By Joni Quinn
Staff Writer
Tue, May 13 2008
Howard Bussiere, Jr. was a World War II hero, and a brilliant man of many talents who never took a single moment with his family for granted.
"He was one of those guys who knew something about everything. Every subject that came up, he knew about. He was just amazing," his nephew Dick Dennehy said.
Howard V. Bussiere Jr., 82, a long-time resident of Danville, N.H., formerly of Atkinson, N.H. and Haverhill, died Thursday, March 13, 2008, at Exeter Hospital.
He was born in Stafford Springs, Conn., the son of the late Howard V. Sr. and Marguerite E. (Hetzel) Bussiere.
An Army Veteran of World War II, joining in April of 1943, Howard served with the Company B 506th Parachute Infantry 101st division more commonly known as Easy Company - Band of Brothers.
"I was helping him make out an application to get him into a Veterans Home in Tilton, N.H., and we got down to where they needed information about his unit. I saw that he wrote down paratrooper and I asked him about it. He said 'Oh, yeah, we got $35 more a month for doing that.' I told him you couldn't get me to do it for $35,000," said Dennehy, laughing at the memory.
He survived campaigns which included the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944, Battle of the Bulge from Dec. 16, 1944 to Jan. 25, 1945, Operation Market Garden in September 1944, and assisted in the capture of Berchtesgaden in May 1945.
Mr. Bussiere's decorations and citations include Good Conduct Medal - awarded for exemplary behavior, efficiency and fidelity in active Federal Military service; Victory Medal - awarded to all military personnel for service between Dec. 7, 1941, and Dec. 31, 1946; European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon - awarded to personnel for service within the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater between Dec. 7, 1941, and Nov. 8, 1945; and Distinguished Unit Badge - awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and co-belligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy occurring on or after Dec. 7, 1941. The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign.
Upon his return from the war, he met and married his beloved wife of 58 years, the late Rose (DeFazio) Bussiere, who died in July, 2007.
Mr. Bussiere's was employed as a mechanic for the United Shoe Machinery Co. in Haverhill repairing machinery in various manufacturing facilities throughout New England.
After returning from the war, he became quite the fisherman, renting out a garage across the street from his home and building a 20-foot boat so he could go fishing.
"He was so proud of that boat. When I got back from the war he just had to take me fishing," his brother Eugene Bussiere said.
Mr. Bussiere's owned and trained horses for sulky racing at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H. He went on to race in the New England Circuit, which traveled to many places including Maine, New York and Salem, N.H.
"He participated in the races but what he really loved was to raise and train them," said his brother.
Mr. Bussiere's was interested in airplanes and flying so he took up the hobby of building and flying remote control model airplanes, but he was the kind of man who loved to tinker with all sorts of things.
"He would get these kits and bring them home. Then he would go downstairs and solder and everything else. The next thing you know, we would have a TV or a remote control plane," said Dennehy.
About 50 years ago, Mr. Bussiere built a camp in Colebrook, N.H., which took him about one year. He worked on it each weekend after working at his job.
"I don't know how he did it. It was amazing. The family would all go up together and fish because he built it right along the river," his brother said.
But most of all he enjoyed traveling with his wife in their mobile home across country to Texas and Florida. They also traveled to California and Arizona to visit his sisters for a few months at a time.
He leaves brothers, Eugene Bussiere of Salisbury, N.H., Frank E. Bussiere and his wife Janet of Victorville, Calif., nieces and nephews, Haydon Phelps, Scott Davis, Trend Melbye, Majorie Bussiere, Christine Bussiere, Robert Lambert, Joyce Toye, Francis Defazio, and Anna and Richard Dennehy. He was predeceased by sisters, Millicent Fernald, Muriel Melbye, Dorothy Davis, and nephew, Kirk Bussiere.
At the request of Mr. Bussiere, there were no calling hours. Friends and family were respectively invited to attend a graveside service with military honors March 18 in St. Patrick's Cemetery, North Broadway, Haverhill. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the Kevin B. Comeau Funeral Home, 486 Main St., Haverhill.
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