During World War II, more than 30,000 men from Kent County, Michigan, enlisted and served in the various branches of the armed forces. To honor those veterans who lost their lives in the war effort, a World War II memorial was petitioned by a citizen group in Grand Rapids. The memorial, in Veteran’s Memorial Park (101 E. Fulton St. NE, in the Heartside-Downtown neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan) is dedicated to those whose lives were lost in the war.

This collection is comprised of various lists of men either confirmed deceased or declared missing in action during WWII. The lists range in date beginning December 7, 1941 and ending December 7, 1945. Alma S. Sutton, the key compiler of the lists, includes soldiers from the Army, Navy, and Marines, as well as the Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, and Canadian Forces.

Some overlap exists among the date ranges represented in this collection, and some redundancy exists among the copies. At times, Sutton is amending lists of young men originally declared missing in action, but later confirmed as killed. The names appear in alphabetical order.s, as well as include, when possible, the full name, rank, and age of each soldier.