Our website was created to help the family members of those who died and participated in Exercise Tiger. Dean Small, son of the late Ken Small, continues with his father's legacy. We are endorsed by the survivors and the families.
William J. Strapp - LST 507
Tech Sgt. William J. Strapp - U. S. Army
33rd Chemical Company
1st Engineering Special Brigade
Buried in Oakdale Cemetery, Urbana Ohio
Brief History of William J. Strapp by Nancy Strapp, Niece
John William Strapp (Bud), born on January 1, 1919, grew up in Urbana, Ohio, in a large Irish Catholic family...parents, Walter and Margaret; sisters, Mary DeFrancis, Kathryn Kerns, Elizabeth Strapp, and Margaret Kerns; brothers, Bob and Paul; many nieces and nephews.
Bud was smart, friendly, handsome, and well-loved by his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. He was a graduate of St. Mary's High School and worked in his father's furniture store. He sang in the church choir and was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Holy Name Society, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He was deeply mourned at the time of his death and throughout the ensuing years.
In January of 1944, Bud, as part of the 33rd Chemical Co., was transferred from Somerset, England to Cornwall. There the 33rd was assigned to the 1st Engineer Special Brigade, which was a special amphibious assault force then in training for the Normandy Invasion. They participated in several rehearsals in the English Channel, the last full scale rehearsal being on the night of April 27th. After the German E-Boat torpedoed LST 507, Bud was seen on deck immediately after the first explosion (about 1:00 A.M.), but he did not survive either the many subsequent explosions or the cold water of the Channel. His body was interred in Brookwood Cemetery in Southern England until he was brought back home to his grieving family in 1948. Bud now rests in Oakdale Cemetery, Urbana, Ohio, with his parents and brothers and sisters.