his fighter plane crashed with a German aircraft. Shaeffer also died during a plane crash and while stationed in the Southern Pacific.
The LSU War Memorial displays the names of more than 600 students and alumni who have served the United States.
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