|
Webster County
IAGenWeb
|
|
|
|
DEAR JOE: The sun is shining. The sky is that very special blue
that spring skies
wear. It's warm and the air is full of sparkle and sweet with a wild and shy perfume
. . . In our block ofd gaffers like me are raking lawns and burning leaves. On vacant
lots, victory gardeners are marking off rows. Soon they'll be spading. Packets of
seeds and all sorts of tools are beginning to appear. Robins are bouncing around
the lawns and the pigeons on the court house are parading back and forth and so
are people on the streets. Getting those new Easter bonnets, picking out those new
Easter suits. Youngsters are coloring Easter eggs and wondering about the Easter
bunny . . . It's Easter and the air is full of music that would welcome the miracle
of a new world full of hope and promise. The choir in your church will be singing
those hymns of rejoycing. . . Your mother and Dad and all those who think of you
and love you will be praying for you and for an end of this black night of war .
. . Happy Easter, Joe and Jane . . . We wish you were here.
HOME TOWN. County auditor Dan Rhodes mailed out
ballots to the
men in service who had asked for them for the primary. How many? Fifty so far .
. . John D. Cahill is dead. He served with the Seabees at Casablanca
and was honorably discharged last summer . . . She's a candidate. Mrs. Elliott
Kinseth of Harcourt, for county recorder on the Democratic ticket.
She is the former Arulen Anderson. Her husband is in the air corps
in the South Pacific . . . Petitions are out asking for a vote to be taken on a
city wide play ground program. Harry Kurtz is one of the backers
. . . John Mitchell is now president of Rotary Club . . . ""Slip"
Madigan, S. U. I. football coach, will speak at a banquet for the Gowrie
Girls and the Harcourt Boys Basketball teams given by the C. of C. Monday evening
at the Wardon . . . Over the top went Webster County in the Red Cross drive. Goal
- $46,500. Collected-$52,000 . . . James Stanck is running for
the state Senate on the Democratic ticket . . . Manpower situation is getting tighter.
Tobins are advertising for men . . . Shortage even among wrong doers. The county
jail is empty . . . Rationing is rough on cafe owners. Most restaurants are closed
one day a week. Some open only in the evening. Others have quit.
OVERSEAS. Pfc. Hughey L. McCahill, one of the
original Co. B members,
and still with it in Manchestor, England, writes a long and welcome letter on soldiers
and then in the post script announces his approaching wedding. He is engaged to
Sheila Johnson. a 19 year old colleen of Belfast, Ireland. They'll
be married June 14th . . . In Italy, Sgt. George N. Webb, working
in P.O., writes that he saw "Y. L. F. H." going to Harry Jahn and
"my fingers just itched to open it." . . . In New Guinea now, is Pvt. Edward
S. Burke . . . At least one Fort Dodger and a G. I. from Thor are reading
Y. L. F. H. on the Anzio beachhead. The Fort Dodger is Pvt. Ivan Akins,
Thanks for the letter, fellow . . . He's in England, T/Sgt. Ivan R. Arnold.
He's seen London, Parliament, Westminister, St. Pauls. Best of all he likes the
little park across from the Abby where stand the statue of Abe Lincoln. "It seems
as if it took me right back home." . . .PFC. Paul R. Hoye was with
the marines who took Eniwetok Atoll. At the present, Paul says, "I amd living fairly
comfortably." . . . Frank Pessiea S. F. 2/C, writing from the Southwest
Pacific, writes to say hello to Mr. Kelley and Mr. Anderson
and to all of his other friends at Tobins . . . Jack R. Kearns,
H. A. 2/c, is stationed in the Hawaiian Islands . . . Donn Richey,
now in London, is with the photo mail service and spends most of his time handling
V-mail letters . . . S. Sgt Harry Bryson is stationed in Manchester,
England.
GOOD FELLOW'S GET TOGETHER. Somewhere in Ireland, Pvt. Don
Derrig.
He met Harry Brysonsome time ago and Lt.
|
W. Rodenborn. Just missed seeing Morris Bestick
. . . In North Ireland,
PFC. Dan Thornton and Donald Kalahar of Lehigh.
They are M. P.'s and busy. Dan
says hello to everyone and especially to Larry Geer. He wants Larry
to have a good
band "the night I get back in town." . . . Now on island "X" in the Pacific,
Carl Theiss W. T. 2/c met a friend of Harry Gleinn's
in Honolulu named Echelberger. Dodger Paul Peterson
is with Carl. Thanks Carl for the papers and pics . . . On the troop ship going
to England, Lt. Marvin N. Vinson, Roy Johnson and Dick Mallander.
HOME TOWN BOYS MAKE GOOD. To AMM 1 c, W. C. Howard, Jr.,
petty officer, and his brother-in-law, Don Johnston, Lo AMM - clc.
Don is at Pearl Harbor. Bill is at San Diego . . . T Sgt. Roger E. Otto
is now first engineer and top turret gunner on a B-24 based in England. Recently,
he received the air medical and promotion from S Sgt. to T Stg. Roger's plane has
been flying the same formation with the one in which Lt. Art Johnson
had been flying, although based at a different field . . . To 1st class petty officer,
Willard D. Soppeland, MoMM
I c with the Pacific fleet.
MOVING AROUND. To Wm. Beaumont Hospital, El Paso, Texas, Pvt.
Kenneth B. Thompson, he is a patient . . . To Perrin Field, Sherman,
Texsas, A. c Eugene Soppeland . . . To Parris Island, S. C.
Pvt Mary C. Anglin with the marines . . . To England, Pvt. Floyd Worrel.
He's with the quartermaster's bakery company . . . To Santa Ana from McAlester College,
Minneapolis, A. S. Gilbert J. Strait . . . To Waco, Texas, from
Cuero, Texas, A. C. Donald Anderson, of Harcourt . . . To Delhart,
Texas, Cpl. Earl C. Wendt . . . to Camp Atterbury, Ind., from Nashville,
Tenn., Cpl Wyatt D. Anderson . . . To Indiantown Gap, Pa.,
Pvt. Vernon E. Swanson . . . To Camp Shelby, Miss., Pvt. Leslie M.
"Mel" Sorenson . . . To Newport, Arkansas, A C Richard C. Taylor.
"GUINEA GOLD." We got a chunk of it in Cpl Clarence Hoyt's
communique from New Guinea. Swell sheet. Here's Clarence's report on New Guinea.
"Our living conditions are good, even better than some we had in the states. We
live in huts, which we built ourselves and enjoy electricity and occasionall a radio.
A radio is heaven and when we can get American programs is Paradise. Our chow is
fair. We alternate between bully beef and fish. The most interesting things around
here are the natives and the wallabies. I don't like the native and don't know anything
about wallabies except that they are cute. I'm going to have a pet if I catch one."
"Guinea Gold," a very good four sheeter of condensed world news about the size of
Y.L.F.H carries in the March 26th issue a sensational story on the Australian murder
of the "Pajama Girl" way back in 1934, still being investigated in this year of
total war, 1944. Sounds like the Halls-Mills case.
OVER HERE. Pvt. John L. Martin, a casualty of
the late lamented A. S. T. P. from the Citadel, is now in the 100th division of
Infantry, at Ft. Bragg, N. C. "Fellows who had their basic in the engineers, artillery,
air corp and tank destroyers are now all infantry men." . . . Jim Skophammer
is with a bomber squadron at Dyersburt, Tenn. One of the members of Jim's crew served
with the 43rd Bomb group in New Guinea. Jim says "He has more decorations than General
"Mac" with 5 Zeros to his credit . . . Received from Lt. Golda I. Van Tasell
at Durham, N. C., a very lovely photo. Thanks, Lt. You are our pin up girl . . .
C N Regena Brown is now in cadet nurses training at the University
in Toledo, Ohio . . . At Camp Roberts, Pvt. Clarence L. DeLanoit
. . . They are at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, Cadet Nurses Helen Carlson
and Lorraine Becker . . . Lt. Chas. Barnhill injured
in a plane crash at Presque Isle, Maine is now at Lovell General Hospital, Ft. Devans,
Mass., Ward 15 . . . Pvt Robert Fitzgerald is with the 91st Inf.
Trng. Bn, in the East Garrison, Camp Roberts, Calif. His brother, Jim
is with the Pacific Fleet.
|
|
|
|
THERE ARE MORE than 800 camp papers in this country and 137 overseas.
Come on guys and gals, let’s give! The files of Y. L. F. H. contain only 62.
BUREAU OF ROUGH JUSTICE, Hard Knocks and Institute of Correction—or
is our face
red! Mrs. Guy Knudson, of Badzer, is the church correspondent for
the Central Church
of Christ in Fort Dodge . . . Ethel Peltz, of Rutland, is married
to Robert Hoyer,
not Robert Hager.
Lt. FRANK SIMS is a prisoner of war in Germany. Pilot of Fort based
in Italy, he went out on a raid over Austria February 24th and didn’t come back.
First he was reported missing. Now we know he’s alive and we hope well.
PRISONERS MAIL. Jchn Atwell writes from a camp
nesr Tokyo that he is well... Allison Hill, prisoner in Germany,
talked to Benny Salvatore recently and also a fellow from here
narneddm Markman. He’s feeling swell and his packages are coming through O. K.
DOWN THE CENTER AISLE. Mildred Robeson and
Ben D. Westmoreland, of Clare, April
10th, at Fort Dodge .. . Jeanne Rost of Des Moines and Cpl.
Willard Balm, March
31st, in Fort Dodge ... Delores Fitzgerald, of Clare, and Pvt.
Mel Gberhelman, of
Barnun, in Texas, shortly after Easter ... Marie Dencklau of Vincent.
and Clarence
Hockemeier, of Eagle Grove, Easter Sunday in Colfa:. Twp... Luella
Holst and Weldon
Hett, of Marion, Kans., April 9th, at the Deercreek Lutheran Church ...
Marcella
Abel and 1st Li. Donald Rudolph of Webster City, April
16th, in Fort Dodge.
VISITING THE HOME FOLKS. Lt. John B. Foley, from
Camp Gordon, Jackson, Fla. He’s with the amphibians... Ensign Rebert L. Rhodes,
of Duncombe, from Boston, where he is teaching in M.I I... 2nd Lt. and Mrs.
Ben P. Larson, Jr., and daughter, from Nashville, Tenn... S/Sgt. and
Mrs. Sam Struhar from Staten Island, N Y.... 1st Lt. John Ramsden
from North Africa... From Colorado Springs, S/Sgt. Earl Grannon
. . . Fred Petersen from Farragut... Capt. W. J. Terrill—a
stop-off between Camp Lewis, Wash. and Washington, D. C. Bill is a liaison officer
. . . Melvie Gibson, H. A. 1/c with the Waves from Bethesda, Md.,
enroute to Seattle, Washington ... 2nd Lt. Jim Donahoe from the
General Hospital at New Orleans. He is recovering from a back iniury . Pfc.
Bob Pfaff, from Miami Beach, Fla... Sgt. and Mrs. Luther Olsen,
of Badger, from Indiantown Gap, Pa... Sgt. Bernie Nyguard, from
Kiska. He’s going to South Carolina for reassignment... Pvt. Orville Jetter
from Camp Crowder, Mo. .. Pic. Frederick V. Brown, of Dayton, from
Camp Carson, Colo... Cpl. and Mrs. Paul Rodman, from Camp Haan,
Calif ... Harold Hill, from boot camp at Farrsgut... Gene Smith,
PhM 3/c, from Santa Cruz, Calif... E. L. Chalus, PhM 3/c, of Clare,
from San Diego, Calif... Pvt. Richard Glendening, from Charleston,
S. C.
TIME FOR MURDER. It was 9:00 a. m. on the Prochaska farm between
Gilmore City and
Bradgate. Mrs. Prochaska was milking the cows. Stan Prochaska,
her husband, walked up te her and said, “Look.” He had a pistol in his hand and
shot her twice. Then he went to the chicken house and slashed his wrists. Both are
in critical condition at Mercy Hospital in Fort Dodge. Humboldt county has had two
murders this year. This may make a third, all seemingly unprovoked and inexplainable.
S/SGT. OSCAR OLSON has completed his 25 missions and is through
with combat flying. He’s been tail gunner in a Fort. He'll be given a ground assignment
in England.
LT. R. E. DAVIS, missing since January 30th from the Anzio beachhead,
is a prisoner in Germany.
FROM THE FIVE CORNERS OF THE WORLD. Pfc. Gcorge DeBakey.
New Guinea, “I imagine your readers will be interested in a description of Australia,
Landing at Brisbane after a long time on the water was a welcome relief. From the
ocean tha country looks like a paradise. Thousands of green trees and beautiful
flowers border the shore line. You begin to think that at last you are in a foreign
country but upon disembarking you discover people like yourself and you begin to
wonder if you haven't read the wrong travel folder, In the city, people seem to
do everything the wrong way and it takes some time to get adjusted te their mode
of living. Leaving the large cities of the South of Australia you board a “boxcar,”
commonly called a train, and head north on a one track railroad, Through the country
one sees trees and more trees and plenty of nothing. There doesn’t seem to be a
soul in an area of 800 miles. Finally, after 48 hours have lapsed, you enter the
queen city of the north, Townsville. At first you think the city fathers are joking
becausc they call it a town and some are brave enough to call it a city. It lies
on the coastline amid shelter of surrounding hills. In different sections of the
town it is quite
|
pretty but on the whole I’m sure you wouldn’t want to spend your life there. The
people are so much different than those in the south. They appear to be the kind
that will set down and watch the world go by. They are contented to live a happy
existence. It was here that I bumped into an old friend from Fort. Dodge. I guess
you remember Bob Haire. Well, Bob is now a M/Set. and is well and having a good
time. It seemed to bring me a stroke of luck ‘cause soon after I located a few other
hometown friends, Set. Prang, formerly of Gates Department Store; Bob Fredrick,
one of the Zenor boys, now in the Navy and many others too numerous to mention.
Most of the fellows did not stay long while a few of them are still there in Australia.
At present, I’m located some- where in New Guinea and would like to hear from some
of the fellows I know through “Your Letter From Home.” Pvt. Leonard E. Hill, New
Guinea, “I’ve had plenty of cocoa nuts from the trees. but they are like everything
else—you soon get all you want. The Fuzzy-Wuzzys are suré funny people but we are
getting used to it by now. It sure seems funny to see all the trucks drive on the
left side of the road.” Sgt. Herbert M. Kinseth, Italy, “I am stationed in a large
city here and just missed seeing Mary Dolliver at the Red Cross. She is now stationed
elsewhere but want to add that she is doing an excellent job and the Red Cross workers
think that she is tops. I am sure that she will be back here again, though, and
I will still get the chance to talk to her. The weather has been very damp and is
the cause of a lot of misery, but the natives now tell us thet it will roe warm
up and they can once again use that slogan, “Sunny taly.” Stanley C. Betters, CM
3/c, FPO, New York, “I am in a “PT” boat squadron and we are expecting to leave
here most any time. People up in “Good Old Iowa” don’t really know what “PT” boats
are. There isn’t a whole lot I can tell you but they are one boat that you are going
to hear a lot about in the next invasion. I met an old friend of mine about a week
ago. He and I went through cur boot training together. He is fram Boxholm, Iowa.
He just lives so near the county line T wonder if it would be possible to send him
a duration subscription to your letter. He was in Trinidad and ac- quired arthiritis.
He has been in the hospital for 8 months still is in the U. S. Naval Hospital here.”
(Yes sir, Stan, L: now a subscriber.) Pvt. Donaid £. aring, Camp Mackali, N. C.,
“Since i last wrote you the 515th has become an active member of the 13th Airborn
Di- vision and our schedule has been speeded up considerably. We're working side
by side with the “no motor hermies,” more commonly known as the glider troops.”
Ralph Waldschmidt, S. C, 3)'c, Riverhead, New York, “I've been with this same outfit
for 1 year and 8 months. I also spent 1 year and 2 months with the first Inf. So
you see I’ve seen quite a lot of country. I was also on 2 months of the Louisiana
mancuvers in *41, two months in Tenn, in ’42, three and a half months of desert
maneuvers in Calif. in °43, two morths in the desert in Arizona. and two months
of maneuvering in Orogon.” Other letters, Easter cards, and camp papers came from
Paul Peter- son, SF. 3c, Southwest Pacific ... Pie, Richard D. McNeilly, Camp Elliott,
San Diego... S'Sgt. E. C. Christenson, Camp Carson, Colo. .. Pvt. Robert Nugent,
Camp Hood, Texas ... Pic. Pat Derrig, Nashville, Tenn ... Pfe. Jerrold L. Patton,
Quantico, Va... Major Thomas A. Corey, Denver, Colo. . . Chaplain Magnus Nodtvedt,
Proving Ground, Ulinois ... Pvt. John E. Vohs. Shrevevort. La. . . Cpl. Wilbert
Babcock, Southwest Pacific, (We'll take care of that, fellow.) ... Pic. John E.
Ford, British Isles ... EB. A. Evans, F C 3/c, Portsmouth, Va... Carl E. Theiss,
W. T. 2c, FPO, San Fran- cisco... H. L. Culver, Hawthorne, Nevada... Pvt. M. 3.
Peterson. Camp Camphell, Ky. . . Pvt. Frederick J, Miller, Elkins. West Vir- ginia
... Cpl. Seott C. Pfaff, Biges Field, Texas ... Frank S. Gust- afson, S. C, 2,/'c,
Norman, Okla... Pvt. Rosette 4. Harp, Fort George Meade, Md... Cpl. George Robeson,
Camp Le Jeune. New River, N.C... Sgt. Roy W. Schaeffer, Chandler, Arizona... S/Set.
Merrill Saunders, APO, San Francisco . . . Pvt. Paul MeDonnell, Camp MeCoy, Wis...
Sgt. Enfrid V. Johnson, APO, Minneapolis, Minn. .. Pvt. Everett Halbach . . Pvt.
Robert O’Connor, Camp Livingston. La... and Li. Commdr. Gtio N. Glesne, New River,
N. C Thank you so much al! of you. Keep writing and we'll keeo send- ing. When I
get to this point in the letter, I always have a feeling that I’ve lefi out something.
Something important I wanted to tell you. Usually I can’t remember, but it came
to me just now. It wasn't about the state of the nation or anything really immortant
I guess. I just wanted you to remember that catfish season opens the 15th. It doesn’t
close until the 30th of November. If you can’t get here for the opening, hope you'll
be here long before the close Gee! That corner again. So long now. Good luck, Your
home town correspondent / Ed Breen,
|
|