FURLOUGHS
Willie Lauer, who was inducted July 2 at Red Wing, Minn., has been spending a two week's furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Lauer, 907 Carolina place southeast. He will report to Fort Snelling, Minn.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, Friday, July 17, 1942, Page 8
Has Furlough
Sgt. Willie Lauer, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Lauer, 1021 Carolina avenue southeast, left Saturday for Fort Sam Houston, Tex., after a week's furlough spent here.
(Russell photo)
Source: The Globe Gazette. Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, Wednesday, February 17, 1943, Page 9 (photo included)
SGT. LAUER IN ALLIED DRIVE
WITH PATTON'S 3rd ARMY
Writes That Red Cross Supplies Their Needs;
Sends Money Home
S/Sgt. Willie Lauer, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Lauer, 1021 Carolina S. E., is with the 379th regiment of the 95th division, which according to a United Press story, recently occupied Wolppy, 1 1/2 miles northwest of Metz.
The 95th is a part of Lt. George S. Patton's 3rd army in the Metz sector and in the allied drive now pushing through the German lines.
S/Sgt. Lauer began service with Company E of the 379th regiment of the 95th division on July 15, 1942, and took his first training in California, later going to Indiantown Gap, Pa., and to other parts of the country for training.
A letter written by Lauer from France the latter part of October stated that it was getting pretty cold there. He said that the Germans should fold up any time - he hoped. He also wrote that he was sending home some money as he couldn't spend it on anything anyway. Besides, he said, "everything we get here is free, mostly from the Red Cross."
Before entering the service, S/Sgt. Lauer was a salesman at Montgomery Ward's.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, Tuesday, November 21, 1944, Page 8
STAFF SGT. WILLIE LAUER WAS KILLED
in ACTION in GERMANY, DEC. 14
Message of His Death Came Same Day
as Purple Heart Award
S/Sgt. Willie Lauer, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Lauer, 1021 Carolina S. E., was killed in action in Germany on Dec. 14, his parents were informed in a telegram received from the war department Wednesday.
S/Sgt. Lauer was serving with Gen. George Patton's 3rd army as a member of the 95th division and had been overseas since last August. He was recently wounded in action and the purple heart decoration was received by his parents the same day the message of his death came.
Lauer was born in Germany and came with his parents to this part country as a small boy. He spent most of his life in Mason City and attended the schools here. At the time of entering the service, Sgt. Lauer was employed at Montgomery Ward's in Mason City and Red Wing, Minn.
Besides his parents he is survived by 2 sisters, Pvt. Elizabeth Lauer, stationed at El Paso, Tex., and Virginia at home.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. Thursday, December 28, 1944, Page 8
Sgt. Willie Lauer is buried in Lorraine American Cemetery, Saint Avold, France. He has a cenotaph in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, IA.
Sgt. Lauer was awarded the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.
Sources: ancestry.com;
abmc.gov
