In Loving Memory
of
1st Lt John Keaton Allen US Army Air Corp
McComas, West Virginia

killed in action on an operational flight over Africa Easter Sunday April 25, 1943
On January 11, 2007 I received the following email from Bill Stratton (son of Opal Foley Allen Stratton widow of Lt Allen).  If anyone has any information about the site of Lt Allen's gravesite please pass the information on to me.  Bill would like to visit it.  Bill your mother would be proud you stepped forward to remember her 1st husband on this website.  I do believe this family lived in the Pinnacle Hollow section of McComas and were friends of my mother's family.  thank you Bill. 
Dear Ms. Smith, I recently visited your web site regarding McComas WV history and found it quite interesting. My Mother was Opal Foley Stratton who was the Daughter of the Reverend John S. Foley of Matoaka. She was first married to John Keaton Allen from McComas on July 11, 1942 at which time he was a Lt in the U.S Army Air Force. Unfortunately Lt Allen was killed in action on Easter Sunday, April 25, 1943 somewhere over North Africa when the aircraft that he was a bombardier on crashed. He originally was buried overseas but was re-interred after the war and I believe he was re-buried in McComas. In any case, I noticed that he was not included in your military section and would like to have him included if possible. Prior to WWII he had been in the Marine Corps and served in China during the Sino-Japanese conflict. I have attached a newspaper article regarding his death which has a picture of him and my Mother. My Mother is deceased and I am sure that she would appreciate any type of acknowledgement that you can provide for Lt Allen’s service to our country. If interested, I have Lt Allen’s diploma and graduation program from McComas HS in 1935. Thank you for your consideration in this matter and if I can be of further assistance, please let me know. Sincerely, Bill Stratton (now residing in Richmond, VA)