Remembering World War II Heroes: Granville Marean and Lief Ohlson
HUBBARDSTON – By the look of things, Granville L. Marean seemed to be making the military his career.
Shortly after his graduation from Gardner High School, he enlisted in the Navy, spending eight years as a sailor and surviving the deadly attack on Pearl Harbor.
Marean would go on to become the first of 11 Hubbardston servicemen killed in action during World War II. The town’s chapter of the Veteran of Foreign Wars would later be named in his honor.
In addition, another Hubbardston soldier would lose his life in another notable battle during the war at the Normandy Beachhead.
This is the continuation of the series Remembering Local World War 2 Heroes.
Machinist’s Mate First Class Granville L. Marean (1914-1942)
Granville Loring Marean was born May 7, 1914 in Gardner, the son of Granville Alden and Annie Louise (Heald) Marean.
When Granville was 13 years of age, his 2 ½ year old brother, William, was struck and killed by an automobile in front of their home on Depot Road. According to reports, young William darted across the street, following his two cousins, from his home to their grandmother’s house when he was hit by the passing automobile.
Marean also had five sisters, Doris, Gladys, Myrtle, Mary and Helen. He was a graduate of the Gardner High School Class of 1932.
Shortly after high school he entered the Navy in 1934, spending eight years in the service while also stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack of December 7, 1941, which he survived.
In December of 1942, Mr. and Mrs. Marean were notified by the Navy department that their son, Machinist’s Mate First Class Loring Marean, 28, was missing in action. He had been serving his second four-year enlistment in the Navy and had been in the Pacific area since the start of the war.
On Jan. 9, 1943, his parents were informed by the Navy that their son died of his wounds received in action, but details were not contained in the telegram, nor was a date of his death.
In addition to his parents, he was survived by his five sisters, Mrs. Paul (Doris) Holden, Mrs. Walfred (Gladys) Hakkila, Mrs. Nick (Anna Myrtle) Lukasiewski, Mrs. Theodore (Mary) Malo and Helen Marean.
He was buried in Rural Glen Cemetery.
Sometime after the war, the Hubbardston American Legion Post 374 was named in memory of Granville Loring Marean, the first World War II casualty from town. It was located on Williamsville Road, across the street from the present Hubbardston Rod and Gun Club.
According to a source in the town, the group phased out several years ago due to the lack of a leader for the group.
Cpl. Lief O. Ohlson (1924-1944)
Lief Oscar Ohlson was born June 11, 1924 in Enfield, (one of the towns flooded to make the Quabbin Reservoir) to Carl E. and Ida M. (Lindsey) Ohlson.
After citizens of the four towns were displaced by the creation of the reservoir, Mr. and Mrs. Ohlson moved to Old Templeton Road in Hubbardston with their sons Lief, Carl and Alan, and daughter Christine.
Leif graduated from the Hubbardston Centre School with the Class of 1940 and later moved on to Athol High School. He was a junior at the time of his enlistment in 1942, while working for Barre farmer Frederick Hiller.
He entered the service June 15, 1943 and received his training at Camp Rucker, Alabama and Camp Forrest, Tennessee. He went overseas in March of 1944, and was attached to a chemical battalion, among the first to land in France on D-Day.
Corporal Ohlson’s parents received a letter from him on June 11, 1944, just 2 ½ weeks prior to his death.
He was reportedly killed on the Normandy Beachhead on June 29, 1944 as part of the 83rd Chemical Battalion.
Corporal Ohlson was buried in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France and a memorial service held in his honor on Aug. 9, 1944 in the Williamsville Chapel.
The ceremony was conducted by the Rev. Ernest H. Hirrschoff before a congregation filling the chapel to capacity. He concluded the ceremony with the reading of the William Wordsworth poem “The Happy Warrior:”
“This is the happy warrior;
This is he that every man in arms should wish to be.”
His older brother Sgt. Carl J. Ohlson was in England with the Army and unable to attend the rites. According to a note in the newspaper, the service was moved up to allow his younger brother Alan, who would enter the service the next day, the opportunity to attend.
He also had a younger sister, Christine, who was a pupil at the time at Hubbardston Center School.
Comments and suggestions for Remembering Local World War II Heroes can be sent to Mike Richard at mikerichard0725@gmail.com or in writing Mike Richard, 92 Boardley Rd. Sandwich, MA 02563.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Granville Marean, Lief Ohlson, both of Hubbardston, were KIA in WWII
