Montgomery in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Montgomery at War: The San Antonio Rose Monument

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 14, 2024

1. Montgomery at War: The San Antonio Rose Monument

Inscription.

Montgomery at War: The San Antonio Rose Monument. . , Many sons of Montgomery have gone off to war to defend their country. Some made the ultimate sacrifice. One of these veterans who gave the "last full measure of devotion" was 2nd Lieutenant Delmar Decker. Born to Paul and Ruth Decker on March 11th, 1917 and descended from a prominent Montgomery family, Delmar joined the Army on January 18th, 1941. He was the first man from Montgomery to join the Army during World War II. After several courses of training and promotions, he was transferred to the Army Air Corps where he completed training as a navigator in 1943., Assigned to the 8th Air Force, 95th Bomb Group, 336th Squadron, Delmar served as Navigator aboard the B-17 Flying Fortress, "San Antonio Rose." On February 21st, 1944, near the end of his seventh mission- a bombing run over the German city of Brunswick- the San Antonio Rose was shot down by Nazi fighters over Zegveld, Netherlands, near Utrecht. Lieutenant Decker was killed during the crash along with several other crewmen. Four more crew members were taken captive. Delmar was first buried near the crash site in the Netherlands, however, his body was eventually brought back to Montgomery where he was laid to rest beside his brother, Lieutenant Aaron Decker, who was killed leading his troops during a battle in North Africa. Aaron was the first Montgomery man killed in World War II; they are both interred in Fairview Cemetery. Delmar and Aaron were survived by their brothers Roland and Paul (both veterans of world war two) as well as their sister Marion (Decker) McCormick., The citizens of Zegveld never forgot the men of the San Antonio Rose. In 2013, a Dutch historian, Jeroen van der Kamp reached out to Marion in order to gather research for a book on the crew members. By 2015, people in Zegveld had erected a memorial to the crew near the crash site, and Marion, her children, and their spouses traveled to the Netherlands for the dedication ceremony. Afterwards, the family erected a copy of the memorial in the Montgomery Memorial Park., [Photo captions, clockwise from top left, read] , . 2nd Lieutenant Delmar A. Decker (November 10, 1917-February 21, 1944), . The Crew of the San Antonio Rose during training in the United States [see photo for identification]., . The Signboard is dedicated to the memory of Delmar's sister, Marion (Decker) McCormick, whose tireless efforts founded, built, and sustained the Montgomery Area Historical Society for many years., . In 2015 Marion McCormick with her children visiting the site where the San Antonio Rose was shot down in 1944. (L to R: Lynn Matrisian, Marion, Paula McCormick, and Brett McCormick), . The San Antonio Rose was a B-17 Flying Fortress. It was part of the 336th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. It was shot down by Nazi fighter pilots February 21, 1944., . The original monument to the crew of the San Antonio Rose near Zegveld, Netherlands.

Many sons of Montgomery have gone off to war to defend their country. Some made the ultimate sacrifice. One of these veterans who gave the "last full measure of devotion" was 2nd Lieutenant Delmar Decker. Born to Paul and Ruth Decker on March 11th, 1917 and descended from a prominent Montgomery family, Delmar joined the Army on January 18th, 1941. He was the first man from Montgomery to join the Army during World War II. After several courses of training and promotions, he was transferred to the Army Air Corps where he completed training as a navigator in 1943.

Assigned to the 8th Air Force, 95th Bomb Group, 336th Squadron, Delmar served as Navigator aboard the B-17 Flying Fortress, "San Antonio Rose." On February 21st, 1944, near the end of his seventh mission- a bombing run over the German city of Brunswick- the San Antonio Rose was shot down by Nazi fighters over Zegveld, Netherlands, near Utrecht. Lieutenant Decker was killed during the crash along with several other crewmen. Four more crew members were taken captive. Delmar was first buried near the crash site in the Netherlands, however, his body was

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eventually brought back to Montgomery where he was laid to rest beside his brother, Lieutenant Aaron Decker, who was killed leading his troops during a battle in North Africa. Aaron was the first Montgomery man killed in World War II; they are both interred in Fairview Cemetery. Delmar and Aaron were survived by their brothers Roland and Paul (both veterans of WWII) as well as their sister Marion (Decker) McCormick.

The citizens of Zegveld never forgot the men of the San Antonio Rose. In 2013, a Dutch historian, Jeroen van der Kamp reached out to Marion in order to gather research for a book on the crew members. By 2015, people in Zegveld had erected a memorial to the crew near the crash site, and Marion, her children, and their spouses traveled to the Netherlands for the dedication ceremony. Afterwards, the family erected a copy of the memorial in the Montgomery Memorial Park.

[Photo captions, clockwise from top left, read]
• 2nd Lieutenant Delmar A. Decker (November 10, 1917-February 21, 1944)

• The Crew of the San Antonio Rose during training in the United States [see photo for identification].

• The Signboard

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 14, 2024

2. Montgomery at War: The San Antonio Rose Monument

Center marker

is dedicated to the memory of Delmar's sister, Marion (Decker) McCormick, whose tireless efforts founded, built, and sustained the Montgomery Area Historical Society for many years.

• In 2015 Marion McCormick with her children visiting the site where the San Antonio Rose was shot down in 1944. (L to R: Lynn Matrisian, Marion, Paula McCormick, and Brett McCormick)

• The San Antonio Rose was a B-17 Flying Fortress. It was part of the 336th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. It was shot down by Nazi fighter pilots February 21, 1944.

• The original monument to the crew of the San Antonio Rose near Zegveld, Netherlands.

Erected 2024.

Topics. This historical marker and monument is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is February 21, 1944.

Location. 41° 10.239′ N, 76° 52.597′ W. Marker is in Montgomery, Pennsylvania, in Lycoming County. It is at the intersection of Main Street (Pennsylvania Route 54) and Houston Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Marker is in Montgomery Memorial Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal

San Antonio Rose Crew Before Deployment to England image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Unknown, circa 1943

3. San Antonio Rose Crew Before Deployment to England

Standing L to R: Morris R. Marks (pilot), Frank W. Derenberg (co-pilot), Delmar A. Decker (navigator), George L. Amberg (bombardier).
Crouching L to R: Charles W. Barnthson (top turret gunner), Barclay W. Glover (L waist gunner), Harold E. Cook (radio operator),
- unidentified-, - unidentified-, Arden L. Miner (tail gunner).

address: 11 East Houston Avenue, Montgomery PA 17752, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker and monument is in the Pennsylvania Wilds

and in the Susquehanna Valley.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Montgomery's Self-Made-Man: Levi Houston (here, next to this marker); Montgomery Borough (here, next to this marker); Grace Presbyterian Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Montgomery (approx. 0.4 miles away); West Branch Susquehanna River Water Trail (approx. 0.4 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); American Legion Bower-Decker Post No. 251 (approx. 0.7 miles away); Eagle Grange No. 1 (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montgomery.

Also see . . . 42-3462 San Antonio Rose (American Air Museum in Britain).

The San Antonio Rose Monument Detail image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 14, 2024

4. The San Antonio Rose Monument Detail

(Submitted on December 16, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 17, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 16, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 197 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 16, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.