Six From One Family In Service
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman will soon have six members of their immediate family in the service of their country. Cpl. Peter Moerman is in Persia, Cpl. William Moerman is in the Aleutian Islands, Pvt. Adrian Moreman is in Sacramento, Calif., 1st Cook in an army camp there. He was accepted for limited service last August. Pvt. Jack W. Rodibaugh, married to Nellie Moerman, is in Camp Claibourne. Harry Moerman returned Monday from his examination at Omaha and will leave here after his fourteen-day furlough. Cornie had his blood test Tuesday of this week and expects to go into the service in July.
Source: Sioux Center News June 17, 1943, p 1
In Armed Service
The following young men of this community entered the service of their county last week: Army: Bernard Milo Grau of Ireton; Marvin Smit of Maurice; Arie Moerman of Sioux Center and Robert Elvin Sharp of Hawarden. Navy: John B. Reeff of Hospers and George Tolman of Orange City.
Source: Sioux County Capital June 24, 1943, p 8
Six Boys From Moerman Family Are In The Service
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman have so far established a record in this immediate vicinity for the number of sons in the service of their country.
They have five sons in the service and one son-in-law. One son, Paul, aged 12, remains at home. (photo)
PVT. CORNELIUS MOERMAN Pvt. Cornelius Moerman, the sixth son to leave, left August 15, 1943. His is stationed at Camp Beale, Calif. Recently Cornelius and Adrian had a chance to meet and spent the day with each other. Cornelius is married and has one child, a baby girl, Karen Kay who was born the day before he left for the service, August 14. (photo)
PVT. ADRIAN MOERMAN Pvt. Adrian Moerman, third of the Moerman brothers to leave, left for the service August 14, 1942. Adrian has been in the same camp, which is Camp Kohler, Calif., and is in for limited service due to poor eyes. Adrian also made his home in California before entering the army. (photo)
CORP. T-5 PETER MOERMAN Corp. T-5 Peter Moerman, the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Moerman to leave for the service. He left for the service on July 17, 1942. He was first stationed at Camp Lee, Virginia. From there he was transferred to Houston, Texas and in January 1943 went overseas to Persia. He is married and has a baby daughter whom he has never seen. She was born March 2, 1943. Peter was employed in the local Coop Produce Ass’n. prior to his entrance into the army. (photo)
PVT. JACK WEAVER RODIBAUGH Pvt. Jack Rodibaugh, son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman, fourth to leave, entered the service Dec. 1, 1942. He had been stationed in Camp Claiborne up until about two months ago and then transferred to Shreveport, La. The family has been receiving letters from him but are unable to find out his exact location. He has an APO address. Mrs. Jack Rodibaugh, the former Nellie Moerman is making her home with her sister, Mrs. Lane Attema at Sioux City, where she is employed in a Piggly-Wiggly store. Prior to his entrance into the army they made their home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (photo)
SGT. WILLIAM MOERMAN Sgt. William Moerman left for the army on January 30, 1942. He was stationed at Camp Walters, Texas and then transferred to Seattle, Washington. In June 1942 he was promoted to Corp. and went overseas the same month. In October he was promoted to the rank of Sgt. and also received a medal for good conduct. William was the first son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman to leave for the service. He is a machine gunner. (photo)
PVT. ARIE MOERMAN Pvt. Arie Moerman, better known as Harry, fifth to leave, entered the army June 1943. He has been stationed at the Lincoln Army Air Base, Lincoln, Nebr. up until this week, when he was transferred to Camp Buckley Field, Colorado, where he will attend school.
His complete new address is Pvt. Arie Moerman 37481860, 766 T.S.S., Buckley Field, Colorado. Harry was employed in a defense factory at Grand Rapids, Michigan before entering the army.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 11, 1943, p 2
Pvt. Harry Moerman is at present in the hospital due to an infection in his face. Harry has been going to school and will have to begin his entire course over again.
Source: Sioux Center News Dec. 2, 1943, p 3
Pvt. Arie Moerman, better known to us as Harry, has a new address also. Harry has been in the hospital for some time and now beginning school all over new. His new address is: Pvt. Arie Moerman Student Pool Las Vagas A.A.F. Las Vagas, Nevada
Source: Sioux Center News Jan. 13, 1944, p 2
Pvt. A. Moerman and Pvt. Cornelius Moerman both have slight changes within their address. Here are both of their complete addresses: Pvt. A. Moerman Student Sqdn. 1 class 44-9 Las Vegas Army Air Field Las Vegas, Nevada
Pvt. Cornelius Moerman Co. C 169th Engr. Bn. C. APO 187 Los Angeles, Calif.
Source: Sioux Center News Jan. 20, 1944, p 7
Pvt. Arie Moerman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman, also has a slight change within his address. His complete address is: Pvt. Arie Moerman Student Sqd. 3, Class 44-11 Las Vegas, Nevada
Source: Sioux Center News Feb. 10, 1944, p 10
Pvt. Arie Moerman 2nd Air Force, C.R.R., Prov. Sqd. Co., Lincoln, Nebraska.
Source: Sioux Center News April 13, 1944, p 7
Harry Moerman came home on a weeks’ furlough from a camp in Nevada and is speding it with his family Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman here.
Source: Sioux County Capital Mar. 23, 1944, p 3
Pfc. Harry Moerman left again on Monday evening after spending a week’s furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman here. He is stationed at Lincoln, Nebr.
Source: Sioux Center News Mar. 30, 1944, p 2
Arie (Harry) Moerman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman has been promoted to Cpl. and this is his new address: Cpl. Arie Moerman Combat Crew Det. Army Air Field Ardmore, Oklahoma
Source: Sioux Center News June 1, 1944, p 2
Mrs. Pete Moerman and Miss Gertrude Van Engen of Ireton returned recently from Ardmore, Oklahoma where they spent several days visiting Cpl. Harry Moerman who will leave to go overseas soon. Mr. and Mrs. William Rensink and children, Mrs. Cornie Moerman and baby, Dena and Paul Moerman motored to Sioux City to get their mother, Mrs. P. Moerman.
Source: Sioux Center News June 22, 1944, p 5
OVERSEAS
We have received the overseas address of Cpl. Arie (Harry) Moerman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman. Call either his parents or the News for it. This is the third son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman now serving overseas. They have 5 sons and one son-in-law in the service.
Source: Sioux Center News July 6, 1944, p 1
Cpl. Harry Moerman has a new address. His new APO number is 557. Call us for his complete address.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 17, 1944, p 10
Harry Moerman Missing In Action
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman received a telegram from the War Department Sunday afternoon that their son Sgt. Harry was missing in action in an air raid over Germany on August 15.
Harry, who is the youngest of 6 service men in the Moerman family, left for the service in June 1943, and was sent across the later part of June the past summer. On August 19 he was promoted to the rank of Sgt. His mother visited him in Camp at Oklahoma just shortly before he left the states.
He was a gunner on the plane and was in the same squadron as Lt. Bernard Vermeer. The boys met recently in camp and had a nice visit together and Mrs. Moerman has written Lt. Vermeer asking for information concerning the flight.
Mr. and Mrs. Moerman have five other sons in the service, Pvt. Cornie who left the states just a short time ago and is now in England, Pfc. Eddie who is stationed at Camp Kohler, California, Staff Sgt. Wm. who is in the Aleutian Islands, T/5 Peter who is in Persia, and Pfc. Jack Rodibaugh, who is stationed at Camp Houze, Tex.
Harry is one of 41 service men who have left from the First Christian Ref. Church and is the first one to be reported missing from that church.
The community joins the Moerman family and his fiancée, Gertrude Van Engen, of Ireton, in the sincere hope that they may receive favorable news concerning Harry in the near future. The family is having a new picture made which the News will publish as soon as possible.
Source: Sioux Center News, August 31, 1944 (photo included)
Still Missing in France (photo) CPL. A. MOERMAN
Here is the new picture of Harry Moerman who is still reported “missing in action” somewhere in France. No further word has been received by the family as yet.
Source: Sioux Center News Sept. 14, 1944, p 1
MOERMANS RECEIVE INDIRECT WORD FROM ‘MISSING SON’S’ CREW
The Peter Moerman family are feeling very hopeful for the ultimate safety of son Sgt. Harry who was reported missing in action over Germany a few weeks ago, while on his third bombing mission, having received indirect word from another crew member’s family concerning the boys. Mrs. Moerman met LaMar Whittier, radio operator, on Harry’s skip when she went to visit her son just before he left the states.
The radio operator on the bomber in which Harry was flying, cabled his father who lives at Rockland, Idaho, saying “ALL WELL AND SAFE, Love, Lamar.” Mr. Whittier, his father, immediately notified Mr. Stephens, who wrote the following letter to the Moerman family here.
The Stephens and Cathey mentioned in the letter are undoubtedly the pilots on the bomber, and the letter was written by Mr. Stephens: Blackfoot, Idaho Box 88 Sept 11, 1944
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Moerman,
Mr. Whittier of Rockland, Idaho, father of LaMar Whittier, radio operator on John Cathey’s and Chad Stephens’ bomber, called us by phone tonight he had received a cablegram from LeMar as follows: “ALL-WELL-AND-SAFE. LOVE, LAMAR” Mr. Whittier decided the cablegram must have included the whole crew. We have also decided this must be the case; as we have received no word from Chad since a letter of August 14, and the War Dept. telegram of August 26th, notifying us Chad was missing over Germany. We hope and pray we have made the right decision on the cablegram. If we hear any further information we will advise you at once. Please do likewise if you have or hear any.
With kindest personal regards, Sincerely,
Source: Sioux Center News Sept. 21, 1944, p 1
Sgt. Harry Moerman Killed In Action A Year Ago (photo)
SGT. HARRY MOERMAN
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman received word from the war department on Friday morning telling them that their son Sgt. Harry Moerman had been killed in action in a raid over Germany on August 15, 1944. The family received word on the 26th of August last summer that he was missing in action but received notice this week that he had been killed at that time.
Harry left for the service on June 28, 1943, and was sent overseas in June 1944 and was killed after spending 41 days there. He was a tail gunner on a B-17 bomber.
He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman, also his fiancée Miss Gertrude Van Engen of Ireton and the following brothers and sisters: Pfc. Cornelius stationed in Germany, John of Sioux Center, Pvt. Adrian in Germany, Mrs. Lane Attema of Sioux City, T/4 Peter in Washington DC, Staff Sgt. William in Germany, Mrs. William Rensink of Sioux Center, Mrs. Jack Rodenbaugh of Sioux Center and Dena Ellsie and Paul Leonard both at home.
Harry was 20 years of age and worked with his father previous to his entrance into the service. The News joins their many friends expressing its sincere sympathy to the family in their loss.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 16, 1945, p 1
CARD OF THANKS
We want to express our sincere thanks to all those who have remembered us through cards, letters and visits and for their sympathy following the loss of our dear son and brother, Sgt. Harry Moerman. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Moerman and family.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 23, 1945, p 5
CARD OF THANKS
I wish to extend my sincere thanks to friends for the kind words and sympathy shown me following the loss of my beloved fiancée Sgt. Harry Moerman. Your many cards, letters, words of comfort and prayers offered are greatly appreciated.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 30, 1945, p 5
The granite marker and flag at Memory Gardens in Sioux Center Cemetery
Arie “Harry” Moerman was born Oct. 13, 1923 to Peter and Trintje Schelling Moerman. He died Aug. 15, 1944 and is buried in Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg.
Sgt. Moerman served in World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corps 358th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomber Group, Heavy. He was KIA over Germany and was awarded the Purple Heart and Air Medal.
Source: ancestry.com
