PVT. James G. "Bugsy" Loterbaugh

U.S. Army Pvt. James G. "Bugsy" Loterbaugh, age 35, of Roseville, OH passed on December 11, 1944 in Germany's Hürtgen Forest in service to his country. James was born on March 25, 1909, in Hocking, Athens, Ohio, to the late George Gilbert Loterbaugh and Ida May Hiles. He married Esther Alpha Shipley in October, 1938, and they had one son, James Lewis Loterbaugh (d. 2011). James was a devoted husband to Esther, father to James, and step-father to Richard and Edith Mauller. He enjoyed playing baseball for the Ironspot Yellow Jackets.

James joined the Army in January 1944, and served in Company C, 774th Tank Battalion, during World War II. In December 1944, he was a crewmember on an M4 Sherman tank. On Dec. 11, his platoon became separated from the rest of the company during a battle near Strass, Germany, in the Hürtgen Forest. The enemy surrounded Strass, and by mid-day, the entire platoon, including Loterbaugh’s tank, was reported Missing in Action. The Germans did not report him as a prisoner of war, and Army personnel who searched the battlefield found no leads regarding his fate. The War Department issued a presumptive finding of death in December 1945.

James was identified by DPAA using DNA and anthropological analysis and accounted for Sept. 20, 2024. His name is inscribed on the Walls of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, along with others still unaccounted for from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

He is preceded in death by his 8 siblings.

He is survived by his grandchildren; Jeanne Hayden, James (Ella) Loterbaugh, Jo Lee Loterbaugh-Allen, Jamie (Patricia) Loterbaugh, Carrie “Samantha” Bateson, and Vicky Loterbaugh; several great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A public visitation will be held from 4-6pm on Monday, June 2, 2025 at Routsong Funeral Home, 2100 E. Stroop Rd. Kettering, OH 45429. A private family service will be held the following day. Full military honors and burial at Dayton National Cemetery will be open to the public, and will be held at approximately 1:25pm.