This summer, Thomas Jefferson School (TJ) students Carter Cashen (‘23) and Nathalie Guillossou (‘23) were busy racking up community service hours, a graduation requirement at Thomas Jefferson, while Cynthia Chong (‘21) worked in marketing for Footsteps Researchers LLC, a WWII global research company co-founded by TJ arts faculty Dr. Myra Miller. Her company traces the exact footsteps of WWII veterans (hence the name) using various research programs in addition to archival documents and material from the National Archives. Footsteps Researchers also has a nonprofit organization called LEGACY: Lost & Found, which identifies and returns military relics that belonged to veterans to their families free of charge. They also help European grave adopters find photos and connect with families of their assigned soldiers who were killed in action (KIA) or died of wounds (DOW) during the European Theater of Operation and buried in American Military Cemeteries.
Sophomores Carter Cashen and Nathalie Guillossou volunteered under the nonprofit LEGACY and contributed immensely with their unique skill sets. Carter used extensive research via Ancestry.com to help resolve the mystery of Henry G. Maxham, a crew member who was killed in a B24 plane crash on Christmas Day 1944, in LaFosse, Belgium. Nathalie, who is fluent in French, transcribed a handwritten French document to help discover the lineage of an African American soldier with a French family.
“This is a really amazing and fun opportunity for me, and I really thank Dr. Miller and the rest of the team for it.” – Carter Cashen
The process of finding the photo and family of Henry G. Maxham was not an easy task. For the past seven years, Bob Konings, a WWII researcher and battlefield tour guide who is part of the Footsteps Researchers team, has been trying to identify the plane and crew that crashed over 76 years ago. The crash was witnessed by a six-year-old boy named Viktor, who is now in his 80s. In 2017, Dr. Miller assisted Bob in identifying the plane, a B24 called “King Size,” and the names of the crew by obtaining Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) and Individual Deceased Person’s Files (IDPF) from NARA St. Louis to make a 100% confirmation. Among the crew of nine, only two survived that day.
Despite finding the plane and identifying the crew, the researchers were still missing a photo of Henry G. Maxham and a connection to his family. Many people have been searching over the past three years—without success. A monument on the site of the plane crash has a photo of every crew member except for Maxham and O’Rourke (another crew member whose photo was previously found).
This is where Carter comes in. He worked to create an Ancestry timeline and also researched yearbooks from 1928-1930 to find a photo of Maxham. Because the lineage of Maxham ended with him and his sister, Carter started studying the other side of the family, identifying family members who might still be alive and have information or photos. He found Betsy Mace Merriam; a cousin once removed from Maxham. Carter and Kaye Ackermann, who is also part of the LEGACY team, then worked together with Betsy, Myra, and Bob to solve the missing link of the story. This discovery has truly been a significant milestone not just for Carter, but also for LEGACY, Belgium, and WWII researchers across the world.
Bob Konings could not be happier, “Carter and Kaye’s detailed work over just a few weeks was incredible, I have been searching for years and thanks to the LEGACY team, we finally found Maxham’s photo and family.”
“Carter’s contribution to the “King Size” project is priceless. To have a 16-year-old dedicate considerable time (60+ community service hours) over his summer break is truly amazing. We have been searching for several years and without Carter’s key research, we would still be stuck!” exclaimed Dr. Miller.
Meanwhile, Cynthia, a senior at TJ, is a hired independent contractor for Footsteps Researchers working as an Assistant Marketing and Social Media Manager. She has been doing copy editing work on two new websites, as well as making them more user-friendly and easier to navigate. In addition, she manages the Instagram of a podcast YouTube channel (SNAFU Podcast) sponsored by Footsteps Researchers. Using analytics and social media insights, she has been maximizing views and interaction, hoping to direct Footsteps Researchers’ Instagram traffic to the YouTube channel. She is also learning as she goes, especially when various tasks and projects arise that need special skills, like writing press releases.
“This is something I might want to do in college, so it’s great that Dr. Miller has given me the work experience and the opportunity to be a part of her company. I have never managed a business Instagram account or written a press release before; I’ve definitely learned a lot while working here.” – Cynthia Chong
According to Dr. Miller, “The level of work that Cynthia is doing as a senior is resume material for college admissions and future job applications. Hiring a young person to lead social media projects is definitely the way to go for a progressive small business, especially during a pandemic when Cynthia couldn’t leave her house to work a summer job!”
To learn more about the B24 plane crash and Footsteps Researchers, please visit the following links: http://www.b24-kingsize.com/ Legacy: Lost and Found
Henry G. Maxham’s grave in Henri Chapelle American Military Cemetery, Liege, Belgium
Carter Cashen, St. Louis; Betsy Mace Merriam (family member of Maxham), Plum Island,Massachusetts; Kaye Ackermann, Charlotte, South Carolina
About Thomas Jefferson School
Thomas Jefferson School is an independent, non-sectarian, co-ed boarding and day school for high-ability students in grades 7-12. It was founded in 1946 by three men who met at Harvard and served in WWII. The founders recognized a need for a top college-preparatory boarding school in the Midwest. They selected St. Louis not only for its central location, but also for its cultural resources. Today’s students come from Missouri as well as a number of other states and countries. Our distinguished alumni live and work all over the world.
Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to schedule an interview.
