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Unit:
353rd Fighter Group, 350th Fighter Squadron
Date of Birth:
January 25, 2019
Hometown:
Stewartsville, Missouri
Date of Death:
June 12, 1944
Place of Death:
Normandy, France
Awards:
Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Cemetery:
Dewey E. Newhart, son of Clement and Mabel Newhart, was born in 1919, in Kansas City, Kansas. Newhart had a younger brother named John. The family moved from Kansas City to St. Joseph, Missouri, where his parents divorced. Newhart’s mother remained in St. Joseph until her death in March 1967, and his father moved to Osage Beach, Missouri and remained there until his death in November 1973.
Newhart attended Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri for two years before his enlistment.
In the summer of 1940, the U.S. Congress passed a supplemental defense bill to fund the expansion of the aviation sectors of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. The B-25 Bomber played a crucial part in aviation. It provided versatility in destroying artillery and low altitude strafer. Many of these planes were manufactured in Kansas City. This created over 12,000 jobs for Kansas City residents from 1940 to 1945. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 8, 1941. Kansas City also manufactured and stored munitions for the war effort as well as non-aviation related supplies.
Production classes opened in March 1942 and by 1943 women were highly encouraged to join the workforce. By autumn, women made up 39 percent of the workers in the plant. They handled many of the industrial tasks that helped to win the war and helped to fuel the booming industrial revolution. The amount of manufacturing performed by women allowed the allied forces to overwhelm the enemy during the war.
At the age of 22, Captain Newhart willingly enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942. He was a part of the 350th Fighter Squadron. He named his plane Mud ‘N Mules.
Captain Dewey E. Newhart later promoted to Major on June 6, 1944. During his military career, he was credited with three kills.
Captain Newhart was killed in action on June 12, 1944. He was flying Wayne Blickenstaff’s LH-U Soubrette. The Mud ‘N Mules was taken over by Captain Lonnie Davis and renamed the Arkansas Traveller. However, out of respect for Captain Newhart, the mule artwork remained on the plane.
Captain Dewey E. Newhart later promoted to Major on D-Day. Throughout my research, I did not find an abundance of information about him but I found enough to paint a picture of who he was.
Researching the men and women who fought and died for our country put everything into perspective for me. By finding out who they were, we see a real person rather than just a soldier that we appreciate. I feel like our research brought us much closer to this experience. I feel like I know Captain Newhart much more than I would have if I had simply seen his grave stone. I am grateful for everything he has done for our country and his great sacrifice. Captain Newhart was truly a hero and I am forever thankful for his service as well as every other man and woman who have previously served and continue to serve today.
Dewey E. Newhart. Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949. ancestry.com.
Dewey E. Newhart. Missouri, Wills and Probate Records, 1866-1988. ancestry.com.
Dewey Ernest Newhart. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. ancestry.com.
Dewey Ernest Newhart. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. ancestry.com.
Missouri. Buchanan County. 1920 U.S. Federal Census. ancestry.com.
Newhart Family Photographs. Courtesy of John Newhart.
The Tower. Northwest Missouri State Teachers Yearbook, 1939. ancestry.com.
“Dewey B. Newhart.” American Battle Monuments Commission. Accessed May 12, 2020. www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/newhart%3Ddewey.
Wisdom, Erin. “Lafayette assembly honors WWII soldier.” St. Joseph News-Press [St. Joseph, Missouri], February 16, 2012. Newspapers.com (566397482).
The American Battle Monuments Commission operates and maintains 26 cemeteries and 31 federal memorials, monuments and commemorative plaques in 17 countries throughout the world, including the United States.
Since March 4, 1923, the ABMC’s sacred mission remains to honor the service, achievements, and sacrifice of more than 200,000 U.S. service members buried and memorialized at our sites.
