Hesser, Norman Neal

1923 - 2002  (78 years)

• Name	Hesser, Norman Neal
  Birth	23 Jul 1923	Bennett, Parker County, Texas   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Census		1940 Census, Clay City Township, Clay County, Illinois, page 61a 1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-4) (Township), image 27, page 61a The writing in the 1940 Federal census for Clay City, Illinois is sometimes difficult to read. Ancestry.com has attempted to index this census, but there are many transcription errors.
  Reference Number	HESS.N002
  _FGRAVE	103551709
  Military Service	World War II, Sergeant, 398th Fighter Squadron, 396th Fighter Group, United States Army Air Forces  [2]
  	Entered active service as a draftee on January 2, 1943 at Fort MacCarthur, California. Selected for the Air Corps, completed basic training and qualified in the military occupational specialty of Clerk Typist (405). Attend 68 weeks of service scchools including Radar, Radio, Armorer, Decontamination and Clerk Typist. Assigned to and served with the 398th Fighter Squadron, 396th Fighter Group engaged in air defense of the west coast. Earned the Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal and WWII Victory Medal. Honorably discharged as a Sergeant on February 19, 1946 at the Separation Center, Camp Grant, Illinois This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission. Source: http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=2184478
  		Flag of the United States, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959, a…
  		United States Army Air Forces (1941–1947)
  		United States Army Air Forces
  		Sergeant, United States Army and United States Army Air Fores (Sep 1942-Aug 1948) NOTE: The three stripe Sergeant Insignia was not used during the Korean War
  		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
  		Military Service Ribbons, Norman Neal Hesser (1923-2002) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Army
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		American Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		American Campaign Medal, United States
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007 On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …
  		World War II Honoree, Hesser, Norman N. (1923-2002)
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 01 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 03 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 13 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  Death	15 May 2002	Medical Center Hospital, Odessa, Ector County, Texas
  Burial	Sunset Memorial Gardens, Odessa, Ector County, Texas
  	St. Mark Plot 1 Lot 5
  Person ID	I26730	Carl Wayne Gray Research | Holman - Hussleton John Holman and Mary Hussleton Descendants, Holman - Hussleton John Holman and Mary Hussleton Descendants
  Last Modified	20 Jul 2023

  
  

  Father	Hesser, John F.,   b. 1899, New York d. 1964 (Age 65 years)
  Mother	Dickson, Artie F.,   b. 1903, Texas d. 1987 (Age 84 years)
  Family ID	F15822	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Holman, Lois,   b. 29 Jan 1922   bur. Sunset Memorial Gardens, Odessa, Ector County, Texas
  Marriage	7 Aug 1942	Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
  Age at Marriage	He : 19 years and 1 month - She : 20 years and 7 months.
  Family ID	F18374	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Oct 2026

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 23 Jul 1923 - Bennett, Parker County, Texas Marriage - 7 Aug 1942 - Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California Death - 15 May 2002 - Medical Center Hospital, Odessa, Ector County, Texas Burial - - Sunset Memorial Gardens, Odessa, Ector County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  ODESSA-- Norman N. Hesser, 78, of Odessa passed away Wednesday, May 15, 2002, at Medical Center Hospital. He was born July 23, 1923, in Bennett. He married Lois Holman on Aug. 7, 1942, in California. Mr. Hesser moved to Odessa in 1949 from Illinois. He was Vice President of Trico Industries. He was an Air Force Veteran, a 55-year life member of the Masonic Lodge, Noble in the El Maida Temple in El Paso and 50-year member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. He served on the YMCA board. He was a member and Committee Chairman of the Permian Basin Oil Show and member of the Odessa Country Club. He was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his wife, Lois Hesser of Odessa; daughter, Sherry Douglas and husband Scott of Dallas; sister, Barbara Workman of Cottage Hills, Ill.; and two grandchildren, Sarah and Bradley Dale. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. today, May 18, 2002, at Westminster Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Cheryl Homsher officiating. Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association or Westminster Presbyterian Church. Services entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home.

  
  

• Sources

  [S7522] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Illinois, District 13-4 (Township), image 27, page 61a, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00087?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.as) (Reliability: 3). [S7511] World War II Honoree, Norman N. Hesser, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=2184478) (Reliability: 2).