Harold M. Sykes was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania on June 18, 1924, a son of Frank and Fannie (Crigger) Sykes. He graduated from Altoona High school in the class of 1942. Pvt. Sykes entered the service on March 10, 1943, and trained with the infantry at Fort Jackson, S.C., until named to the air cadets, when he was sent to St. Cloud, Minn., State Teachers college, in November, 1943. With the suspension of the air program he returned to the infantry and continued his training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, prior to going overseas. Harold served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a machine gunner in the 1st Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action on December 21, 1944 in Belgium at the age of 20 and is now buried in Agudath Achim Cemetery, Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania, USA.
Source of information: Altoona Mirror, Altoona, PA, Friday Evening, March 23, 1945, p. 1, Col. 1, www.findagrave.com