David De Ruyter, son of George De Ruyter of Sioux Center, who recently left for the service is stationed at the Great Lakes and has the following address:
David De Ruyter
322-35-46 U.S.N.T.S.
Great Lakes, Illinois
Source: Sioux Center News Oct. 19, 1944 p 2
Dave De Ruyter will be home for a few days leave this week from Great Lakes Naval Training Station where he is taking his boot training.
Source: Sioux Center News Dec. 21, 1944 p 12
David De Ruyter has this address:
A.O.M. S 1/c C.A. 322-35-46, N.A.G.S., Jacksonville, Florida
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 9, 1945 p 2
Miami, Florida
Dear Ed:
Here’s my new address: David De Ruyter A.Q.M. S 1/c, C. A., VB-4 Masters Field, N.A.S., Miami, Florida.
At present I am “sweating out” operation as a gunner, on a PB4Y2 Bomber. Navy version of the Army’s B-24 Liberator.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 8, 1945 p 2
DAVID DE RUYTER WRITES FROM MIAMI
November 8th
Dear Ed:
There’s a first time for everything and I’ll try anything just once, so here goes.
I’d like to explain what I am doing at the present time. We’re flying “operational” training in PB4Y2 four engined bombers. The Navy version of Army B-24. It’s a very good plane and can absorb a beating. There’s twelve men in our crew and all are fine fellows.
The plane has six machine gun turrets with two machine guns to a turret. My job is gunner in a waist turret. This turret is teardrop in shape and hangs half way out of the plane. None of the boys in the turrets wear parachutes because there just isn’t room for them – but you can bet we keep them very handy.
Most of our training consists of shooting at targets towed by other planes. Also we do a great deal of shooting at targets towed by ships out in the Atlantic. Those twin 6 machine guns really sing a song of death. They are perfect guns.
The flights or “hops” as we call them are always over the Bahama Island, Cuba or the Gulf of Mexico. Its all very interesting. The sunrise slanting up through the clouds over the Atlantic is beautiful; but I like the sunrise over an Iowa duck pond much better.
The crews are frozen for one year. This means I’ll be in this crew for the duration of twelve months. At the present time the crews which have graduated went to the Azore Is. and Brazil and also to China. It seems as if our crew is slated for a good term overseas. What else can a sailor expect – especially one who has only 17 points.
I’d trade five years of this Miami liquid sunshine for just five minutes up in that Iowa “Indian Summer” air.
A gunner who’s gunning for a discharge in forty-seven, David De Ruyter
P.S. I missed seeing Knobby Vander Berg by a few hours.
David De Ruyter A.O.M. 3/c C.A.
VB-4 Masters Field, NAS
Miami, Florida
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 22, 1945 p 12
Draft Board
Minutes of June 25, 1946
….
1-C Discharged
….., David De Ruyter.
Source: Sioux County Capital June 27, 1946 p 1
Honorably Discharged
Discharge papers filed at the County Recorder’s office the past week are as follows:
…..
David De Ruyter, Sioux Center, Navy
…..
Source: Alton Democrat Aug. 29, 1946 p 1
Iowa, U. S., WWII Bonus Case Files 1947-1954, Claim No. 156432
David De Ruyter, SN 322-35-46, was born Dec. 23, 1946, Sioux Center, Iowa, where he was still residing prior to enlisting in the Navy and joining on Oct. 8, 1944. Although never having been stationed outside the U. S., he made flights outside the continental limits of the U. S. and drew sea pay for period Sept. 1945 thru May, 1946. He served as an air gunner in the Naval Air Corps at FB-4 O.T.U. #3, Miami, Florida and N.A.R.S. Whiting Field, Pensacola, Florida. He was discharged from service on June 18, 1946. His application for bonus pay was filed on June 13, 1949, for which he received $240.00 bonus pay.
Source: ancestry.com
