Morris Dean LaVine: a Silver Star, missing in action

20 January 1945

The man and the tie: Morris Dean LaVine was born at Mishawaka and entered active duty from Mishawaka — both statements stand in the Army's own award-card record, transcribed from the National Archives' award cards. He was a first lieutenant of the Army Air Forces, a member of a bomber crew in the Twelfth Air Force in the Mediterranean Theater. His service number was 0-828718.

The award: The Hall of Valor carries his Silver Star at synopsis strength — the citation itself is marked "(Citation Needed)" in that register, and this section prints the synopsis as a synopsis, the same discipline the South Bend file applies to its own synopsis-grade entries: "The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Air Corps) Morris Dean LaVine (ASN: 0-828718), United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving as a member of the Air Crew of a Bomber in the TWELFTH Air Force, in aerial operations in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, on or about 20 January 1945." The award card fixes the instrument: General Orders No. 77, Headquarters, Twelfth Air Force, 13 April 1945.

Missing: The award card carries one further word for his standing: "Missing in action." The card is an extract — the museum that transcribed it states plainly that the cards are extracts and not official military documents — and this section prints the standing as the card gives it. One later record bears on it, and it is a negative: LaVine's name does not appear on the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's list of Indiana's unaccounted-for from the Second World War (report of 27 November 2020, searched entire). His absence from that list is consistent with an accounting — remains recovered, or a finding the published record does not narrate — but the accounting itself is not in any record, and this section does not invent it. The city roll of the Second World War dead now stands in the Wars section, and LaVine stands on it: the Honor List carries his line — O-828718, killed in action — and that line closes the accounting question this entry once left open.

Sources:

1. Military Times Hall of Valor, recipient record for Morris Dean LaVine (Silver Star synopsis, "(Citation Needed)" in the register).
2. National Archives award cards, Army Air Forces, as transcribed by the Army Air Corps Museum (LaVine cards): born Mishawaka (St. Joseph), Indiana; entered active duty Mishawaka, Indiana; General Orders No. 77, Headquarters, Twelfth Air Force, 13 April 1945; "Missing in action."
3. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, WWII Report for Indiana (Unaccounted For), 27 November 2020 — searched entire; LaVine not listed.