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SECOND LIEUTENANT JOHN THOMAS EVERETT was
born in Philadelphia PA on July 21, 1922, in Philadelphia, PA. He was
the son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert H. Everett. In 1930 Mr. Everett was
managing a dental company, and the family owned a home at 308 Chestnut
Street in Haddonfield NJ. They later moved to 431 Washington Avenue,
Haddonfield NJ. He graduated
from Haddonfield Memorial High School, Haddonfield, NJ in 1938, and had
been on the football team there. He
entered Rutgers University in September 1939, graduating with a
Bachelor of Science degree in Business in May of 1943. While at Rutgers,
John was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, where he became secretary and
eventually president. He was a member of the football team, the crew
team,
Targum
, and the Rowing Club. In Scarlet Key, he served as
both secretary and treasurer. John also acted as a Chapel Usher, Student
Council secretary, and senior class vice president. He was inducted into
both Crown and Scroll and Cap and Skull.
John Everett entered
military service on March 15, 1943, U.S. Army, and was commissioned as a
2nd Lt. on September 15, 1943. John graduated at the top of his Officer
Candidate School class at Fort Benning, GA and received additional
training at Fort Jackson. He served with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 12th
Infantry, 4th Division during the Normandy invasion.
John was killed on June 8,
1944 when he attempted to accept the surrender of a German position. The
German soldiers had no intention of surrendering and fired upon him when
he came in range. His unit returned fire and destroyed the position.
John's commanding officer later wrote in a letter to Rutgers University
that he "never served with an officer who surpassed Lt. Everett in
a sense of duty and in moral and physical courage."
John was awarded the
Purple Heart and the Silver Star. He was initially buried in France, at
the Sainte-M�re-�glise Cemetery, and his remains were brought home
after the war. He was survived by his parents, and a sister, Ensign Mary
Jane Everett of the United States Navy.
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