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Webster County
IAGenWeb
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DEAR JOE: Out there in front of me on Leech Lake, the white caps are rolling in from the north just as they
have rolled for centuries. It’s a beautiful lake and a big one. Mr. Finnigan, who runs the hotel, says it has 800 miles of
shore line. That's almost as long as the eastern border of Poland, as far as from Fort Dodge to Denver... The Indians are
still here, lots of them. The girls wear slacks and lip rouge and lots of jewelry while their brothers fight for Uncle Sam.
Their folks live back in the jack pine, tee-pee style. They fish and hunt and gather wild rice... We were out on the lake
yesterday and Capt. Hanson, who pilots the launch we were on, pointed out one of their graveyards. Over each grave. was a
little dog house. These Indians, Chippewas, build that little house so that the spirit of the dead Indian can have a place
to live... As we neared the graveyard, a little Indian boy who had been sitting on the bank, scurried back into the brush
and hid there watching us... Driving over to Bemidji last evening, we crossed the Mississippi three times. The last place,
it was about the size of Lizard Creek... Men were hunting and fishing here when Moses ascended the mountain. While Alexander
conquered his little world, the squaws gathered rice... Other days and other wars, but there still is hunting and fishing on
Leech Lake and come early August, the squaws will gather wild rice... We saw the rice beds yesterday growing like oats or
wheat in a shallow part of the lake. ‘And we saw the little boats, flat bottomed dugouts, about 10 feet long and very narrow,
maybe two feet wide, in which they gather the rice. They push through the rice beds and beat rice out of the stalks’ heads
with little sticks. They have to get a permit from the state to harvest the rice and they are permitted to use no machinery
in harvesting it... Ceiling price on wild rice is 75 cents a pound... Saw a new dance last night, “The Butterfly.” Something
the girls thought up to solve the manpower shortage. It is danced by two girls and one boy. They start out walking, three
abreast, the boy with an arm around each girl and each girl with an arm around the boy. When the spirit strikes, they link
arms, one girl facing forward on one side of the boy, the girl on the other side facing back, and do a little whirl around.
Then they reverse these positions and whirl the other way. Looks very nice and doubles the dances of each girl when boys are
scarce... And Joe, what I mean—your leaving has made boys awful scarce.
HI JOE: This is Bill Clark, of the Chamber of Commerce, telling you that your good friend Ed Breen is enjoying
a much needed and richly deserved siesta somewhere in Minnesota. Back for next week’s Y. L. F. H., you can believe anything he
tells you about big fish—almost.
HOMETOWN NEWS. Judge Dwight G. Rider resigned as 11th judicial district judge. He will resume
law practice in
Fort Dodge. John Schaupp has been appointed Judge Rider’s successor... Lt. Comdr. George Keith Funston has been elected president
of Trinity College at Hartford, Conn. He is 33 and one of the youngest college presidents in the U. S... Mr. and Mrs. W. A.
Kirkpatrick, of Clare, will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary July 30th... Marylynn McFarland, PhM 2/c, WAVES, has
returned to her duties at the Navy Hospital, Mare Island, Calif... Gene Ross, 16 year old Fort Dodger, who played with Ethel
Barrymore in “The Corn is Green” is in Hollywood where he will play the same role in the movie version starring Bette Davis.
Gene is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Candi Ross... Loomis Park is open again. Repairs have been completed on the road washed out
by heavy rains... George Gillman has been appointed by Gov. Hickenlooper to the board of pharmacy examiners... Seven boats
were destroyed in the Saturday midnight blaze at Okoboji. The loss will probably be around $50,000.00. Origin of the fire is
not known... Co. G. is home again, after two weeks at Camp Dodge. Co. G. won the regimental volleyball championship last week...
Butter has gone back up to 16 points... It’s Franklin D. Roosevelt and Senator Harry S. Truman, of Missouri, on the Democratic
ticket for the fall elections... The Fort Dodge tennis tourney will start Sunday, July 30th, with the finals August 19th. Fred
Cooper is managing the meet... Merope Mitchell, of Fort Dodge, was a winner in the Sunday sailboat races at Arnolds Park...
Ralph Fillion, 24, aircraft inspector for the army in St. Paul, who told police he lost a leg in the Jap attack on Dutch Harbor
in the Aleutians, is held in the shooting of Joe Kopish early Tuesday morning in front of the Hi-Ho tavern. Kopish objected to
Fillion’s efforts to collect “Share-The-Ride” expenses incurred by a waitress and her daughter. Kopish suffered a chest wound
but his condition is favorable... The Women’s Auxiliary sent out 3500 American Legion courtesy cards with Y. L. F. H. last week.
Hope you got yours okey and that you enjoy using it. Let us know if you were accidentally missed.
THE LITTLE CHURCH. AROUND THE CORNER. Norma Joan Burnett and Jack R. Calvert, P.O. 1/c, in Fort Dodge, July 17th... Mina Peoples, of Detroit Lakes, Minn,, and Blake E.
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Miller. No date has been set... Eleanor Snell, navy nurse, of Dayton, and Marine Cpl. Paul Castracone, at Berkeley, Calif...
Janet M. Hill and Pfc. Franklin F. Short, of Rolfe, July 22nd... Mardyll Avis Perkins and Sgt. Jack O. Caughey, June 30th,
in Calif... Barbara Steyer and James Christian, of Eagle Grove, July 29th, in Fort Dodge... Bernice Finck and Pvt. Meinhard
Hallman, of Burnside, July 25th, in Fort Dodge... Mary Isabell Strait, S 1/c, of the WAVES, and Pvt. Robert L. Stratton,
July 19th, at Clare... Pfc. Allan O. Kreiman and Alice Joan Hutchison, of Urmston, England, at Cheshire, England...
Arlene Enterline and DuWayne O. Thompson, of Waterloo, July 12th, at Treasure Island, Calif.
OVER HERE, Pvt. Ardo Thompson, recently returned to the U. S., is being treated for gun powder burns at a hospital in Bangor, Me... Dean Johnson, Y 3/c, back from more than 18 months’ duty in the Alaska-Aleutian area, is in V-12, Central College, Fayette, Mo... 2/c P. O. R. J. Nicholls has arrived at a west coast port after several months of transport duty... V. M. Hunefeld, M. M. 3/c, of the Seabees, is now at Great Lakes... Capt. J. G. Knoll, transferred to Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas, is kept busy as Aircraft Engineering Officer.
ENJOYING MOM’S COOKING. Lawrence Doyle, RM 3/c, from seven months of sea duty... Ambrose Welp, MoMM... Sgt. Richard Larson, from Fort Sumner, N. M. ... Pvt. Floyd Messerly, from Camp Croft, S. C.... Ralph Edward Bishop, Jr,, SF 2/c, formerly of Fort Dodge, is spending a 30-day leave with his parents in Long Beach, Calif. He is back from 30 months of service in the South Pacific... Lt. and Mrs. Maurice J. Tierney and their daughter, from Camp Breckinridge, Ky... Pfc. Donald J. Bonnell, from Kingman, Ariz... Pvt. Cornelius Whittington, from Orlando, Fla., with the army air corps ground forces... Sgt. Leroy B. Parsons, from Columbus, 5. C... Pvt. Leo Giocomarra, from Camp Roberts, Calif. He is transferring to Fort Ord… S/Sgt. Stanley T. Anderson, from Laredo, Texas... Ens. Bob Sheker, from Roanoke, Va.
SERVICE PAPERS. “The Stars and Stripes” from Pfc. Newell Porter, in France... From Sgt. John Moburg, APO, New York, “The Command Post”... “Ahoy” from R. D. Samuelson, C. M. 1/c, South Carolina... “Ferry Tales” from Cpl. H. Figlow... “Roundup” from S/Sgt. Roy Blunk, China... “The Mock-Up” from Ens. Frank J. Barry... “The Navy Breeze” from John Ault, Chicago, Illinois... “Camp Buiner News” from Pvt. Hope Baldwin, Camp Butner, North Carolina... Thanks, so much, all of you.
“I BOMBED JAPAN” CLUB. This is an organization composed of Eleventh Army Air Force combat personnel who have bombed Japanese positions in their home territory in the Kurlie Island chain. S/Sgt. Dean P. Saigh is a member by virtue of his participation in raids over Paramushiru. Sgt. Saigh is a radar operator and has been with the Eleventh Army Air Force in the Aleutians three months and has been on four combat missions.
GOOD FELLOWS GET TOGETHER. John E. Babcock, PhM 3/c, and his brother, P. O. Merl D. Babcock in the South Pacific... Somewhere in the Pacific, Lts. Robert Durian and Robert Wasem... Cpl. Charles Joiner and Sgt. Robert Joiner, in New Guinea... Pvt. Richard Gilchrist, Bob Haire and Dick Sternitzki somewhere in the South Pacific. (Will send some names along as soon as we have time to do a little checking, Dick)... Sgt. Chester Gerth met Richard Davis in London, sometime ago. Says, “It sure makes one feel good to see someone from home.”... Dick Nekvinda met a fellow Iowan from Algona, Arnold Thomas. They are recuperating in the same hospital... Sgt. Stanley Fowler and Gene Anglin, of Clare, in England... Dick Ramsden has met Larry Doyle, RM 3/c, and Laverne Sinclair, PhM 3/c. Dick is FPO, San Francisco.
OVERSEAS. S/Sgt. Harry J. Bryson is now serving with a convalescent hospital unit in France... Sgt. Merle W. Olofson is in a hospital in Italy, recovering from a broken leg suffered in a jeep accident June 12th... Cpl. George Haire is with an evacuation hospital unit in France... Sgt. Eugene McDermott is in France... Pvt. Robert J. Carlson is on duty with a quartermaster truck company in the South Pacific... Cpl. Frank Lentsch has arrived in Italy, after spending a year in North Africa... Pvt. Kolf J. Donly, Jr., has arrived in New Guinea. He has seen Harold Arkoff and Charles Lindsey... Pfc. Orval Mills and Carl Chester Haugen are on Saipan Island.
HOME TOWN BOYS MAKE GOOD. To 1st Lt., Joe Wall, with the Fleet Air Wing in the South Atlantic... Raymond Carlson has been commissioned an ensign and awarded his navy wings... To Ensign, Clifton Gawtry, Pensacola, Fla. ...To Cpl. Marvin McCoy, at Camp Pickett, Va... The Air Medal to T/Sgt. L. H. Kitley, Crew Chief on a C-47 transport plane in England... John Kueny, from S 1/c to RM 3/c... To Cpl. Quentin J. L. Parker, Randolph Field, Texas...To Mo. M. M. 2/c, Richard F. Nekvinda, somewhere in the Pacific... The Distinguished Flying Cross to T/Sgt. Carlyle J. Hanson,
top turret gunner and engineer of a
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B-17 Flying Fortress. He also holds the Air Medal and three oak leaf clusters... The oak leaf cluster to Capt. Darrell Lindsey, his third... To Pfc., Anthony “Tony” Gargano, Tony has been overseas 16 months and landed in Normandy, June 6th... To First Lt., Vernon Hart, APO, New York City... To Capt., Gilbert E. Merris, at Camp Cook, Calif.
MEMORIAL SERVICES. S/Sgt. Gust A. Back, of the army signal corps, killed in action in France June 10th... S/Sgt. Glenn Larsen, 22 year old tail gunner on a Liberator Bomber, killed in action over France June 6th... Sgt. Conrad Thompson, killed in action in New Guinea, June 5th... Cpl. Urban Lentsch, killed in France on D-Day.
PATCHES AND INSIGNIA. From Pfc. Lyle Newkirk, Glider Inf, ay Forrest, Tenn.... Cpl. R. E. Cleveland, from the Yukon… Pvt. Eugene Taylor, coast artillery and anti aircraft, Ft. Brag, N.C… 1/Sgt. W. W. Burke, Camp Gordon Johnston, Fla… Pfc. Elmo V. Schmoll, Camp McCain, Miss. and from Foster Funk, Camp Howze, Texas, we have the Third Corps Insignia of Fort Ord, Texas... Many thanks to each one who has contributed to our collection.
WAR’S GRIM TOLL. Sgt. K. W. Ricketts, reported wounded in action in Italy, has written his parents that he is making normal progress... Pfc. Lloyd H. Brayton, of Hardy, killed in action in France, June 10th... Pvt. Hans Jochimsen, 34, is in a hospital in England, suffering a shrapnel fractured jaw received in Normandy, July 8rd... First Lt. Willard Hadjes, 25 year old bomber pilot, is a prisoner of war in Germany after having been missing since June 18th, following a raid over Hamburg... Cpl. Donald Schill, af Gowrie, has written his parents that he is in the hospital with an arm injury received in Northern Italy… Oscar Karstens, 23 years old, with Co. G., was wounded in Italy. His brother, Pfc. Wiibur Karstens, is in New Guinea... Robert Kallansrud, 20 year old sailor, who was reported missing in action a year ago, is believed to be a prisoner of war. His father is a 2/c P. O. on duty aboard a transport... Pfc. Floyd Buffington, with Co. G., has been wounded in Italy... Pvt. Emil Kolesar was wounded in France, June 30th... 2/Lt. Oral G. Thompson, Jr., bombardier in a Flying Fortress, formerly reported missing in action, is a prisoner of war in Germany... T/Sgt. Charles Klinger, Jr., of Co. G., was wounded in Italy... T/Sgt. Frederick Thomas, 21, top turret gunner on a bomber based in England, is reported killed in action... Elliott Skow, of Rutland, has been wounded on the Italian front... Sgt. Roger Heathman, wounded in France, June 10th, writes his sister Mrs. Geo. Oalkand, of Badger, that he is getting along fine... Sgt. William Peed, of Duncombe, missing in action in Italy since May 12th, is believed to be a German prisoner... Pfc. William H. Muenster, 23, was killed in action in France, June 15th.
FROM THE FIVE CORNERS OF THE WORLD. Cpl. Richard Cleveland, APO Minneapolis, “Summer seemed very short in the Yukon this year. We had some warm weather in June and the first of July but now it has already turned cool. In June or July it never gets dark. I have been stationed here in Whitehorse for twenty-eight months, but sure hope we won't have to stay another winter. The winters are bad, plenty of time to write letters.”
F. A O'Connor, M. M. 1/c, Norfolk, Va., “I just ran into an old friend of mine from Fort Dodge and he let me look at his letter from home that you publish. It’s really a swell thing to get every week and I’ve found a lot of persons I know in it. Mr. Lacock is a friend for life for telling me about it. Its funny how you run into old acquaintances in the service. The last time I saw him was at the recruiting station in Fort Dodge in 1942. When I came home for survivors leave from the U. S. S. Marblehead, he was arguing with the recruiting officer about getting into the navy with his store teeth. Since I’ve left the Marblehead, I’ve been on the U. S. S. ————, a destroyer in the Atlantic Fleet. In the invasion of Sicily, we were praised for doing such remarkable work. The old girl withstood about 50 bombing raids and the crew no sleep. We shot down plenty of planes and sunk two German ships, destroyed bridges and tanks on the beach, besides raiding Italy at night, destroying her shipping, so you can see it was, or is, quite exciting in the navy.”
William H. Nelson, Farragut, “On my way to chow one morning, I was very surprised to see Phil Dorweiler. He had just gotten here the night before and he ate his first meal at our mess hall. He hadn’t started through the receiving building yet, so he still had his civilian clothes on. By the way, those civilian clothes sure looked good. I notice by the heading on Y. L. F. H. that there are a few new sponsors. I want to thank them along with the others for putting out such a swell letter. It really means a lot to someone in the service.”
Paul Peterson, S. F. 3/c, FPO San Francisco, “I have been receiving the Y. L. F. H. for quite some time and would like to thank you and those responsible for sending it very much. Have seen several Hawaiian U. S. O. shows consisting of hulu hulu girls in their grass skirts... pretty solid! But I still prefer the Fort Dodge jitterbug. Yesterday my morale raised considerably after getting a radio telephone call through from Honolulu to Fort Dodge talking to my wife there.”
Richard M. Taylor, AM 3/c, FPO San Francisco, Calif. “I have been in the navy nearly two years now and like it fine. I’m on an aircraft carrier. It’s very interesting duty and we've really been around. In my travels I’ve met quite a few Fort Dodgers, Carl Larson, Melvyn Phipps, Bob Rodenborn, Ensign Welp, Art Brown and Bob Eckelberger. Sorry I haven’t their addresses. However, Ensign Welp is on my ship and as an officer he can’t be beat. Thanks again for your Little Paper. I sure enjoy it.” (We'll play that request, Richard.)
Pvt. Sam J. Sears, Fort Lewis, Wash., “It’s very nice country out here and the climate is wonderful; but, as a fella says, ‘there’s no place like home,’
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I wasn’t here twenty-four hours before I ran into Pfc. Alex Daniels, another Fort Dodger. We are both in-the medics now.”
Sgt. Blane Phillips, Saipan, “This V-Mail is coming from the island of Saipan in the Marianas. This is today which is tomorrow back home. So I hope all of us from Fort Dodge see tomorrow soon. I differ with Buren on cocoanuts and pineapples. For myself, give me a cocoanut. All in all, this was a good Fourth. Lots of fireworks, Though I don’t want the next one on this continent.”
Pvt. Gill Fletcher, Saipan, “I'm dropping you a line to thank everyone connected with Y. L. F. H. I’ve just received seven of them today and I haven’t ever enjoyed myself as much as those letters made me. Don’t mind the spelling and writing—I'm trying to do it by the light of a cigarette and it isn’t very easy, but here, as elsewhere in the Pacific, what you’ve got has to do—and no complaints. Only I really don’t like sleeping with lizards and everything else crawling all over me. I’ve been here for the operation and you can take it from me, that everything you read about it is true. Bid all the boys over in France and Italy and the South Pacific a good luck for me. Tell Chet Haugen to look me up over here. I haven’t seen him for some time.”
Sgt. Walter Leamon, Camp Roberts, Calif, “My name was put on the mailing list a few months back by Tom Merryman, who was in New Guinea then and I was in New Zealand. I was in over 29 months, Ed, before the army rotation furlough plan struck and I was one of the lucky ones to come home. I got back to the U.S. A. (best place on earth, too!) May Ist, 1944. I had spent one year in the Hawaiian Islands, (saw Thomas Mann while there.), better than six months on Guadalcanal, four more on New Georgia getting in better than 75 days combat between the two. Also made New Zealand (a swell country of grand people) and New Caledonia. I am writing from a ward in the hospital where I have malta. Never had it overseas but this is the third time since May for me,’
Thomas Fitzgerald, 5 2/c, FPO San Francisco, “Since I have been in the service of Uncle Sam, I’ve seen the greatest part of the Pacific—New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, the Admiralty Islands, Russels and _______. During that time, I have received your marvelous letters. I’ve had nine different complete addresses since I’ve been serving my country. Whenever I started to write about my address being changed, I'd up and move again.”
2nd Lt. Wm. G. Hesser, APO New York, “I finally saw some one from Fort Dodge, Ray R. Hayden, Ist Lt. He wants the letter from home. I showed him mine and he thought it a great idea. I found the general location of the Rodenborns here in England, but have not got to see them. I hope that this year sees the end of the war herein this theatre. Pm homesick for Fort Dodge and all that is there.” (Request taken care of, Bill. Thanks for the Picture.)
Phil Dorweiler, A/S, Farragut, Idaho, “We were told that our barbers were graduated aviation machinists. They cut your hair in a new record time—15 seconds now. Fort Dodgers I have met are Elmer Quick, Jack Fletcher, Nick Hergenreter, Don Steadman, former U. S. Employment interviewer, Abe Castagnoli, athletic director in our camp, and Chuck Masheen.” (Addresses noted as per letter. Thanks, Phil.)
Pfc. Floyd Zeka, Greensboro, N. C., “I was home on the 4th of July on a delay enroute. Took part in the flag céremony at Oleson Park that evening. ‘Three of us presertted the flagand also lowered the flag at retreat. Makes a person feel proud to take part in something like that. Fhe flag was presented to the Army Dads... Had a swim also at: Expo Park which was a treat. Both my brother, Henry, and I were home together fora while. It was cool the day we went swimming but we enjoyed it, nevertheless. I hope all goes well there in Fort Dodge till we all return for good. So ‘till later, God bless you all back there.”
Lt. G. F. Rich, FPO New York, Captain T. W. Hill, who surprisingly enough stepped aboard our ship with his army unit for a cS to the recent excitement, is the only person from Fort Dodge whom I have encountered in the past seventeen months aside from Ralph and Rachel Bastian and son in Key West, and my family in New York. After reading your detailed letters, however, I felt F T had at least a working knowledge of everyone who has ever been in Fort. Dadge or thought of being in Fort Dodge.
We received other grand letters from Pvt. Vernon G. Johnston, England... Pvt. Marvin Bowers, France... Cpl. Willard A. Balm, Indiantown Gap Mil Res., Pa... Lt. Delbert E. Williamson APO New York... Pvt. Lester Evans, Italy... Pvt. Donald Sullivan, England... Arnold Bertram, Chapiain, France (Happy at the opportunity to help you out)... Pfc. Archie Nelson, Camp Grant, IL... Pfc. Henry Zeka, Orlando, Fla... Don E. Bruntlett, S 1/c, Chicago, Il.... Sgt. Lawrence Johnson, Ft. McPherson, Ga... Emmett S. Powers, Norfolk, Va... Cpl. W. Babcock, New Guinea... Pfc. Richard D. McNeilly, FPO San Francisco... T/5 Lyle D. Hackett, APO New York... Lt. F. R. Coe, San Diego, Calif... Rena I. Ulm, S 1/c, Washington 4, D.C... HG. Benson, CPhM, Central Pacific Area... Robert D. Lowrey, S 2/e, Shoemaker, Calif . Wm. D. Weber, APO: San Francisco . .. Pvt. Frederick J. Miller, Camp Pickett, Va... Cpl. Warren E. Kelly, FPO San Francisco... A/S Bob Rhodes, Greenville, Texas .... Svend A. Mogensen, Australia... Pfc. Clyde Groat, Bremerton, Wash.... Pvt. Donald Derrig, France... Cecil H. Buxics Alameda, Calif., and Lt. R. W. Bastian, FPO San Francisco... Thanks a million.
This is the first time in forty weeks that I haven’t read your letters as they came in, and I miss them... This week you got a break. Mae Challberg and Charlotte Brown read them and, in turn, they gathered the news and wrote this week’s issue of Y. L. F. H....I know they have done a fine job: of it and I appreciate their taking over in my absence... Good luck, fellows. I’ll be writing you next week...
Your home town correspondent, Ed Breen
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