The Hewitt and Dunn Families at War: A Legacy of Service and Sacrifice
A Story of Courage Across Generations in World War I & II
Prologue: The Call to Duty
As the world was engulfed in war, young men across America answered the call to serve. In the Hewitt and Dunn families, this call was answered by multiple sons across two world wars, each stepping forward to defend their country in different capacities.
From the trenches of World War I to the Pacific jungles and European battlefields of World War II, their service shaped their families’ legacies. Some returned home with deep scars, both physical and emotional. Others never returned at all.
This is their story.
The Hewitt Brothers at War
Few families bore the weight of war like the Hewitt family. Four brothers—Wayland, Henry, LeRoy, and John—served in different branches across both the European and Pacific Theaters. Each played a vital role in the fight for victory.
The Hewitt Brothers at War
Few families bore the weight of war like the Hewitt family. Four brothers—Wayland, Henry, LeRoy, and John—served in different branches across both the European and Pacific Theaters. Each played a vital role in the fight for victory.
Wayland D. Hewitt: Infantryman in the Pacific
Wayland D. Hewitt: Infantryman in the Pacific
- New Guinea Campaign (1943-1944) – Harsh jungle combat, facing enemy ambushes
- Leyte Gulf, Philippines (1944) – Pivotal battle to liberate the Philippines
- Mindanao, Philippines (1945) – Final push against Japanese resistance
Henry Harrison Hewitt: A Leader in Europe
Henry Harrison Hewitt: A Leader in Europe
- Branch: U.S. Army, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
- Theater: Italy & France
- Rank: First Lieutenant
- Key Battles:
- Monte Cassino (1944) – Grueling mountain warfare
- Anzio Landings (1944) – One of the most pivotal amphibious assaults in the Italian Campaign
- Vosges Mountains Offensive (1944) – Brutal winter combat against German forces
- Awards: Silver Star for leadership and bravery under fire
LeRoy Guthrie Hewitt: The Seabee Builder
LeRoy Guthrie Hewitt: The Seabee Builder
- Branch: U.S. Navy, Construction Battalions (Seabees)
- Theater: Pacific
- Role: Military engineer and builder
- Key Contributions:
- Constructed runways, ports, and bridges in the Pacific islands
- Ensured supply lines remained open for infantry units
- Built critical infrastructure in Okinawa and Tinian
John Raymond Hewitt: The Soldier Who Never Came Home
John Raymond Hewitt: The Soldier Who Never Came Home
- Branch: U.S. Army, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
- Theater: France & Germany
- Rank: First Lieutenant
- Key Battles:
- Southern France (1944)
- Vosges Mountains Campaign (1944)
- Battle of the Rhine (1944)
- Awards: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart (2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
- Final Battle: Killed in action on November 8, 1944, during operations in France
- Burial: Epinal American Cemetery, Dinozé, France
The Dunn Family at War
While the Hewitt brothers were spread across multiple battlefronts, the Dunn family had its own war story—one that spanned two generations.
William Franklin Dunn Sr.: A Life of War and Controversy
William Franklin Dunn Sr.: A Life of War and Controversy
- Branch: U.S. Navy (World War I), U.S. Coast Guard (World War II)
- Theater: Atlantic Patrols, Great Lakes Security
- World War I Service (1916-1919):
- Served aboard the USS O’Brien
- Court-martialed and received a Bad Conduct Discharge for overstaying leave
- World War II Service (1942-1945):
- Despite his WWI discharge, he re-enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard
- Stationed on Great Lakes patrol duty, helping enforce wartime security
William Franklin Dunn Jr.: A Parallel Path in the Pacific
William Franklin Dunn Jr.: A Parallel Path in the Pacific
- Branch: U.S. Army
- Theater: Pacific Campaigns
- Role: Logistics and supply management
- Key Operations:
- New Guinea and the Philippines (1944-1945) – Supplied frontline troops
- Post-War Reconstruction (1946-1947) – Helped stabilize occupied territories
James W. Guthrie: The Unknown Connection
James W. Guthrie: The Unknown Connection
- Branch: U.S. Navy
- Theater: TBD
- Role: Unclear, further research needed
- Connection to the Family: Unclear
A Mother’s Strength: Ramah Aloysius Hewitt
Back home, Ramah Hewitt waited for letters that sometimes never came. She endured months of silence from her sons in the Pacific and Europe. And when the news of John’s death arrived, her grief was overwhelming.
But she did not break. Instead, she preserved her family’s history, ensuring that her sons’ sacrifices would never be forgotten.
Legacy: More Than Just Medals
The war ended, but its impact never faded.
- Wayland, Henry, and LeRoy Hewitt survived, carrying the weight of their experiences into civilian life.
- John Hewitt gave his life for freedom, his name forever etched in stone.
- William Dunn Sr. carried a complicated past, one of service, dishonor, and reinvention.
- William Dunn Jr. returned to build a family, unknowingly connected to the same battlefront as his future in-laws.
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Major Civil War Events
📜 The Outbreak of War: Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861)
“The War Commenced—Attack on Fort Sumter by the Rebels”
Source: The New York Times, April 13, 1861
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📜 The Surrender at Appomattox (April 9, 1865)
“Glorious! Reported Surrender of General Lee and His Army!!”
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 10, 1865
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📜 The Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln (April 14, 1865)
“Murder of President Lincoln”
Source: Daily Morning Chronicle, Washington, D.C., April 15, 1865
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Honoring the 13th Maine Infantry Regiment
🖼️ Officers of the 13th Maine Infantry, circa 1862
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🖼️ Group Photograph of Men from the 13th Maine Infantry
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